The Ignatius Bible 2nd Edition - Ignatius Press
The Ignatius Bible 2nd Edition - Ignatius Press
The Ignatius Bible 2nd Edition - Ignatius Press
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS REVISED A.D. 1881-1885 AND A.D. 1901
(APOCRYPHA REVISED A.D. 1894)
IGNATIUS PRESS
San Francisco
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The Names and Order of the Books
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel (1 Kings)
2 Samuel (2 Kings)
1 Kings (3 Kings)
2 Kings (4 Kings)
1 Chronicles (1 Paralipomenon)
2 Chronicles (2 Paralipomenon)
Ezra (1 Esdras)
Nehemiah (2 Esdras)
Tobit (Tobias)
Judith
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Isaiah (Isaias)
Jeremiah (Jeremias)
Lamentations
Baruch
Ezekiel (Ezechiel)
Daniel
Hosea (Osee)
Joel
Amos
Obadiah (Abdias)
Jonah (Jonas)
Micah (Michaes)
Nahum
Habakkuk (Habacuc)
Zephaniah (Sophonias)
Haggai (Aggeus)
Zechariah (Zacharias)
Malachi (Malachias)
1 Maccabees (1 Machabees)
2 Maccabees (2 Machabees)
Apocrypha
Deuterocanonical Books
1 (3) Esdras
Not included
2 (4) Esdras
Not included
Tobit
Tobit
Judith
Judith
Additions to Esther
Esther (part of)
Sirach
Sirach
Baruch
Baruch 1-5
The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men
Daniel 3 (part of)
Susanna
Daniel 13
1 Maccabees
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
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The Names and Order of the Books
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
The Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Parallel Notes
Doctrinal Notes
Exegetical Notes
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Abbreviations in the Notes
In the notes to the books of the Old Testament, the following abbreviations
are used: Ms for manuscript; Mss for manuscripts. Heb denotes the Hebrew
of the consonantal Masoretic Text of the Old Testament; and MT denotes
the Hebrew of the pointed Masoretic Text of the Old Testament. The
ancient versions of the Old Testament are indicated by:
Tg Targum
References to quoted and parallel passages are given following the textual
notes on pages where these are relevant.
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THE OLD TESTAMENT
Revised Standard Version | Second Catholic Edition
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Genesis
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
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GENESIS
Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath
1* In the beginning God created a the heavens and the earth. 2The earth
was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep;
and the Spirit b of God was moving over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw
that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was
let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7And God made the firmament
and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament. And it was so. 8And God called the
firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second
day.
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together
into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the
dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas.
And God saw that it was good. 11And God said, “Let the earth put forth
vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is
their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. 12The
earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own
kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its
kind. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there
was morning, a third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to
separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons
and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the firmament of the
heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16And God made the
two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule
the night; he made the stars also. 17And God set them in the firmament of
the heavens to give light upon the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the
night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was
good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures,
and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.” 21So
God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves,
with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged
bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22And God
blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the
seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23And there was evening and
there was morning, a fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to
their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to
their kinds.” And it was so. 25And God made the beasts of the earth
according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and
everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw
that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the
air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing
that creeps upon the earth.” 27So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28And God
blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the
birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
29And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which
is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you
shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every
bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that
has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was
so. 31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very
good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he
rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3So God
blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all
his work which he had done in creation.
Another Account of Creation
4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were
created.
* In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5when no
plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung
up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there
was no man to till the ground; 6but a mist c went up from the earth and
watered the whole face of the ground—7then the LORD God formed man of
dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and
man became a living soul. 8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in
the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9And out of the
ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight
and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and
became four rivers. 11The name of the first is Pi'shon; it is the one which
flows around the whole land of Hav'ilah, where there is gold; 12and the gold
of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13The name of the
second river is Gi'hon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of
Cush. 14And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of
Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphra'tes.
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it
and keep it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may
freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17but of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall
die.”
18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I
will make him a helper fit for him.” 19So out of the ground the LORD God
formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them
to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called
every living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all cattle,
and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man
there was not found a helper fit for him. 21So the LORD God caused a deep
sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and
closed up its place with flesh; 22and the rib which the LORD God had taken
from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23Then the
man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,d
because she was taken out of Man.” e
24Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife,
and they become one flesh. 25And the man and his wife were both naked,
and were not ashamed.
The Fall of Man
3 Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the
LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not
eat of any tree of the garden’?” 2And the woman said to the serpent, “We
may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3but God said, ‘You shall not
eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall
you touch it, lest you die.' " 4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will
not die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6So when the woman
saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit
and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7Then the eyes
of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed
fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence
of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9But the LORD God called
to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10And he said, “I heard the
sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid
myself.” 11He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of
the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The
woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I
ate.” 13Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have
done?” The woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.” 14The LORD
God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all cattle,
and above all wild animals;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15I will put enmity between you and the woman,
living. 21And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of
skins, and clothed them.
22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us,
knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of
the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever”—23therefore the LORD God sent
him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was
taken. 24He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he
placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard
the way to the tree of life.
Cain and Abel
4 * Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain,
saying, “I have gotten g a man with the help of the LORD.” 2And again, she
bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of
the ground. 3In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of
the fruit of the ground, 4and Abel brought some of the firstlings of his flock
and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,
5but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry,
and his countenance fell. 6The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and
why has your countenance fallen? 7If you do well, will you not be
accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is
for you, but you must master it.”
8 Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go out to the field.” h And when
they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.
9Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do
not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10And the LORD said, “What have
you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the
ground. 11And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its
mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you till the
ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive
and a wanderer on the earth.” 13Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is
greater than I can bear. 14Behold, you have driven me this day away from
the ground; and from your face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive
and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will slay me.” 15Then
the LORD said to him, “Not so! i If any one slays Cain, vengeance shall be
taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who
came upon him should kill him. 16Then Cain went away from the presence
of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, j east of Eden.
Beginnings of Civilization
17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore E'noch; and he built a
city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18To
E'noch was born I'rad; and Irad was the father of Mehu'ja-el, and Mehuja-el
the father of Methu'sha-el, and Methusha-el the father of La'mech. 19And
La'mech took two wives; the name of the one was A'dah, and the name of
the other Zillah. 20A'dah bore Ja'bal; he was the father of those who dwell in
tents and have cattle. 21His brother’s name was Ju'bal; he was the father of
all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22Zillah bore Tu'bal-cain; he was the
forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was
Na'amah.
23 La'mech said to his wives:
Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel,
for Cain slew him.” 26To Seth * also a son was born, and he called his name
E'nosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
Adam’s Descendants to Noah
5 This is the book of the generations * of Adam. When God created man,
he made him in the likeness of God. 2Male and female he created them, and
he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3When
Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in
his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4The days of Adam
after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years; and he had
other sons and daughters. 5Thus all the days that Adam lived were nine
hundred and thirty years; and he died.
6 When Seth had lived a hundred and five years, he became the father of
E'nosh. 7Seth lived after the birth of E'nosh eight hundred and seven years,
and had other sons and daughters. 8Thus all the days of Seth were nine
hundred and twelve years; and he died.
9 When E'nosh had lived ninety years, he became the father of Ke'nan.
10E'nosh lived after the birth of Ke'nan eight hundred and fifteen years, and
had other sons and daughters. 11Thus all the days of E'nosh were nine
hundred and five years; and he died.
12 When Ke'nan had lived seventy years, he became the father of Ma-
hal'alel. 13Ke'nan lived after the birth of Ma-hal'alel eight hundred and forty
years, and had other sons and daughters. 14Thus all the days of Ke'nan were
nine hundred and ten years; and he died.
15 When Ma-hal'alel had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of
Jar'ed. 16Ma-hal'alel lived after the birth of Jar'ed eight hundred and thirty
years, and had other sons and daughters. 17Thus all the days of Ma-hal'alel
were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.
18 When Jar'ed had lived a hundred and sixty-two years he became the
father of E'noch. 19Jared lived after the birth of E'noch eight hundred years,
and had other sons and daughters. 20Thus all the days of Jar'ed were nine
hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.
21 When E'noch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of
Methu'selah. 22E'noch walked with God after the birth of Methu'selah three
hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. 23Thus all the days of
E'noch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24E'noch walked with God;
and he was not, for God took him.
25 When Methu'selah had lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, he
the father of a son, 29and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground
which the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and
from the toil of our hands.” 30La'mech lived after the birth of Noah five
hundred and ninety-five years, and had other sons and daughters. 31Thus all
the days of La'mech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he
died.
32 After Noah was five hundred years old, Noah became the father of
that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved
him to his heart. 7So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have
created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and
birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8But Noah found
favor in the eyes of the LORD.
9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless
in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10And Noah had three sons,
Shem, Ham, and Ja'pheth.
Noah Makes the Ark as God Commands
11 * Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled
with violence. 12And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all
flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13And God said to Noah, “I
have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with
violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make
yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside
and out with pitch. 15This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark
three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
16Make a roof k for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and set the door
of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17For
behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in
which is the breath of life from under heaven; everything that is on the earth
shall die. 18But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come
into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
19And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort
into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.
20Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their
kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of
every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive. 21Also take with you
every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for
you and for them.” 22Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
The Great Flood
7 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your
household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this
generation. 2Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and
his mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate;
3and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their
kind alive upon the face of all the earth. 4For in seven days I will send rain
upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have
made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5And Noah did all that
the LORD had commanded him.
6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the
earth. 7And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him
went into the ark, to escape the waters of the flood. 8Of clean animals, and
of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on
the ground, 9two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as
God had commanded Noah. 10And after seven days the waters of the flood
came upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the
seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep
burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12And rain fell
upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13On the very same day Noah
and his sons, Shem and Ham and Ja'pheth, and Noah’s wife and the three
wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14they and every beast
according to its kind, and all the cattle according to their kinds, and every
creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind, and every bird
according to its kind, every bird of every sort. 15They went into the ark with
Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16And
they that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had
commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.
17 The flood continued forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased,
and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18The waters prevailed
and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the
waters. 19And the waters prevailed so mightily upon the earth that all the
high mountains under the whole heaven were covered; 20the waters
prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21And all
flesh died that moved upon the earth, birds, cattle, beasts, all swarming
creatures that swarm upon the earth, and every man; 22everything on the dry
land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23He blotted out every
living thing that was upon the face of the ground, man and animals and
creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth.
Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark. 24And the
waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.
The Flood Subsides
8 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that
were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and
the waters subsided; 2the fountains of the deep and the windows of the
heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3and the
waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of a hundred and fifty
days the waters had abated; 4and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth
day of the month, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ar'arat. 5And
the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on
the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.
6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he
had made, 7and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters
were dried up from the earth. 8Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if
the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9but the dove found no
place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were
still on the face of the whole earth. So he put forth his hand and took her
and brought her into the ark with him. 10He waited another seven days, and
again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 11and the dove came back to him
in the evening, and behold, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf; so
Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12Then he waited
another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she did not return to him
any more.
13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the
month, the waters were dried from off the earth; and Noah removed the
covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
14In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth
was dry. 15Then God said to Noah, 16“Go forth from the ark, you and your
wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17Bring forth with you
every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every
creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may breed abundantly on
the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.” 18So Noah went
forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19And every
beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves upon the
earth, went forth by families out of the ark.
God’s Promise to Noah
20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal
and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And
when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, “I will
never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man’s
heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living
creature as I have done. 22While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
The Covenant with Noah
9 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the earth. 2The fear of you and the dread of you shall be
upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the air, upon
everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea; into your
hand they are delivered. 3Every moving thing that lives shall be food for
you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4Only you
shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5For your lifeblood I will
surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it and of man; of
every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6Whoever sheds the
blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his
own image. 7And you, be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly on
the earth and multiply in it.”
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish
my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10and with every
living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the
earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.l 11I establish my covenant
with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood,
and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12And God said,
“This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and
every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13I set my
bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the
earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the
clouds, 15I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and
every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a
flood to destroy all flesh. 16When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon
it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living
creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” 17God said to Noah, “This is the
sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that
is upon the earth.”
Noah and His Sons
18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and
Ja'pheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. 19These three were the sons of
Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled.
20 Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; 21and he
drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. 22And
Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two
brothers outside. 23Then Shem and Ja'pheth took a garment, laid it upon
both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of
their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s
nakedness. 24When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest
son had done to him, 25he said,
“Cursed be Canaan;
a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.”
26He also said,
and Ti'ras. 3The sons of Gomer: Ash'kenaz, Ri'phath, and Togar'mah. 4The
sons of Ja'van: Eli'shah, Tar'shish, Kittim, and Do'danim. 5From these the
coastland peoples spread. These are the sons of Ja'pheth n in their lands,
each with his own language, by their families, in their nations.
6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7The sons of Cush:
Seba, Hav'ilah, Sabtah, Ra'amah, and Sab'teca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba
and De'dan. 8Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to
be a mighty man. 9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is
said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10The beginning of
his kingdom was Ba'bel, E'rech, and Accad, all of them in the land of
Shi'nar. 11From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nin'eveh,
Reho'both-Ir, Ca'lah, and 12Re'sen between Nin'eveh and Ca'lah; that is the
great city. 13Egypt became the father of Lu'dim, An'amim, Leha'bim,
Naph'tuhim, 14Pathru'sim, Caslu'him (whence came the Philis'tines), and
Caph'torim.
15 Canaan became the father of Si'don his first-born, and Heth, 16and the
Jeb'usites, the Am'orites, the Gir'gashites, 17the Hi'vites, the Arkites, the
Si'nites, 18the Ar'vadites, the Zem'arites, and the Ha'mathites. Afterward the
families of the Canaanites spread abroad. 19And the territory of the
Canaanites extended from Si'don, in the direction of Ge'rar, as far as Gaza,
and in the direction of Sodom, Gomor'rah, Admah, and Zeboi'im, as far as
La'sha. 20These are the sons of Ham, by their families, their languages, their
lands, and their nations.
21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of E'ber, the elder brother of
genealogies, in their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on
the earth after the flood.
The Tower of Babel
11 * Now the whole earth had one language and few words. 2And as
men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and
settled there. 3And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and
burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for
mortar. 4Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower
with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” 5And the LORD came
down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. 6And
the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one
language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing
that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7Come, let us go
down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one
another’s speech.” 8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the
face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9Therefore its name
was called Ba'bel, because there the LORD confused p the language of all the
earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all
the earth.
Descendants of Shem
10 These are the descendants of Shem. When Shem was a hundred years
old, he became the father of Arpach'shad two years after the flood; 11and
Shem lived after the birth of Arpach'shad five hundred years, and had other
sons and daughters.
12 When Arpach'shad had lived thirty-five years, he became the father of
She'lah; 13and Arpach'shad lived after the birth of She'lah four hundred and
three years, and had other sons and daughters.
14 When She'lah had lived thirty years, he became the father of E'ber;
15and She'lah lived after the birth of E'ber four hundred and three years, and
had other sons and daughters.
16 When E'ber had lived thirty-four years, he became the father of Pe'leg;
17and E'ber lived after the birth of Pe'leg four hundred and thirty years, and
Pe'leg lived after the birth of Re'u two hundred and nine years, and had
other sons and daughters.
20 When Re'u had lived thirty-two years, he became the father of Se'rug;
21and Re'u lived after the birth of Se'rug two hundred and seven years, and
had other sons and daughters.
22 When Se'rug had lived thirty years, he became the father of Na'hor;
23and Se'rug lived after the birth of Na'hor two hundred years, and had other
Te'rah; 25and Na'hor lived after the birth of Te'rah a hundred and nineteen
years, and had other sons and daughters.
26 When Te'rah had lived seventy years, he became the father of Abram,
Abram, Na'hor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28Haran died
before his father Te'rah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chalde'ans.
29And Abram and Na'hor took wives; the name of Abram’s wife was Sar'ai,
and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of
Milcah and Is'cah. 30Now Sar'ai was barren; she had no child.
31 Te'rah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and
Sar'ai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth
together from Ur of the Chalde'ans to go into the land of Canaan; but when
they came to Haran, they settled there. 32The days of Te'rah were two
hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.
The Call of Abram
12 * Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your
kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2And I will
make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and him
who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall
bless themselves.” q
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.
Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5And
Abram took Sar'ai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their
possessions which they had gathered, and the persons that they had gotten
in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had
come to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land to the place at
She'chem, to the Oak r of Mo'reh. At that time the Canaanites were in the
land. 7Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, “To your descendants I
will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had
appeared to him. 8Thence he removed to the mountain on the east of Bethel,
and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there
he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9And
Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Neg'eb.
Abram and Sarai in Egypt
10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to
sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11When he was about
to enter Egypt, he said to Sar'ai his wife, “I know that you are a woman
beautiful to behold; 12and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This
is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13Say you are
my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may
be spared on your account.” 14When Abram entered Egypt the Egyptians
saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15And when the princes of Pharoah
saw her, they praised her to Pharoah. And the woman was taken into
Pharoah’s house. 16And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had
sheep, oxen, he-donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-donkeys, and
camels.
17 But the LORD afflicted Pharoah and his house with great plagues
because of Sar'ai, Abram’s wife. 18So Pharoah called Abram, and said,
“What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was
your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my
wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her, and be gone.” 20And Pharoah
gave men orders concerning him; and they set him on the way, with his wife
and all that he had.
Abram and Lot Separate
13 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had,
and Lot with him, into the Neg'eb.
2 Now Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3And he
journeyed on from the Neg'eb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent
had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the place where he
had made an altar at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the
LORD. 5And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and
tents, 6so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for
their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7and
there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen
of Lot’s cattle. At that time the Canaanites and the Per'izzites dwelt in the
land.
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and
between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are kinsmen. 9Is not the
whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left
hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go
to the left.” 10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley was
well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of
Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom
and Gomor'rah. 11So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot
journeyed east; thus they separated from each other. 12Abram dwelt in the
land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved
his tent as far as Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great
sinners against the LORD.
14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up
your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward
and eastward and westward; 15for all the land which you see I will give to
you and to your descendants for ever. 16I will make your descendants as the
dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your
descendants also can be counted. 17Arise, walk through the length and the
breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18So Abram moved his tent,
and came and dwelt by the Oaks s of Mamre, which are at He'bron; and
there he built an altar to the LORD.
Lot’s Captivity and Rescue
14 In the days of Am'raphel king of Shi'nar, Ar'ioch king of Ella'sar,
Ched''-or-lao'mer king of E'lam, and Ti'dal king of Goi'im, 2these kings
made war with Be'ra king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomor'rah, Shi'nab
king of Admah, Sheme'ber king of Zeboi'im, and the king of Be'la (that is,
Zoar). 3And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt
Sea). 4Twelve years they had served Ched''-or-lao'mer, but in the thirteenth
year they rebelled. 5In the fourteenth year Ched''-or-lao'mer and the kings
who were with him came and subdued the Reph'aim in Ash'teroth-karna'im,
the Zu'zim in Ham, the E'mim in Sha'veh-kir''iatha'im, 6and the Horites in
their Mount Se'ir as far as El-par'an on the border of the wilderness; 7then
they turned back and came to Enmish'pat (that is, Ka'desh), and subdued all
the country of the Amal'ekites, and also the Am'orites who dwelt in
Haz'azon-ta'mar. 8Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomor'rah, the king
of Admah, the king of Zeboi'im, and the king of Be'la (that is, Zoar) went
out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 9with Ched''-or-lao'mer
king of E'lam, Ti'dal king of Goi'im, Am'raphel king of Shi'nar, and Ar'ioch
king of Ella'sar, four kings against five. 10Now the Valley of Siddim was
full of bitumen pits; and as the kings of Sodom and Gomor'rah fled, some
fell into them, and the rest fled to the mountain. 11So the enemy took all the
goods of Sodom and Gomor'rah, and all their provisions, and went their
way; 12they also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who dwelt in Sodom,
and his goods, and departed.
13 Then one who had escaped came, and told Abram the Hebrew, who was
living by the Oaks s of Mamre the Am'orite, brother of Eshcol and of A'ner;
these were allies of Abram. 14When Abram heard that his kinsman had been
taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred
and eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15And he divided
his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and routed them and
pursued them to Ho'bah, north of Damascus. 16Then he brought back all the
goods, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his goods, and the
women and the people.
Melchizedek Blesses Abram
17 After his return from the defeat of Ched''-or-lao'mer and the kings who
were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of
Sha'veh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18And Mel-chiz'edek * king of Salem
brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. 19And he
blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
maker of heaven and earth;
20and blessed be God Most High,
Most High, maker of heaven and earth, 23that I would not take a thread or a
sandal-thong or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made
Abram rich.’ 24I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and
the share of the men who went with me; let A'ner, Eshcol, and Mamre take
their share.”
God’s Covenant with Abram
15 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision,
“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” * 2But
Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless,
and the heir of my house is Elie'zer of Damascus?” 3And Abram said,
“Behold, you have given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house
will be my heir.” 4And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, “This
man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir.” 5And he
brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars,
if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your
descendants be.” 6And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as
righteousness.
7 And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the
Chalde'ans, to give you this land to possess.” 8But he said, “O Lord GOD,
how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9He said to him, “Bring me a
heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a
turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10And he brought him all these, cut them
in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds
in two. 11And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram
drove them away.
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and behold, a
dread and great darkness fell upon him. 13Then the LORD said to Abram,
“Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is
not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four
hundred years; 14but I will bring judgment on the nation which they serve,
and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15As for yourself,
you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.
16And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of
pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18On that day the
LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give
this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphra'tes,
19the land of the Kenites, the Ken'izzites, the Kad'monites, 20the Hittites,
the spring on the way to Shur. 8And he said, “Hagar, maid of Sar'ai, where
have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing
from my mistress Sarai.” 9The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to
your mistress, and submit to her.” 10The angel of the LORD also said to her,
“I will so greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered
for multitude.” 11And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Behold, you are
with child, and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ish'mael; t because
the LORD has given heed to your affliction. 12He shall be a wild donkey of a
man, his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him; and he
shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” 13So she called the name of the
LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing”; for she said, “Have I
really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?” u 14Therefore the
well was called Be'er-la'hai-roi; v it lies between Ka'desh and Be'red.
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son,
whom Hagar bore, Ish'mael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar
bore Ish'mael to Abram.
The Sign of the Covenant
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to
Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; w walk before me, and be
blameless. 2And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will
multiply you exceedingly.” 3Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to
him, 4“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a
multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be Abram, x but your
name shall be Abraham; y for I have made you the father of a multitude of
nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of
you, and kings shall come forth from you. 7And I will establish my
covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout
their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your
descendants after you. 8And I will give to you, and to your descendants
after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an
everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant,
you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10This is
my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your
descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You
shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of
the covenant between me and you. 12He that is eight days old among you
shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born
in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of
your offspring, 13both he that is born in your house and he that is bought
with your money, shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your
flesh an everlasting covenant. 14Any uncircumcised male who is not
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he
has broken my covenant.”
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sar'ai your wife, you shall not call
her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and
moreover I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, and she shall be a
mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17Then Abraham
fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a
man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear
a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “O that Ish'mael might live in your
sight!” 19God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you
shall call his name Isaac. z I will establish my covenant with him as an
everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20As for Ish'mael, I have
heard you; behold, I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him
exceedingly; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a
great nation. 21But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah
shall bear to you at this season next year.”
22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
23Then Abraham took Ish'mael his son and all the slaves born in his house
or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house,
and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had
said to him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised
in the flesh of his foreskin. 25And Ish'mael his son was thirteen years old
when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26That very day
Abraham and his son Ish'mael were circumcised; 27and all the men of his
house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a
foreigner, were circumcised with him.
A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah
18 And the LORD appeared to him by the Oaks a of Mamre, as he sat at
the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2He lifted up his eyes and looked,
and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran
from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, 3and said,
“My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.
4Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under
the tree, 5while I fetch a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves,
and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So
they said, “Do as you have said.” 6And Abraham hastened into the tent to
Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures b of fine meal, knead
it, and make cakes.” 7And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender
and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8Then he
took curds, and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before
them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in
the tent.” 10The LORD said, “I will surely return to you in the spring, and
Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door
behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had
ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12So Sarah laughed to
herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I
have pleasure?” 13The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and
say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14Is anything too hard c
for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, in the spring, and
Sarah shall have a son.” 15But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for
she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked toward Sodom; and
Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17The LORD said, “Shall
I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18seeing that Abraham shall
become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall
bless themselves by him?d 19No, for I have chosen e him, that he may
charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD
by doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring to Abraham
what he has promised him.” 20Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry
against Sodom and Gomor'rah is great and their sin is very grave, 21I will
go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry
which has come to me; and if not, I will know.”
22 So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham
still stood before the LORD. 23Then Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you
indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there are fifty
righteous within the city; will you then destroy the place and not spare it for
the fifty righteous who are in it? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing, to
slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked!
Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26And
the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the
whole place for their sake.” 27Abraham answered, “Behold, I have taken
upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28Suppose
five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for
lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
29Again he spoke to him, and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He
answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30Then he said, “Oh let
not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He
answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31He said, “Behold, I have
taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.”
He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32Then he said,
“Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose
ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy
it.” 33And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to
Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
The Immorality of Sodom
19 * The two angels came to Sodom in the evening; and Lot was sitting
in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and
bowed himself with his face to the earth, 2and said, “My lords, turn aside, I
pray you, to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet;
then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will
spend the night in the street.” 3But he urged them strongly; so they turned
aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked
unleavened bread, and they ate. 4But before they lay down, the men of the
city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man,
surrounded the house; 5and they called to Lot, “Where are the men who
came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” 6Lot
went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, 7and said, “I beg
you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8Behold, I have two daughters
who have not known man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as
you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the
shelter of my roof.” 9But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This
fellow came to sojourn, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal
worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man
Lot, and drew near to break the door. 10But the men put forth their hands
and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. 11And they
struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small
and great, so that they wearied themselves groping for the door.
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you any one else here? Sons-in-law,
sons, daughters, or any one you have in the city, bring them out of the
place; 13for we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its
people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to
destroy it.” 14So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to
marry his daughters, “Up, get out of this place; for the LORD is about to
destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Arise, take your
wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the
punishment of the city.” 16But he lingered; so the men seized him and his
wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him,
and they brought him forth and set him outside the city. 17And when they
had brought them forth, they f said, “Flee for your life; do not look back or
stop anywhere in the valley; flee to the hills, lest you be consumed.” 18And
Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords; 19behold, your servant has found favor
in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but
I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me, and I die. 20Behold,
yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape
there—is it not a little one? —and my life will be saved!” 21He said to him,
“Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of
which you have spoken. 22Make haste, escape there; for I can do nothing till
you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. g 23The
sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.
24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomor'rah brimstone and fire
from the LORD out of heaven; 25and he overthrew those cities, and all the
valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26But Lot’s wife behind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood
before the LORD; 28and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomor'rah and
toward all the land of the valley, and beheld, and behold, the smoke of the
land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God
remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when
he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.
The Shameful Origin of the Moabites and Ammonites
30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the hills with his two
daughters, for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar; so he dwelt in a cave with his
two daughters. 31And the first-born said to the younger, “Our father is old,
and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the
earth. 32Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him,
that we may preserve offspring through our father.” 33So they made their
father drink wine that night; and the first-born went in, and lay with her
father; he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 34And on the
next day, the first-born said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with
my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie
with him, that we may preserve offspring through our father.” 35So they
made their father drink wine that night also; and the younger arose, and lay
with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
36Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37The first-
born bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites
to this day. 38The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben-am'mi;
he is the father of the Am'monites to this day.
Abraham and Sarah at Gerar
20 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Neg'eb,
and dwelt between Ka'desh and Shur; and he sojourned in Ge'rar. 2And
Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abim'elech king of
Ge'rar sent and took Sarah. 3But God came to Abim'elech in a dream by
night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman
whom you have taken; for she is a man’s wife.” 4Now Abim'elech had not
approached her; so he said, “Lord, will you slay an innocent people? 5Did
he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is
my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I
have done this.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you
have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from
sinning against me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7Now then restore
the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall
live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you, and
all that are yours.”
8 So Abim'elech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and
told them all these things; and the men were very much afraid. 9Then
Abim'elech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us?
And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my
kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be
done.” 10And Abim'elech said to Abraham, “What were you thinking of,
that you did this thing?” 11Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, There
is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my
wife. 12Besides she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not
the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13And when God
caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the
kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, He
is my brother.’ ” 14Then Abim'elech took sheep and oxen, and male and
female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah his wife to
him. 15And Abim'elech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it
pleases you.” 16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a
thousand pieces of silver; it is your vindication in the eyes of all who are
with you; and before every one you are righted.” 17Then Abraham prayed to
God; and God healed Abim'elech, and also healed his wife and female
slaves so that they bore children. 18For the LORD had closed all the wombs
of the house of Abim'elech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
The Birth of Isaac
21 The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as
he had promised. 2And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old
age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3Abraham called the name
of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. 4And
Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had
commanded him. 5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac
was born to him. 6And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; every
one who hears will laugh over me.” 7And she said, “Who would have said
to Abraham that Sarah would suckle children? Yet I have borne him a son
in his old age.”
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
8 And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast
on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the
Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.h
10So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the
son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11And the
thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12But God
said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your
slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through
Isaac shall your descendants be named. 13And I will make a nation of the
son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 14So Abraham
rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to
Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away.
And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Be'er-she'ba.
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the
bushes. 16Then she went, and sat down over against him a good way off,
about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Let me not look upon the
death of the child.” And as she sat over against him, the child lifted up his
voice i and wept. 17And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of
God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you,
Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make
him a great nation.” 19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of
water; and she went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.
20And God was with the lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness,
and became an expert with the bow. 21He lived in the wilderness of Par'an;
and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Abraham and Abimelech Make a Covenant
22 At that time Abim'elech and Phi'col the commander of his army said to
Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do; 23now therefore swear to me
here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or
with my posterity, but as I have dealt loyally with you, you will deal with
me and with the land where you have sojourned.” 24And Abraham said, “I
will swear.”
25 When Abraham complained to Abim'elech about a well of water which
son; * and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of
them together. 7And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he
said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood; but
where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8Abraham said, “God will provide
himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them
together.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built
an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid
him on the altar, upon the wood. 10Then Abraham put forth his hand, and
took the knife to slay his son. 11But the angel of the LORD called to him
from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.”
12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now
I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your
only-begotten son, from me.” 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked,
and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and
Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering
instead of his son. 14So Abraham called the name of that place The LORD
will provide; k as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be
provided.” l
15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from
heaven, 16and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you
have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only-begotten son, 17I
will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of
heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants
shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18and by your descendants shall all
the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my
voice.” 19So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went
together to Be'er-she'ba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
The Children of Nahor
20 Now after these things it was told Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has
borne children to your brother Na'hor: 21Uz the first-born, Buz his brother,
Ke'muel the father of Ar'am, 22Che'sed, Ha'zo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and
Bethu'el.” 23Bethu'el became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah
bore to Na'hor, Abraham’s brother. 24Moreover, his concubine, whose name
was Reu'mah, bore Te'bah, Ga'ham, Ta'hash, and Ma'acah.
Sarah’s Death and Burial
23 Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years
of the life of Sarah. 2And Sarah died at Kir'iath-ar'ba (that is, He'bron) in
the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep
for her. 3And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and said to the
Hittites, 4“I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me property
among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
5The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a mighty
prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our sepulchres; none of
us will withhold from you his sepulchre, or hinder you from burying your
dead.” 7Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land.
8And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of
my sight, hear me, and entreat for me E'phron the son of Zo'har, 9that he
may give me the cave of Mach-pe'lah, which he owns; it is at the end of his
field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as a
possession for a burying place.” 10Now E'phron was sitting among the
Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the
Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 11“No, my lord, hear me; I
give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it; in the presence of the
sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.” 12Then Abraham
bowed down before the people of the land. 13And he said to E'phron in the
hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me; I will give the
price of the field; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.”
14E'phron answered Abraham, 15“My lord, listen to me; a piece of land
worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me?
Bury your dead.” 16Abraham agreed with E'phron; and Abraham weighed
out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites,
four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the
merchants.
17 So the field of E'phron in Mach-pe'lah, which was to the east of Mamre,
the field with the cave which was in it and all the trees that were in the
field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18to Abraham as a
possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate
of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the
field of Mach-pe'lah east of Mamre (that is, He'bron) in the land of Canaan.
20The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as a
sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose, and went to
Mesopota'mia, to the city of Na'hor. 11And he made the camels kneel down
outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when
women go out to draw water. 12And he said, “O LORD, God of my master
Abraham, grant me success today, I beg you, and show mercy to my master
Abraham. 13Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters
of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14Let the maiden to
whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall
say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you
have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have
shown mercy to my master.”
15 Before he had done speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to
Bethu'el the son of Milcah, the wife of Na'hor, Abraham’s brother, came out
with her water jar upon her shoulder. 16The maiden was very fair to look
upon, a virgin, whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, and
filled her jar, and came up. 17Then the servant ran to meet her, and said,
“Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18She said, “Drink,
my lord”; and she quickly let down her jar upon her hand, and gave him a
drink. 19When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw
for your camels also, until they have done drinking.” 20So she quickly
emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw, and she
drew for all his camels. 21The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether
the LORD had prospered his journey or not.
22 When the camels had done drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing
a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels,
23and said, “Tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s
house for us to lodge in?” 24She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethu'el
the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Na'hor.” 25She added, “We have both
straw and food enough, and room to lodge in.” 26The man bowed his head
and worshiped the LORD, 27and said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my
master Abraham, who has not forsaken his mercy and his faithfulness
toward my master. As for me, the LORD has led me in the way to the house
of my master’s kinsmen.”
28 Then the maiden ran and told her mother’s household about these
things. 29Rebekah had a brother whose name was La'ban; and Laban ran out
to the man, to the spring. 30When he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his
sister’s arms, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the
man spoke to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the
camels at the spring. 31He said, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD; why do
you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the
camels.” 32So the man came into the house; and La'ban ungirded the
camels, and gave him straw and food for the camels, and water to wash his
feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33Then food was set before
him to eat; but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my errand.” He said,
“Speak on.”
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35The LORD has greatly blessed
my master, and he has become great; he has given him flocks and herds,
silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys. 36And
Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to
him he has given all that he has. 37My master made me swear, saying, ‘You
shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in
whose land I dwell; 38but you shall go to my father’s house and to my
kindred, and take a wife for my son.’ 39I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the
woman will not follow me.’ 40But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I
walk, will send his angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take
a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house; 41then you
will be free from my oath, when you come to my kindred; and if they will
not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O LORD, the God of my master
Abraham, if now you will prosper the way which I go, 43behold, I am
standing by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to
draw, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to
drink,” 44and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels
also,” let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s
son.’
45 “Before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out
with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and
drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46She quickly let down her jar
from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’
So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47Then I asked her, ‘Whose
daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethu'el, Na'hor’s son, whom
Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her
arms. 48Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the
LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to
take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49Now then, if you
will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I
may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
50 Then La'ban and Bethu'el answered, “The thing comes from the LORD;
we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51Behold, Rebekah is before you, take
her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has
spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the
earth before the LORD. 53And the servant brought forth jewelry of silver and
of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave to her brother
and to her mother costly ornaments. 54And he and the men who were with
him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the
morning, he said, “Send me back to my master.” 55Her brother and her
mother said, “Let the maiden remain with us a while, at least ten days; after
that she may go.” 56But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the LORD
has prospered my way; let me go that I may go to my master.” 57They said,
“We will call the maiden, and ask her.” 58And they called Rebekah, and said
to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59So they sent
away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his
men. 60And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, be the
mother of thousands of ten thousands; and may your descendants possess
the gate of those who hate them!” 61Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and
rode upon the camels and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah,
and went his way.
62 Now Isaac had come from n Be'er-la'hai-roi, and was dwelling in the
Neg'eb. 63And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he
lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there were camels coming. 64And
Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the
camel, 65and said to the servant, “Who is the man yonder, walking in the
field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil
and covered herself. 66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had
done. 67Then Isaac brought her into the tent,o and took Rebekah, and she
became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his
mother’s death.
Abraham Marries Keturah
25 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Ketu'rah. 2She bore
him Zimran, Jokshan, Me'dan, Mid'ian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan was
the father of Sheba and De'dan. The sons of Dedan were Asshu'rim,
Letu'shim, and Le-um'mim. 4The sons of Mid'ian were E'phah, E'pher,
Ha'noch, Abi'da, and Elda'ah. All these were the children of Ketu'rah.
5Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6But to the sons of his concubines
Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from
his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.
The Death of Abraham
7 These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, a hundred and
seventy-five years. 8Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age,
an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9Isaac and
Ish'mael his sons buried him in the cave of Mach-pe'lah, in the field of
E'phron the son of Zo'har the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10the field which
Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with
Sarah his wife. 11After the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac his son.
And Isaac dwelt at Be'er-la'hai-roi.
The Descendants of Ishmael
12 These are the descendants of Ish'mael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the
Egyptian, Sarah’s maid, bore to Abraham. 13These are the names of the
sons of Ish'mael, named in the order of their birth: Neba'ioth, the first-born
of Ishmael; and Ke'dar, Ad'beel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Du'mah, Massa,
15Ha'dad, Te'ma, Je'tur, Na'phish, and Ked'emah. 16These are the sons of
Ish'mael and these are their names, by their villages and by their
encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17(These are the
years of the life of Ish'mael, a hundred and thirty-seven years; he breathed
his last and died, and was gathered to his kindred.) 18They dwelt from
Hav'ilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria; he
settled p over against all his people.
The Birth of Esau and Jacob
19 * These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the
father of Isaac, 20and Isaac was forty years old when he took to wife
Rebekah, the daughter of Bethu'el the Arame'an of Pad'dan-ar'am, the sister
of La'ban the Aramean. 21And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife,
because she was barren; and the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his
wife conceived. 22The children struggled together within her; and she said,
“If it is thus, why do I live?” q So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23And
the LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the elder shall serve the younger.”
24When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins
in her womb. 25The first came forth red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so
they called his name Esau. 26Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand
had taken hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob.r Isaac was
sixty years old when she bore them.
Esau Sells His Birthright
27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field,
while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28Isaac loved Esau, because
he ate of his game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Once when Jacob was boiling pottage, Esau came in from the field, and
he was famished. 30And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red
pottage, for I am famished!” (Therefore his name was called E'dom.) s
31Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32Esau said, “I am about to die;
his wife, he said, “She is my sister”; for he feared to say, “My wife,”
thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me for the sake of Rebekah”;
because she was fair to look upon. 8When he had been there a long time,
Abim'elech king of the Philis'tines looked out of a window and saw Isaac
fondling Rebekah his wife. 9So Abim'elech called Isaac, and said, “Behold,
she is your wife; how then could you say, ‘She is my sister’? ” Isaac said to
him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.' " 10Abim'elech said,
“What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain
with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11So
Abim'elech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or
his wife shall be put to death.”
12 And Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a
hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, 13and the man became rich, and gained
more and more until he became very wealthy. 14He had possessions of
flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philis'tines envied him.
15(Now the Philis'tines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells which
his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.) 16And
Abim'elech said to Isaac, “Go away from us; for you are much mightier
than we.”
17 So Isaac departed from there, and encamped in the valley of Ge'rar and
dwelt there. 18And Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug
in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philis'tines had stopped them after
the death of Abraham; and he gave them the names which his father had
given them. 19But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a
well of springing water, 20the herdsmen of Ge'rar quarreled with Isaac’s
herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well
E'sek,u because they contended with him. 21Then they dug another well,
and they quarreled over that also; so he called its name Sitnah.v 22And he
moved from there and dug another well, and over that they did not quarrel;
so he called its name Reho'both,w saying, “For now the LORD has made
room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
23 From there he went up to Be'er-she'ba. 24And the LORD appeared to him
the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not,
for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your descendants for my
servant Abraham’s sake.” 25So he built an altar there and called upon the
name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug
a well.
26 Then Abim'elech went to him from Ge'rar with Ahuz'zath his adviser
and Phi'col the commander of his army. 27Isaac said to them, “Why have
you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from
you?” 28They said, “We see plainly that the LORD is with you; so we say, let
there be an oath between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you,
29that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have
done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are
now the blessed of the LORD.” 30So he made them a feast, and they ate and
drank. 31In the morning they rose early and took oath with one another; and
Isaac set them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. 32That
same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had
dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33He called it Shi'bah;
therefore the name of the city is Be'er-she'ba to this day.
Esau’s Hittite Wives
34 When Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith the daughter of
Bee'ri the Hittite, and Bas'emath the daughter of E'lon the Hittite; 35and they
made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.
Isaac Blesses Jacob
27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see,
he called Esau his older son, and said to him, “My son”; and he answered,
“Here I am.” 2He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my
death. 3Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out
to the field, and hunt game for me, 4and prepare for me savory food, such as
I love, and bring it to me that I may eat; that I may bless you before I die.”
5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when
Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6Rebekah said to her
son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7‘Bring me
game, and prepare for me savory food, that I may eat it, and bless you
before the LORD before I die.’ 8Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I
command you. 9Go to the flock, and fetch me two good kids, that I may
prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he loves; 10and you
shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”
11But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a
hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12Perhaps my father will feel me, and I
shall seem to be mocking him, and bring a curse upon myself and not a
blessing.” 13His mother said to him, “Upon me be your curse, my son; only
obey my word, and go, fetch them to me.” 14So he went and took them and
brought them to his mother; and his mother prepared savory food, such as
his father loved. 15Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older
son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger
son; 16and the skins of the kids she put upon his hands and upon the smooth
part of his neck; 17and she gave the savory food and the bread, which she
had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 So he went in to his father, and said, “My father”; and he said, “Here I
am; who are you, my son?” 19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your first-
born. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that you
may bless me.” 20But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it
so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted
me success.” 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, that I may feel you,
my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22So Jacob
went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s
voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23And he did not recognize
him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he
blessed him. 24He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I
am.” 25Then he said, “Bring it to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and
bless you.” So he brought it to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine,
and he drank. 26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me,
my son.” 27So he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his
garments, and blessed him, and said,
“See, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed!
28May God give you of the dew of heaven,
OceanofPDF.com
Esau’s Lost Blessing
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely
gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in
from his hunting. 31He also prepared savory food, and brought it to his
father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s
game, that you may bless me.” 32His father Isaac said to him, “Who are
you?” He answered, “I am your son, your first-born, Esau.” 33Then Isaac
trembled violently, and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and
brought it to me, and I ate it all x before you came, and I have blessed him?
—yes, and he shall be blessed.” 34When Esau heard the words of his father,
he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father,
“Bless me, even me also, O my father!” 35But he said, “Your brother came
with guile, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36Esau said, “Is he not
rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took
away my birthright; and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then
he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37Isaac answered Esau,
“Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to
him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then
can I do for you, my son?” 38Esau said to his father, “Have you but one
blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted
up his voice and wept.
39 Then Isaac his father answered him:
“Behold, away from y the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,
and away from y the dew of heaven on high.
40By your sword you shall live,
had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my
father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42But the words
of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah; so she sent and called Jacob her
younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself
by planning to kill you. 43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee
to La'ban my brother in Haran, 44and stay with him a while, until your
brother’s fury turns away; 45until your brother’s anger turns away, and he
forgets what you have done to him; then I will send, and fetch you from
there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?”
46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the
Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women such as these, one
of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
28 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, “You
shall not marry one of the Canaanite women. 2Arise, go to Pad'dan-ar'am to
the house of Bethu'el your mother’s father; and take as wife from there one
of the daughters of La'ban your mother’s brother. 3God Almighty z bless
you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a
company of peoples. 4May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to
your descendants with you, that you may take possession of the land of
your sojournings which God gave to Abraham!” 5Thus Isaac sent Jacob
away; and he went to Pad'dan-ar'am to La'ban, the son of Bethu'el the
Arame'an, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
Esau Marries Ishmael’s Daughter
6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to
certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking
one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that
place to sleep. 12And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth,
and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were
ascending and descending on it! 13And behold, the LORD stood above it a
and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of
Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants;
14and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall
spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south;
and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless
themselves. b 15Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go,
and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have
done that of which I have spoken to you.” 16Then Jacob awoke from his
sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it.”
17And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none
other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had
put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.
19He called the name of that place Bethel; c but the name of the city was
Luz at the first. 20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me,
and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and
clothing to wear, 21so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then
the LORD shall be my God, 22and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar,
shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will give the tenth to
you.”
Jacob Meets Rachel
29 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people
of the east. 2As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three
flocks of sheep lying beside it; for out of that well the flocks were watered.
The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3and when all the flocks were
gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the
well, and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place upon the
mouth of the well.
4 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said,
“We are from Haran.” 5He said to them, “Do you know La'ban the son of
Na'hor?” They said, “We know him.” 6He said to them, “Is it well with
him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with
the sheep!” 7He said, “Behold, it is still high day, it is not time for the
animals to be gathered together; water the sheep, and go, pasture them.”
8But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and the
stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s
sheep; for she kept them. 10Now when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of
La'ban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother,
Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the
flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and wept
aloud. 12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that
he was Rebekah’s son; and she ran and told her father.
13 When La'ban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet
him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house.
Jacob told Laban all these things, 14and La'ban said to him, “Surely you are
my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.
Jacob Marries Laban’s Daughters
15 Then La'ban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you
therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16Now
La'ban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of
the younger was Rachel. 17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful
and lovely. 18Jacob loved Rachel; and he said, “I will serve you seven years
for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19La'ban said, “It is better that I give
her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20So
Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days
because of the love he had for her.
21 Then Jacob said to La'ban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her,
for my time is completed.” 22So La'ban gathered together all the men of the
place, and made a feast. 23But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and
brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24(La'ban gave his maid Zilpah
to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) 25And in the morning, behold, it was
Leah; and Jacob said to La'ban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I
not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26La'ban
said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the first-
born. 27Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also
in return for serving me another seven years.” 28Jacob did so, and
completed her week; then La'ban gave him his daughter Rachel to wife.
29(La'ban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.) 30So
Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and
served La'ban for another seven years.
31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but
Rachel was barren. 32And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called
his name Reuben; d for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my
affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33She conceived again
and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard e that I am hated, he
has given me this son also”; and she called his name Simeon. 34Again she
conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be
joined f to me, because I have borne him three sons”; therefore his name
was called Levi. 35And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This
time I will praise g the LORD”; therefore she called his name Judah; then
she ceased bearing.
30 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her
sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2Jacob’s
anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God,
who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3Then she said, “Here
is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, that she may bear upon my knees, and even
I may have children through her.” 4So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a
wife; and Jacob went in to her. 5And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a
son. 6Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice
and given me a son”; therefore she called his name Dan.h 7Rachel’s maid
Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8Then Rachel said,
“With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled i with my sister, and have
prevailed”; so she called his name Naph'tali.
9 When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her maid
Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10Then Leah’s maid Zilpah bore
Jacob a son. 11And Leah said, “Good fortune!” so she called his name Gad.j
12Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13And Leah said, “Blessed
am I! For the women will call me blessed”; so she called his name Asher.k
14 In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the
field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah,
“Give me, I pray, some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15But she said to her, “Is
it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take
away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you
tonight for your son’s mandrakes.” 16When Jacob came from the field in the
evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me;
for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that
night. 17And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a
fifth son. 18Leah said, “God has given me my hire l because I gave my maid
to my husband”; so she called his name Is'sachar. 19And Leah conceived
again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. 20Then Leah said, “God has endowed
me with a good dowry; now my husband will honor m me, because I have
borne him six sons”; so she called his name Zeb'ulun. 21Afterwards she
bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. 22Then God remembered
Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb. 23She conceived
and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach”; 24and she
called his name Joseph,n saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!”
Jacob Prospers
25 When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to La'ban, “Send me away,
white streaks in them, exposing the white of the rods. 38He set the rods
which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the runnels, that is, the
watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred
when they came to drink, 39the flocks bred in front of the rods and so the
flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40And Jacob separated
the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black
in the flock of La'ban; and he put his own droves apart, and did not put
them with Laban’s flock. 41Whenever the stronger of the flock were
breeding Jacob laid the rods in the runnels before the eyes of the flock, that
they might breed among the rods, 42but for the feebler of the flock he did
not lay them there; so the feebler were La'ban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
43Thus the man grew exceedingly rich, and had large flocks, maidservants
that the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were striped, spotted, and
mottled. 11Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I
said, ‘Here I am!’ 12And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats
that leap upon the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled; for I have seen all
that La'ban is doing to you. 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a
pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go forth from this land, and return
to the land of your birth.' " 14Then Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there
any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? 15Are we not
regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has been using up
the money given for us. 16All the property which God has taken away from
our father belongs to us and to our children; now then, whatever God has
said to you, do.”
17 So Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives on camels; 18and he
drove away all his cattle, all his livestock which he had gained, the cattle in
his possession which he had acquired in Pad'dan-ar'am, to go to the land of
Canaan to his father Isaac. 19La'ban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel
stole her father’s household gods. 20And Jacob outwitted La'ban the
Arame'an, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. 21He fled with
all that he had, and arose and crossed the Euphra'tes, and set his face toward
the hill country of Gilead.
Laban Overtakes Jacob
22 When it was told La'ban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23he took
his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close
after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24But God came to La'ban the
Arame'an in a dream by night, and said to him, “Take heed that you say not
a word to Jacob, either good or bad.”
25 And La'ban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill
country, and Laban with his kinsmen encamped in the hill country of
Gilead. 26And La'ban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have
cheated me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
27Why did you flee secretly, and cheat me, and did not tell me, so that I
might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?
28And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters
farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29It is in my power to do you harm;
but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Take heed that
you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ 30And now you have gone away
because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal
my gods?” 31Jacob answered La'ban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought
that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32Any one with
whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen
point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know
that Rachel had stolen them.
33 So La'ban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent
of the two maidservants, but he did not find them. And he went out of
Leah’s tent, and entered Rachel’s. 34Now Rachel had taken the household
gods and put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. La'ban felt all
about the tent, but did not find them. 35And she said to her father, “Let not
my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is
upon me.” So he searched, but did not find the household gods.
36 Then Jacob became angry, and upbraided La'ban; Jacob said to Laban,
“What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?
37Although you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all
your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen,
that they may decide between us two. 38These twenty years I have been
with you; your ewes and your she-goats have not miscarried, and I have not
eaten the rams of your flocks. 39That which was torn by wild beasts I did
not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself; of my hand you required it,
whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40Thus I was; by day the heat
consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.
41These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years
for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed
my wages ten times. 42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the
Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me
away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands, and
rebuked you last night.”
Laban and Jacob Make a Covenant
43 Then La'ban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my
daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all
that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to
their children whom they have borne? 44Come now, let us make a covenant,
you and I; and let it be a witness between you and me.” 45So Jacob took a
stone, and set it up as a pillar. 46And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather
stones,” and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there by the
heap. 47La'ban called it Je'gar-sahadu'tha: o but Jacob called it Gale'ed. p
48La'ban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.”
Therefore he named it Gale'ed, 49and the pillar q Mizpah, r for he said, “The
LORD watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other.
50If you ill-treat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters,
although no man is with us, remember, God is witness between you and
me.”
51 Then La'ban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have
set between you and me. 52This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness,
that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this
heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53The God of Abraham and the God of
Na'hor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the
Fear of his father Isaac, 54and Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and
called his kinsmen to eat bread; and they ate bread and tarried all night on
the mountain.
55 s Early in the morning La'ban arose, and kissed his grandchildren and
his daughters and blessed them; then he departed and returned home.
32 1Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him; 2and when
Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s army!” So he called the name of
that place Ma''hana'im. t
Jacob Sends Gifts to Appease Esau
3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of
Se'ir, the country of Edom, 4instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my
lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with La'ban, and
stayed until now; 5and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and
maidservants; and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor
in your sight.' "
6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother
Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.”
7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people
that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two
companies, 8thinking, “If Esau comes to the one company and destroys it,
then the company which is left will escape.”
9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father
Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred,
and I will do you good,’ 10I am not worthy of the least of all the mercy and
all the faithfulness which you have shown to your servant, for with only my
staff I crossed this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.
11Deliver me, I beg you, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of
Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and slay us all, the mothers with the
children. 12But you said, ‘I will do you good, and make your descendants as
the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.' "
13 So he lodged there that night, and took from what he had with him a
present for his brother Esau, 14two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats,
two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty milch camels and their colts,
forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-donkeys and ten he-donkeys. 16These
he delivered into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to
his servants, “Pass on before me, and put a space between drove and
drove.” 17He instructed the foremost, “When Esau my brother meets you,
and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose
are these before you?’ 18then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant
Jacob; they are a present sent to my lord Esau; and moreover he is behind
us.' " 19He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed
the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you meet him,
20and you shall say, ‘Moreover your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he
thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes before me, and
afterwards I shall see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21So the present
passed on before him; and he himself lodged that night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles at Peniel
22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two maids, and his
eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them and
sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24And
Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the
day. 25When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched
the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob’s thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled
with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob
said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 27And he said to him,
“What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28Then he said, “Your name
shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, u for you have striven with God
and with men, and have prevailed.” 29Then Jacob asked him, “Tell me, I
pray, your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And
there he blessed him. 30So Jacob called the name of the place Peni'el, v
saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.”
31The sun rose upon him as he passed Penu'el, limping because of his thigh.
32Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the sinew of the hip which is
upon the hollow of the thigh, because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s
thigh on the sinew of the hip. *
Jacob and Esau Meet
33 1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was
coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among
Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2And he put the maids with their
children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of
all. 3He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven
times, until he came near to his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and
kissed him, and they wept. 5And when Esau raised his eyes and saw the
women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The
children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the maids
drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; 7Leah likewise and her
children drew near and bowed down; and last Joseph and Rachel drew near,
and they bowed down. 8Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company
which I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9But
Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”
10Jacob said, “No, I beg you, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept
my present from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face
of God, with such favor have you received me. 11Accept, I beg you, my gift
that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and
because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go before you.”
13But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that
the flocks and herds giving suck are a care to me; and if they are overdriven
for one day, all the flocks will die. 14Let my lord pass on before his servant,
and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle which are
before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord
in Se'ir.”
15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the men who are with
me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my
lord.” 16So Esau returned that day on his way to Se'ir. 17But Jacob
journeyed to Succoth,w and built himself a house, and made booths for his
cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
Jacob Comes to Shechem
18 And Jacob came safely to the city of She'chem, which is in the land of
Canaan, on his way from Pad'dan-ar'am; and he camped before the city.
19And from the sons of Ha'mor, She'chem’s father, he bought for a hundred
pieces of money x the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent.
20There he erected an altar and called it El-El'ohe-Israel. y
with his cattle in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6And
Ha'mor the father of She'chem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7The
sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard of it; and the men
were indignant and very angry, because he had wrought folly in Israel by
lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.
8 But Ha'mor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son She'chem
longs for your daughter; I beg you, give her to him in marriage. 9Make
marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for
yourselves. 10You shall dwell with us; and the land shall be open to you;
dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.” 11She'chem also said to her
father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever
you say to me I will give. 12Ask of me ever so much as marriage present
and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; only give me the
maiden to be my wife.”
13 The sons of Jacob answered She'chem and his father Ha'mor deceitfully,
because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14They said to them, “We cannot
do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would
be a disgrace to us. 15Only on this condition will we consent to you: that
you will become as we are and every male of you be circumcised. 16Then
we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to
ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. 17But if you
will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and
we will be gone.”
18 Their words pleased Ha'mor and Hamor’s son She'chem. 19And the
young man did not delay to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s
daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his family. 20So Ha'mor and
his son She'chem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their
city, saying, 21“These men are friendly with us; let them dwell in the land
and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them; let us take their
daughters in marriage, and let us give them our daughters. 22Only on this
condition will the men agree to dwell with us, to become one people: that
every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Will not
their cattle, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree
with them, and they will dwell with us.” 24And all who went out of the gate
of his city hearkened to Ha'mor and his son She'chem; and every male was
circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
Dinah Is Avenged by Her Brothers
25 On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob,
Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came upon the
city unawares, and killed all the males. 26They slew Ha'mor and his son
She'chem with the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and
went away. 27And the sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the
city, because their sister had been defiled; 28they took their flocks and their
herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field; 29all
their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses,
they captured and made their prey. 30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi,
“You have brought trouble on me by making me odious to the inhabitants of
the land, the Canaanites and the Per'izzites; my numbers are few, and if they
gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and
my household.” 31But they said, “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?”
Jacob Returns to Bethel
35 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and
make there an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from
your brother Esau.” 2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were
with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify
yourselves, and change your garments; 3then let us arise and go up to
Bethel, that I may make there an altar to the God who answered me in the
day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4So they
gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in
their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near She'chem.
5 And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were
round about them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6And Jacob
came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the
people who were with him, 7and there he built an altar, and called the place
El-beth'el,z because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled
from his brother. 8And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried
under an oak below Bethel; so the name of it was called Al'lon-bac'uth. a
9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Pad'dan-ar'am, and
blessed him. 10And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall
your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So his name was
called Israel. 11And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: b be fruitful and
multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings
shall spring from you. 12The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will
give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.” 13Then
God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14And
Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of
stone; and he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. 15So
Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.
The Birth of Benjamin and the Death of Rachel
16 Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when they were still some
distance from Eph'rath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor.
17And when she was in her hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Fear not;
for now you will have another son.” 18And as her soul was departing (for
she died), she called his name Ben-o'ni; c but his father called his name
Benjamin.d 19So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Eph'rath
(that is, Bethlehem), 20and Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; it is the
pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. 21Israel journeyed on,
and pitched his tent beyond the tower of E'der.
22 While Israel dwelt in that land Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his
He'bron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28Now the days of Isaac
were a hundred and eighty years. 29And Isaac breathed his last; and he died
and was gathered to his people, old and full of days; and his sons Esau and
Jacob buried him.
Esau’s Descendants
36 These are the descendants of Esau (that is, E'dom). 2Esau took his
wives from the Canaanites: A'dah the daughter of E'lon the Hittite,
Oholiba'mah the daughter of An'ah the son e of Zib'eon the Hi'vite, 3and
Bas'emath, Ish'mael’s daughter, the sister of Neba'ioth. 4And A'dah bore to
Esau, Eli'phaz; Bas'emath bore Reu'el; 5and Oholiba'mah bore Je'ush,
Ja'lam, and Ko'rah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the
land of Canaan.
6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members
of his household, his cattle, all his beasts, and all his property which he had
acquired in the land of Canaan; and he went into a land away from his
brother Jacob. 7For their possessions were too great for them to dwell
together; the land of their sojournings could not support them because of
their cattle. 8So Esau dwelt in the hill country of Se'ir; Esau is E'dom.
9 These are the descendants of Esau the father of the E'domites in the hill
country of Se'ir. 10These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eli'phaz the son of
A'dah the wife of Esau, Reu'el the son of Bas'emath the wife of Esau. 11The
sons of Eli'phaz were Te'man, Omar, Ze'pho, Ga'tam, and Ke'naz. 12(Timna
was a concubine of Eli'phaz, Esau’s son; she bore Am'alek to Eliphaz.)
These are the sons of A'dah, Esau’s wife. 13These are the sons of Reu'el:
Na'hath, Ze'rah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Bas'emath,
Esau’s wife. 14These are the sons of Oholiba'mah the daughter of An'ah the
son f of Zib'eon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Je'ush, Ja'lam, and Ko'rah.
Chiefs and Kings of Edom
15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eli'phaz the first-
born of Esau: the chiefs Te'man, Omar, Ze'pho, Ke'naz, 16Ko'rah, Ga'tam,
and Am'alek; these are the chiefs of Eli'phaz in the land of E'dom; they are
the sons of A'dah. 17These are the sons of Reu'el, Esau’s son: the chiefs
Na'hath, Ze'rah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reu'el in the
land of E'dom; they are the sons of Bas'emath, Esau’s wife. 18These are the
sons of Oholiba'mah, Esau’s wife: the chiefs Je'ush, Ja'lam, and Ko'rah;
these are the chiefs born of Oholiba'mah the daughter of An'ah, Esau’s wife.
19These are the sons of Esau (that is, E'dom), and these are their chiefs.
20 These are the sons of Se'ir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lo'tan,
Sho'bal, Zib'eon, An'ah, 21Di'shon, E'zer, and Di'shan; these are the chiefs
of the Horites, the sons of Se'ir in the land of E'dom. 22The sons of Lo'tan
were Ho'ri and He'man; and Lo'tan’s sister was Timna. 23These are the sons
of Sho'bal: Alvan, Man'ahath, E'bal, She'pho, and Onam. 24These are the
sons of Zib'eon: A'iah and An'ah; he is the Anah who found the hot springs
in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father. 25These
are the children of An'ah: Di'shon and Oholiba'mah the daughter of Anah.
26These are the sons of Di'shon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Che'ran.
27These are the sons of E'zer: Bilhan, Za'avan, and A'kan. 28These are the
sons of Di'shan: Uz and Ar'an. 29These are the chiefs of the Horites: the
chiefs Lo'tan, Sho'bal, Zib'eon, An'ah, 30Di'shon, E'zer, and Di'shan; these
are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their clans in the land of Se'ir.
31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of E'dom, before any king
reigned over the Israelites. 32Be'la the son of Beor reigned in E'dom, the
name of his city being Din'habah. 33Be'la died, and Jo'bab the son of Ze'rah
of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 34Jo'bab died, and Hu'sham of the land of the
Te'manites reigned in his stead. 35Hu'sham died, and Ha'dad the son of
Be'dad, who defeated Mid'ian in the country of Moab, reigned in his stead,
the name of his city being A'vith. 36Ha'dad died, and Samlah of Masre'kah
reigned in his stead. 37Samlah died, and Sha'ul of Reho'both on the
Euphra'tes reigned in his stead. 38Sha'ul died, and Ba'al-ha'nan the son of
Achbor reigned in his stead. 39Ba'al-ha'nan the son of Achbor died, and
Hadar reigned in his stead, the name of his city being Pa'u; his wife’s name
was Mehet'abel, the daughter of Ma'tred, daughter of Me'zahab.
40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families
and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Je'theth,
41Oholiba'mah, E'lah, Pi'non, 42Ke'naz, Te'man, Mibzar, 43Mag'diel, and
I'ram; these are the chiefs of E'dom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom),
according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession.
Joseph Dreams of Greatness
37 Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of
Canaan. 2This is the history of the family of Jacob.
* Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his
brothers; he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s
wives; and Joseph brought an ill report of them to their father. 3Now Israel
loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of
his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves. 4But when his
brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they
hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they only
hated him the more. 6He said to them, “Hear this dream which I have
dreamed: 7behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my
sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered round it,
and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed
to reign over us? Or are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they
hated him yet more for his dreams and for his words. 9Then he dreamed
another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have
dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars
were bowing down to me.” 10But when he told it to his father and to his
brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that
you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come
to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11And his brothers were
jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph Is Sold by His Brothers
12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near She'chem.
13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at
She'chem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I
am.” 14So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers, and
with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him from the valley of
He'bron, and he came to She'chem. 15And a man found him wandering in
the fields; and the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am
seeking my brothers,” he said, “tell me, I beg you, where they are pasturing
the flock.” 17And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them
say, ‘Let us go to Do'than.' " So Joseph went after his brothers, and found
them at Dothan. 18They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them
they conspired against him to kill him. 19They said to one another, “Here
comes this dreamer. 20Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of
the pits; then we shall say that a wild beast has devoured him, and we shall
see what will become of his dreams.” 21But when Reuben heard it, he
delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22And
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the
wilderness, but lay no hand upon him”—that he might rescue him out of
their hand, to restore him to his father. 23So when Joseph came to his
brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he
wore; 24and they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty, there
was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of
Ish'maelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and
myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26Then Judah said to his
brothers, “What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?
27Come, let us sell him to the Ish'maelites, and let not our hand be upon
him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers heeded him.
28Then Mid'ianite traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him
out of the pit, and sold him to the Ish'maelites for twenty shekels of silver;
and they took Joseph to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit,
he tore his clothes 30and returned to his brothers, and said, “The lad is gone;
and I, where shall I go?” 31Then they took Joseph’s robe, and killed a goat,
and dipped the robe in the blood; 32and they sent the long robe with sleeves
and brought it to their father, and said, “This we have found; see now
whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33And he recognized it, and said, “It is
my son’s robe; a wild beast has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn
to pieces.” 34Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth upon his
loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35All his sons and all his
daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said,
“No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept
for him. 36Meanwhile the Mid'ianites had sold him in Egypt to Pot'iphar, an
officer of Pharoah, the captain of the guard.
Judah and Tamar
38 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers,
and turned in to a certain Adul'lamite, whose name was Hi'rah. 2There
Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; he
married her and went in to her, 3and she conceived and bore a son, and he
called his name Er. 4Again she conceived and bore a son, and she called his
name O'nan. 5Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name She'lah.
She g was in Che'zib when she bore him. 6And Judah took a wife for Er his
first-born, and her name was Ta'mar. 7But Er, Judah’s first-born, was
wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. 8Then Judah said
to O'nan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a brother-
in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9But O'nan knew that
the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife he
spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.
10And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he slew
pledge from the woman’s hand, he could not find her. 21And he asked the
men of the place, “Where is the harlot h who was at Ena'im by the
wayside?” And they said, “No harlot h has been here.” 22So he returned to
Judah, and said, “I have not found her; and also the men of the place said,
‘No harlot h has been here.’ ” 23And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things
as her own, lest we be laughed at; you see, I sent this kid, and you could not
find her.”
24 About three months later Judah was told, “Ta'mar your daughter-in-law
has played the harlot; and moreover she is with child by harlotry.” And
Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25As she was being
brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these
belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Mark, I beg you, whose these are,
the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26Then Judah acknowledged them and
said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my
son She'lah.” And he did not lie with her again.
27 When the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb.
28And when she was in labor, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and
bound on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This came out first.” 29But as
he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out; and she said, “What a
breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Per'ez. i
30Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread upon his hand; and
the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20And Joseph’s
master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s
prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21But the LORD was
with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the
keeper of the prison. 22And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s
care all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatever was done there,
he was the doer of it; 23the keeper of the prison paid no heed to anything
that was in Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he
did, the LORD made it prosper.
The Dreams of Two Prisoners
40 Some time after this, the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker
offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2And Pharoah was angry with his two
officers, the chief butler and the chief baker, 3and he put them in custody in
the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was
confined. 4The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he
waited on them; and they continued for some time in custody. 5And one
night they both dreamed—the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt,
who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream
with its own meaning. 6When Joseph came to them in the morning and saw
them, they were troubled. 7So he asked Pharoah’s officers who were with
him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast
today?” 8They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to
interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to
God? Tell them to me, I beg you.”
9 So the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my
dream there was a vine before me, 10and on the vine there were three
branches; as soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters
ripened into grapes. 11Pharoah’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes
and pressed them into Pharoah’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharoah’s
hand.” 12Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three
branches are three days; 13within three days Pharoah will lift up your head
and restore you to your office; and you shall place Pharoah’s cup in his
hand as formerly, when you were his butler. 14But remember me, when it is
well with you, and do me the kindness, I beg you, to make mention of me to
Pharoah, and so get me out of this house. 15For I was indeed stolen out of
the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should
put me into the dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said
to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head,
17and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for
Pharoah, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” 18And
Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days;
19within three days Pharoah will lift up your head—from you!—and hang
you on a tree; and the birds will eat the flesh from you.”
20 On the third day, which was Pharoah’s birthday, he made a feast for all
his servants, and lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the
chief baker among his servants. 21He restored the chief butler to his
butlership, and he placed the cup in Pharoah’s hand; 22but he hanged the
chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23Yet the chief butler did not
remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Joseph Interprets Pharoah’s Dream
41 After two whole years, Pharoah dreamed that he was standing by the
Nile, 2and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows sleek and fat,
and they fed in the reed grass. 3And behold, seven other cows, gaunt and
thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the
bank of the Nile. 4And the gaunt and thin cows ate up the seven sleek and
fat cows. And Pharoah awoke. 5And he fell asleep and dreamed a second
time; and behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on
one stalk. 6And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by
the east wind. 7And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full
ears. And Pharoah awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8So in the morning
his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt
and all its wise men; and Pharoah told them his dream, but there was none
who could interpret it j to Pharoah.
9 Then the chief butler said to Pharoah, “I remember my faults today.
10When Pharoah was angry with his servants, and put me and the chief
baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11we dreamed on
the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own meaning. 12A
young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard; and
when we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation
to each man according to his dream. 13And as he interpreted to us, so it
came to pass; I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”
14 Then Pharoah sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out
of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes,
he came in before Pharoah. 15And Pharoah said to Joseph, “I have had a
dream, and there is no one who can interpret it; and I have heard it said of
you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Joseph answered
Pharoah, “It is not in me; God will give Pharoah a favorable answer.”
17Then Pharoah said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the
banks of the Nile; 18and seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the Nile
and fed in the reed grass; 19and seven other cows came up after them, poor
and very gaunt and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt.
20And the thin and gaunt cows ate up the first seven fat cows, 21but when
they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for
they were still as gaunt as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22I also saw in
my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good; 23and seven ears,
withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24and the
thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians,
but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharoah, “The dream of Pharoah is one; God has
revealed to Pharoah what he is about to do. 26The seven good cows are
seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream is one.
27The seven lean and gaunt cows that came up after them are seven years,
and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of
famine. 28It is as I told Pharoah, God has shown to Pharoah what he is
about to do. 29There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all
the land of Egypt, 30but after them there will arise seven years of famine,
and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the famine will
consume the land, 31and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason
of that famine which will follow, for it will be very grievous. 32And the
doubling of Pharoah’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God
will shortly bring it to pass. 33Now therefore let Pharoah select a man
discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharoah
proceed to appoint overseers over the land, and take the fifth part of the
produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years. 35And let
them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up
grain under the authority of Pharoah for food in the cities, and let them keep
it. 36That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of
famine which are to befall the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish
through the famine.”
Joseph’s Rise to Power in Egypt
37 This proposal seemed good to Pharoah and to all his servants. 38And
Pharoah said to his servants, “Can we find such a man as this, in whom is
the Spirit of God?” 39So Pharoah said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you
all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are; 40you shall be over
my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only
as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41And Pharoah said to
Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharoah
took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed
him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43and he
made him to ride in his second chariot; and they cried before him, “Bow the
knee!” k Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44Moreover Pharoah
said to Joseph, “I am Pharoah, and without your consent no man shall lift
up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45And Pharoah called Joseph’s
name Zaph'enath-pane'ah; and he gave him in marriage As'enath, the
daughter of Poti'phera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of
Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharoah king
of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharoah, and went
through all the land of Egypt. 47During the seven plenteous years the earth
brought forth abundantly, 48and he gathered up all the food of the seven
years when there was plenty l in the land of Egypt, and stored up food in the
cities; he stored up in every city the food from the fields around it. 49And
Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he
ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.
50 Before the year of famine came, Joseph had two sons, whom As'enath,
the daughter of Poti'phera priest of On, bore to him. 51Joseph called the
name of the first-born Manas'seh, m “For,” he said, “God has made me
forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” 52The name of the second
he called E'phraim, n “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my
affliction.”
53 The seven years of plenty that prevailed in the land of Egypt came to an
end; 54and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said.
There was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharoah for
bread; and Pharoah said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he says to
you, do.” 56So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened
all the storehouses, o and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in
the land of Egypt. 57Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy
grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his
sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2And he said, “Behold, I have
heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down and buy grain for us there, that
we may live, and not die.” 3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy
grain in Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his
brothers, for he feared that harm might befall him. 5Thus the sons of Israel
came to buy among the others who came, for the famine was in the land of
Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor over the land; he it was who sold to all the
people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves
before him with their faces to the ground. 7Joseph saw his brothers, and
knew them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them.
“Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan,
to buy food.” 8Thus Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him.
9And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed of them; and
he said to them, “You are spies, you have come to see the weakness of the
land.” 10They said to him, “No, my lord, but to buy food have your servants
come. 11We are all sons of one man, we are honest men, your servants are
not spies.” 12He said to them, “No, it is the weakness of the land that you
have come to see.” 13And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve
brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the
youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more.” 14But Joseph said
to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies. 15By this you shall be tested:
by the life of Pharoah, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest
brother comes here. 16Send one of you, and let him bring your brother,
while you remain in prison, that your words may be tested, whether there is
truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharoah, surely you are spies.” 17And he
put them all together in prison for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I
fear God: 19if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined
in your prison, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your
households, 20and bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be
verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 21Then they said to one
another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the
distress of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen; therefore is
this distress come upon us.” 22And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell
you not to sin against the lad? But you would not listen. So now there
comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23They did not know that Joseph
understood them, for there was an interpreter between them. 24Then he
turned away from them and wept; and he returned to them and spoke to
them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
25And Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to replace every
man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. This
was done for them.
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan
26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed. 27And as
one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food at the lodging place,
he saw his money in the mouth of his sack; 28and he said to his brothers,
“My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this
their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying,
“What is this that God has done to us?”
29 When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told
him all that had befallen them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land,
spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies of the land. 31But we said to
him, ‘We are honest men, we are not spies; 32we are twelve brothers, sons
of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in
the land of Canaan.’ 33Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By
this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with
me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way.
34Bring your youngest brother to me; then I shall know that you are not
spies but honest men, and I will deliver to you your brother, and you shall
trade in the land.’ ”
35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, every man’s bundle of money was
in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they
were dismayed. 36And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved
me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you
would take Benjamin; all this has come upon me.” 37Then Reuben said to
his father, “Slay my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in
my hands, and I will bring him back to you.” 38But he said, “My son shall
not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm
should befall him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring
down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.”
Joseph’s Brothers Bring Benjamin to Egypt
43 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2And when they had eaten
the grain which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go
again, buy us a little food.” 3But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly
warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with
you.’ 4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you
food; 5but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said
to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ ” 6Israel
said, “Why did you treat me so ill as to tell the man that you had another
brother?” 7They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves
and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another
brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions; could we in
any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8And Judah
said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go,
that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9I
will be surety for him; of my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring
him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame for
ever; 10for if we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take
some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down to the
man a present, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts,
and almonds. 12Take double the money with you; carry back with you the
money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an
oversight. 13Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man; 14may
God Almighty p grant you mercy before the man, that he may send back
your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am
bereaved.” 15So the men took the present, and they took double the money
with them, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt, and
stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his
house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make
ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17The man did as Joseph
bade him, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18And the men were
afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is
because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that
we are brought in, so that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us,
to make slaves of us and seize our donkeys.” 19So they went up to the
steward of Joseph’s house, and spoke with him at the door of the house,
20and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food; 21and
when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was
every man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so
we have brought it again with us, 22and we have brought other money down
in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23He replied, “Rest assured, do not be afraid; your God and the God of your
father must have put treasure in your sacks for you; I received your money.”
Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24And when the man had brought the
men into Joseph’s house, and given them water, and they had washed their
feet, and when he had given their donkeys food, 25they made ready the
present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat
bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the
present which they had with them, and bowed down to him to the ground.
27And he inquired about their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old
man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28They said, “Your servant our
father is well, he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and made
obeisance. 29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his
mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke
to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30Then Joseph made haste, for his
heart yearned for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered
his chamber and wept there. 31Then he washed his face and came out; and
controlling himself he said, “Let food be served.” 32They served him by
himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by
themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews,
for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33And they sat before him, the
first-born according to his birthright and the youngest according to his
youth; and the men looked at one another in amazement. 34Portions were
taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as
much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
Joseph Detains Benjamin
44 Then he commanded the steward of his house, “Fill the men’s sacks
with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the
mouth of his sack, 2and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack
of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told
him. 3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their
donkeys. 4When they had gone but a short distance from the city, Joseph
said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men; and when you overtake
them, say to them, ‘Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you
stolen my silver cup? q 5Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this
that he divines? You have done wrong in so doing.' "
6 When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. 7They said to
him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your
servants that they should do such a thing! 8Behold, the money which we
found in the mouth of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of
Canaan; how then should we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house?
9With whomever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will
and they fell before him to the ground. 15Joseph said to them, “What deed is
this that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed
divine?” 16And Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we
speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your
servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose
hand the cup has been found.” 17But he said, “Far be it from me that I
should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my
slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
Judah Pleads for Benjamin’s Release
18 Then Judah went up to him and said, “O my lord, let your servant, I beg
you, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against
your servant; for you are like Pharoah himself. 19My lord asked his
servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’ 20And we said to my
lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his
old age; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s
children; and his father loves him.’ 21Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring
him down to me, that I may set my eyes upon him.’ 22We said to my lord,
‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father
would die.’ 23Then you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother
comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’ 24When we went
back to your servant my father we told him the words of my lord. 25And
when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26we said, ‘We cannot
go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down; for
we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me
two sons; 28one left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces; and I
have never seen him since. 29If you take this one also from me, and harm
befalls him, you will bring down my gray hairs in sorrow to Sheol.’ 30Now
therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us,
then, as his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31when he sees that the lad is
not with us, he will die; and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of
your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32For your servant became
surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you,
then I shall bear the blame in the sight of my father all my life.’ 33Now
therefore, let your servant, I beg you, remain instead of the lad as a slave to
my lord; and let the lad go back with his brothers. 34For how can I go back
to my father if the lad is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would come
upon my father.”
Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brothers
45 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by
him; and he cried, “Make every one go out from me.” So no one stayed
with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2And he wept
aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharoah heard it.
3And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; is my father still alive?” But
his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, I beg you.” And they
came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into
Egypt. 5And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because
you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6For the
famine has been in the land these two years; and there are yet five years in
which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7And God sent me before
you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many
survivors. 8So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made
me a father to Pharoah, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land
of Egypt. 9Make haste and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says
your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do
not tarry; 10 you shall dwell in the land of Go'shen, and you shall be near
me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks,
your herds, and all that you have; 11and there I will provide for you, for
there are yet five years of famine to come; lest you and your household, and
all that you have, come to poverty.’ 12And now your eyes see, and the eyes
of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13You
must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and of all that you have
seen. Make haste and bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell upon his
brother Benjamin’s neck and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
15And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his
come,” it pleased Pharoah and his servants well. 17And Pharoah said to
Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the
land of Canaan; 18and take your father and your households, and come to
me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the
fat of the land.’ 19Command them r also, ‘Do this: take wagons from the
land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father,
and come. 20Give no thought to your goods, for the best of all the land of
Egypt is yours.' "
21 The sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to
the command of Pharoah, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22To
each and all of them he gave festal garments; but to Benjamin he gave three
hundred shekels of silver and five festal garments. 23To his father he sent as
follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-
donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the
journey. 24Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to
them, “Do not quarrel on the way.” 25So they went up out of Egypt, and
came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26And they told him,
“Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his
heart fainted, for he did not believe them. 27But when they told him all the
words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons
which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived;
28and Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive; I will go and
Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s first-born, 9and the sons of
Reuben: Ha'noch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 10The sons of Simeon:
Jemu'el, Ja'min, O'had, Ja'chin, Zo'har, and Sha'ul, the son of a Canaanitish
woman. 11The sons of Levi: Gershon, Ko'hath, and Merar'i. 12The sons of
Judah: Er, O'nan, She'lah, Per'ez, and Ze'rah (but Er and Onan died in the
land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Ha'mul. 13The sons
of Is'sachar: To'la, Pu'vah, I'ob, and Shimron. 14The sons of Zeb'ulun:
Se'red, E'lon, and Jah'leel 15(these are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to
Jacob in Pad'dan-ar'am, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his
sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three). 16The sons of Gad: Ziph'ion,
Haggi, Shu'ni, Ezbon, E'ri, Aro'di, and Are'li. 17The sons of Asher: Imnah,
Ishvah, Ishvi, Beri'ah, with Se'rah their sister. And the sons of Beriah:
He'ber and Mal'chi-el 18(these are the sons of Zilpah, whom La'ban gave to
Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons). 19The
sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. 20And to Joseph in the
land of Egypt were born Manas'seh and E'phraim, whom As'enath, the
daughter of Poti'phera the priest of On, bore to him. 21And the sons of
Benjamin: Be'la, Be'cher, Ashbel, Ge'ra, Na'aman, E'hi, Rosh, Muppim,
Huppim, and Ard 22(these are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob
—fourteen persons in all). 23The sons of Dan: Hu'shim. 24The sons of
Naph'tali: Jah'zeel, Gu'ni, Je'zer, and Shillem 25(these are the sons of
Bilhah, whom La'ban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to
Jacob—seven persons in all). 26All the persons belonging to Jacob who
came into Egypt, who were his own offspring, not including Jacob’s sons’
wives, were sixty-six persons in all; 27and the sons of Joseph, who were
born to him in Egypt, were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, that
came into Egypt, were seventy.
Jacob Dwells in the Land of Goshen
28 He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to appear s before him in Go'shen;
and they came into the land of Goshen. 29Then Joseph made ready his
chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Go'shen; and he presented
himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
30Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and
know that you are still alive.” 31Joseph said to his brothers and to his
father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharoah, and will say to him, ‘My
brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have
come to me; 32and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of
cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they
have.’ 33When Pharoah calls you, and says, ‘What is your occupation?’
34you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth
even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the
land of Go'shen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
47 So Joseph went in and told Pharoah, “My father and my brothers,
with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the
land of Canaan; they are now in the land of Go'shen.” 2And from among his
brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharoah. 3Pharoah said to
his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharoah, “Your
servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” 4They said to Pharoah, “We
have come to sojourn in the land; for there is no pasture for your servants’
flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan; and now, we pray
you, let your servants dwell in the land of Go'shen.” 5Then Pharoah said to
Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6The land of
Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the
land; let them dwell in the land of Go'shen; and if you know any able men
among them, put them in charge of my cattle.”
7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharoah, and
Jacob blessed Pharoah. 8And Pharoah said to Jacob, “How many are the
days of the years of your life?” 9And Jacob said to Pharoah, “The days of
the years of my sojourning are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have
been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days
of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” 10And
Jacob blessed Pharoah, and went out from the presence of Pharoah. 11Then
Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the
land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ram'eses, as Pharoah
had commanded. 12And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his
father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependents.
The Famine in Egypt and Canaan
13 Now there was no food in all the land; for the famine was very severe,
so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the
famine. 14And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land
of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought; and
Joseph brought the money into Pharoah’s house. 15And when the money
was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the
Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, “Give us food; why should we die
before your eyes? For our money is gone.” 16And Joseph answered, “Give
your cattle, and I will give you food in exchange for your cattle, if your
money is gone.” 17So they brought their cattle to Joseph; and Joseph gave
them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the
donkeys: and he supplied them with food in exchange for all their cattle that
year. 18And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year,
and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent;
and the herds of cattle are my lord’s; there is nothing left in the sight of my
lord but our bodies and our lands. 19Why should we die before your eyes,
both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land
will be slaves to Pharoah; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die,
and that the land may not be desolate.”
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharoah; for all the
Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe upon them. The
land became Pharoah’s; 21and as for the people, he made slaves of them t
from one end of Egypt to the other. 22Only the land of the priests he did not
buy; for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharoah, and lived on the
allowance which Pharoah gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.
23Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and
your land for Pharoah. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the
land. 24And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharoah, and four fifths
shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your
households, and as food for your little ones.” 25And they said, “You have
saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be slaves to Pharoah.” 26So
Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this
day, that Pharoah should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not
become Pharoah’s.
The Last Days of Jacob
27 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Go'shen; and they
Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty-seven years.
29 And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son
Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your
hand under my thigh, and promise to deal loyally and truly with me. Do not
bury me in Egypt, 30but let me lie with my fathers; carry me out of Egypt
and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have
said.” 31And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel
bowed himself upon the head of his bed.
Jacob Blesses Joseph and His Sons
48 After this Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill”; so he took
with him his two sons, Manas'seh and E'phraim. 2And it was told to Jacob,
“Your son Joseph has come to you”; then Israel summoned his strength, and
sat up in bed. 3And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty u appeared to me
at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and said to me, ‘Behold, I
will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company
of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an
everlasting possession.’ 5And now your two sons, who were born to you in
the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; E'phraim and
Manas'seh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6And the offspring
born to you after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the name of
their brothers in their inheritance. 7For when I came from Paddan, Rachel to
my sorrow died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some
distance to go to Eph'rath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that
is, Bethlehem).”
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9Joseph said
to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he
said, “Bring them to me, I pray you, that I may bless them.” 10Now the eyes
of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought
them near him; and he kissed them and embraced them. 11And Israel said to
Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; and behold, God has let me see
your children also.” 12Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he
bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13And Joseph took them both,
E'phraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manas'seh in his
left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near him. 14And
Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon the head of E'phraim,
who was the younger, and his left hand upon the head of Manas'seh,
crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the first-born. 15And he blessed
Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has led me all my life long to this day,
16the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads;
E'phraim, it displeased him; and he took his father’s hand, to remove it from
Ephraim’s head to Manas'seh’s head. 18And Joseph said to his father, “Not
so, my father; for this one is the first-born; put your right hand upon his
head.” 19But his father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also
shall become a people, and he also shall be great; nevertheless his younger
brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a
multitude of nations.” 20So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘God make you as E'phraim and as Manas'seh' ";
and thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21Then Israel said to Joseph,
“Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and will bring you
again to the land of your fathers. 22Moreover I have given to you rather than
to your brothers one mountain slope v which I took from the hand of the
Am'orites with my sword and with my bow.”
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
49 * Then Jacob called his sons, and said, “Gather yourselves together,
that I may tell you what shall befall you in days to come.
2Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob,
people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of E'phron
the Hittite, 30in the cave that is in the field at Mach-pe'lah, to the east of
Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from
E'phron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 31There they buried
Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife;
and there I buried Leah—32the field and the cave that is in it were
purchased from the Hittites.” 33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he
drew up his feet into the bed, and breathed his last, and was gathered to his
people.
50 Then Joseph fell on his father’s face, and wept over him, and kissed
him. 2And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his
father. So the physicians embalmed Israel; 3forty days were required for it,
for so many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him
seventy days.
4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the
household of Pharoah, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes,
speak, I beg you, in the ears of Pharoah, saying, 5My father made me swear,
saying, ‘I am about to die: in my tomb which I hewed out for myself in the
land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.’ Now therefore let me go up, I beg
you, and bury my father; then I will return.” 6And Pharoah answered, “Go
up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7So Joseph went up to
bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharoah, the elders
of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8as well as all the
household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household; only their
children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Go'shen. 9And
there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; it was a very great
company. 10When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is
beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful
lamentation; and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11When the
inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing
floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians.”
Therefore the place was named A'bel-miz'raim; d it is beyond the Jordan.
12Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them; 13for his sons
carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field at
Mach-pe'lah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field
from E'phron the Hittite, to possess as a burying place. 14After he had
buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who
had gone up with him to bury his father.
Joseph Forgives His Brothers
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It
may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil which we
did to him.” 16So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave
this command before he died, 17‘Say to Joseph, Forgive, I beg you, the
transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’
And now, we pray you, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God
of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18His brothers also
came and fell down before him, and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19But Joseph said to them, “Fear not, for am I in the place of God? 20As for
you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about
that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21So do not fear; I
will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he reassured them and
comforted them.
Joseph’s Last Days and Death
22 So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s house; and Joseph lived a
hundred and ten years. 23And Joseph saw E'phraim’s children of the third
generation; the children also of Ma'chir the son of Manas'seh were born
upon Joseph’s knees. 24And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die;
but God will visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which
he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25Then Joseph took an oath
of the sons of Israel, saying, “God will visit you, and you shall carry up my
bones from here.” 26So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old; and
they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
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Exodus
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
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THE BOOK OF EXODUS
The Sons of Israel
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with
Jacob, each with his household: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3Is'sachar, Zeb'ulun, and Benjamin, 4Dan and Naph'tali, Gad and Asher.
5All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in
Egypt. 6Then Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation. 7But
the descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied
and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them.
The Israelites Are Oppressed by the Egyptians
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9And
he said to his people, “Behold, the sons of Israel are too many and too
mighty for us. 10Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply,
and, if war befall us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape
from the land.” 11Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them
with heavy burdens; and they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Ra-
am'ses. 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and
the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the sons
of Israel. 13So they made the sons of Israel serve with rigor, 14and made
their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of
work in the field; in all their work they made them serve with rigor.
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was
named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16“When you serve as midwife to the
Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall
kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17But the midwives feared
God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male
children live. 18So the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them,
“Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19The midwives
said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian
women; for they are vigorous and are delivered before the midwife comes
to them.” 20So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied
and grew very strong. 21And because the midwives feared God he gave
them families. 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that
is born to the Hebrewsa you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every
daughter live.”
Birth and Youth of Moses
2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter
of Levi. 2The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he
was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3And when she could hide
him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it
with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and placed it among the
reeds at the river’s brink. 4And his sister stood at a distance, to know what
would be done to him. 5Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe
at the river, and her maidens walked beside the river; she saw the basket
among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it. 6When she opened it she saw
the child; and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said,
“This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s
daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse
the child for you?” 8And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl
went and called the child’s mother. 9And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her,
“Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your
wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10And the child grew,
and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son; and she
named him Moses,b for she said, “Because I drew him out c of the water.”
Moses Flees to Midian
11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and
looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of
his people. 12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the
Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13When he went out the next day, behold,
two Hebrews were struggling together; and he said to the man that did the
wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?” 14He answered, “Who made you
a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the
Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is
known.” 15When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.
But Moses fled from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Mid'ian; and he
sat down by a well. 16Now the priest of Mid'ian had seven daughters; and
they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s
flock. 17The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and
helped them, and watered their flock. 18When they came to their father
Reu'el, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?” 19They said,
“An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and even drew
water for us and watered the flock.” 20He said to his daughters, “And where
is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21And
Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter
Zippo'rah. 22She bore a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, “I
have been a sojournerd in a foreign land.”
23 In the course of those many days the king of Egypt died. And the sons
of Israel groaned under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry
under bondage came up to God. 24And God heard their groaning, and God
remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25And
God saw the sons of Israel, and God knew their condition.
Moses and the Burning Bush
3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the
priest of Mid'ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and
came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2And the angel of the LORD appeared
to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and
behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3And Moses said, “I
will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” 4When
the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush,
“Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here am I.” 5Then he said, “Do not come
near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are
standing is holy ground.” 6And he said, “I am the God of your father, the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid
his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the LORD said, “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in
Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their
sufferings, 8and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a
land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Am'orites, the Per'izzites, the Hi'vites, and the Jeb'usites. 9And
now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me, and I have seen
the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10Come, I will send
you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel, out
of Egypt.” 11But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to
Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12He said, “But I will
be with you; and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when
you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon
this mountain.”
God Reveals His Name
13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the sons of Israel and say to
them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What
is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO
I AM.” e * And he said, “Say this to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to
you.’ ” 15God also said to Moses, “Say this to the sons of Israel, ‘The
LORD,f the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: this is my name for ever, and thus I
am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16Go and gather the elders
of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the
God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I
have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt; 17and I promise
that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Am'orites, the Per'izzites, the Hi'vites, and the
Jeb'usites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 18And they will listen to
your voice; and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt
and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and
now, we beg you, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that
we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 19I know that the king of Egypt will
not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.g 20So I will stretch out
my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after
that he will let you go. 21And I will give this people favor in the sight of the
Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22but each woman
shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewelry of
silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on
your daughters; thus you shall despoil the Egyptians.”
God Gives Moses Help for His Mission
4 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will ot believe me or listen to
my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’ ” 2The LORD
said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” 3And he said,
“Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a
serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your
hand, and take it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it
became a rod in his hand—5“that they may believe that the LORD, the God
of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand
into your bosom.” And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it
out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7Then God said, “Put
your hand back into your bosom.” So he put his hand back into his bosom;
and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.
8“If they will not believe you,” God said, “or heed the first sign, they may
believe the latter sign. 9If they will not believe even these two signs or heed
your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it upon the
dry ground; and the water which you shall take from the Nile will become
blood upon the dry ground.”
10 But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either
do before Pharaoh all the miracles which I have put in your power; but I
will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22And you shall
say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my first-born son, 23and I say
to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me”; if you refuse to let him go,
behold, I will slay your first-born son.' "
24 At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to kill him.
25Then Zippo'rah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched
Moses’ feet with it, and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to
me!” 26So he let him alone. Then it was that she said, “You are a
bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
27 The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he
went, and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28And Moses
told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him, and all
the signs which he had charged him to do. 29Then Moses and Aaron went
and gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel. 30And Aaron spoke
all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the
sight of the people. 31And the people believed; and when they heard that the
LORD had visited the sons of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they
bowed their heads and worshiped.
Bricks without Straw
5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the
LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to
me in the wilderness.' " 2But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should
heed his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover I
will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met
with us; let us go, we beg, a three days’ journey into the wilderness, and
sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with
the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do
you take the people away from their work? Get to your burdens.” 5And
Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many and you make
them rest from their burdens!” 6The same day Pharaoh commanded the
taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7“You shall no longer give the
people straw to make bricks, as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for
themselves. 8But the number of bricks which they made heretofore you
shall lay upon them, you shall by no means lessen it; for they are idle;
therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let heavier
work be laid upon the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to
lying words.”
10 So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to
the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11Go yourselves,
get your straw wherever you can find it; but your work will not be lessened
in the least.' " 12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land
of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw. 13The taskmasters were urgent, saying,
“Complete your work, your daily task, as when there was straw.” 14And the
foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over
them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task
of making bricks today, as before?”
15 Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh,
“Why do you deal thus with your servants? 16No straw is given to your
servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are
beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17But he said, “You are idle,
you are idle; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18Go
now, and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the
same number of bricks.” 19The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they
were in evil plight, when they said, “You shall by no means lessen your
daily number of bricks.” 20They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting
for them, as they came forth from Pharaoh; 21and they said to them, “The
LORD look upon you and judge, because you have made us offensive in the
sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill
us.”
22 Then Moses turned again to the LORD and said, “O LORD, why have you
done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23For since I came to
Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you
have not
6 delivered your people at all.” 1But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you
shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them
out, yes, with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
God Promises Deliverance
2 And God said to Moses, “I am the LORD. 3I appeared to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty,h but by my name the LORD I did not
make myself known to them. 4I also established my covenant with them, to
give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they dwelt as sojourners.
5Moreover I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel whom the
the sons of Israel go out of his land.” 12But Moses said to the LORD,
“Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then shall Pharaoh
listen to me, who am a man of uncircumcised lips?” 13But the LORD spoke
to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a charge to the sons of Israel and to
Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron
14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuben, the
first-born of Israel: Ha'noch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the
families of Reuben. 15The sons of Simeon: Jemu'el, Ja'min, O'had, Ja'chin,
Zo'har, and Sha'ul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of
Simeon. 16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their
generations: Gershon, Ko'hath, and Merar'i, the years of the life of Levi
being a hundred and thirty-seven years. 17The sons of Gershon: Libni and
Shim'e-i, by their families. 18The sons of Ko'hath: Amram, Izhar, He'bron,
and Uz'ziel, the years of the life of Kohath being a hundred and thirty-three
years. 19The sons of Merar'i: Mah'li and Mu'shi. These are the families of
the Levites according to their generations. 20Amram took to wife Joch'ebed
his father’s sister and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of
Amram being one hundred and thirty-seven years. 21The sons of Izhar:
Ko'rah, Ne'pheg, and Zich'ri. 22And the sons of Uz'ziel: Mish'a-el,
El'zaphan, and Sithri. 23Aaron took to wife Eli'sheba, the daughter of
Ammin'adab and the sister of Nahshon; and she bore him Na'dab, Abi'hu,
Elea'zar, and Ith'amar. 24The sons of Ko'rah: Assir, Elka'nah, and Abi'asaph;
these are the families of the Ko'rahites. 25Elea'zar, Aaron’s son, took to wife
one of the daughters of Pu'ti-el; and she bore him Phin'ehas. These are the
heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their families.
26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said: “Bring out the
sons of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” 27It was they who
spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the sons of Israel from
Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.
Moses and Aaron Obey God’s Commands
28 On the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29the
LORD said to Moses, “I am the LORD; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I
say to you.” 30But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised
lips; how then shall
7 Pharaoh listen to me?” 1And the LORD said to Moses, “See, I make
you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2You
shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall tell
Pharaoh to let the sons of Israel go out of his land. 3But I will harden
Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of
Egypt, 4Pharaoh will not listen to you; then I will lay my hand upon Egypt
and bring forth my hosts, my people the sons of Israel, out of the land of
Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5And the Egyptians shall know that I am
the LORD, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and bring out the sons
of Israel from among them.” 6And Moses and Aaron did so; they did as the
LORD commanded them. 7Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron
eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Miraculous Rod
8 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you,
‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take
your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ”
10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD commanded;
Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a
serpent. 11Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and
they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts. 12For
every man cast down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod
swallowed up their rods. 13Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he
would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.
The First Plague: Water of the Nile Turned to Blood
14 * Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuses
to let the people go. 15Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to
the water; wait for him by the river’s brink, and take in your hand the rod
which was turned into a serpent. 16And you shall say to him, ‘The LORD, the
God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they
may serve me in the wilderness; and behold, you have not yet obeyed.”
17Thus says the LORD, “By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold,
I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the rod that is in my hand, and
it shall be turned to blood, 18and the fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile
shall become foul, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink water from the
Nile.” ' " 19And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and
stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their
canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, that they may become
blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in
vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ ”
20 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh
and in the sight of his servants, he lifted up the rod and struck the water that
was in the Nile, and all the water that was in the Nile turned to blood. 21And
the fish in the Nile died; and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians
could not drink water from the Nile; and there was blood throughout all the
land of Egypt. 22But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret
arts; so Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to
them; as the LORD had said. 23Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and
he did not lay even this to heart. 24And all the Egyptians dug round about
the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
The Second Plague: Frogs
25 Seven days passed after the LORD had
8 istruckthe Nile. 1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and
say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve
me. 2But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country
with frogs; 3the Nile shall swarm with frogs which shall come up into your
house, and into your bedchamber and on your bed, and into the houses of
your servants and of your people,j and into your ovens and your kneading
bowls; 4the frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your
servants.” ’ ” 5k And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out
your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools,
and cause frogs to come upon the land of Egypt!’ ” 6So Aaron stretched out
his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the
land of Egypt. 7But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and
brought frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the LORD to
take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people
go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 9Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to
command me when I am to entreat, for you and for your servants and for
your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses and be
left only in the Nile.” 10And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you
say, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11The
frogs shall depart from you and your houses and your servants and your
people; they shall be left only in the Nile.” 12So Moses and Aaron went out
from Pharaoh; and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs, as he had
agreed with Pharaoh.l 13And the LORD did according to the word of Moses;
the frogs died out of the houses and courtyards and out of the fields. 14And
they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15But when
Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not
listen to them; as the LORD had said.
The Third Plague: Gnats
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod and
strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats throughout all the land
of Egypt.’ ” 17And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod,
and struck the dust of the earth, and there came gnats on man and beast; all
the dust of the earth became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt. 18The
magicians tried by their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not.
So there were gnats on man and beast. 19And the magicians said to Pharaoh,
“This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he
would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.
The Fourth Plague: Swarms of Flies
20 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and wait
for Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the
LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21Else, if you will not let
my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants
and your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians
shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they
stand. 22But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my
people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there; that you may know
that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. 23Thus I will put a divisionm
between my people and your people. By tomorrow shall this sign be.” ’ ”
24And the LORD did so; there came great swarms of flies into the house of
Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses, and in all the land of Egypt the land
was ruined by reason of the flies.
25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your
God within the land.” 26But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so; for
we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God offerings abominable to the
Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before
their eyes, will they not stone us? 27We must go three days’ journey into the
wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he will command us.” 28So
Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the
wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make entreaty for me.”
29Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will pray to the
LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants,
and from his people, tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh deal falsely again by
not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 30So Moses went out
from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 31And the LORD did as Moses asked,
and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from
his people; not one remained. 32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time
also, and did not let the people go.
The Fifth Plague: Death of the Egyptians’ Livestock
9 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and say to him,
‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they
may serve me. 2For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3behold,
the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your cattle
which are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and
the flocks. 4But the LORD will make a distinction between the cattle of
Israel and the cattle of Egypt, so that nothing shall die of all that belongs to
the sons of Israel.” ' " 5And the LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the
LORD will do this thing in the land.” 6And the next day the LORD did this
thing; all the cattle of the Egyptians died, but of the cattle of the sons of
Israel not one died. 7And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the cattle of
the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did
not let the people go.
The Sixth Plague: Boils
8 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of ashes from
the kiln, and let Moses throw them toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
9And it shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils
breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”
10So they took ashes from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses
threw them toward heaven, and it became boils breaking out in sores on
man and beast. 11And the magicians could not stand before Moses because
of the boils, for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all the
Egyptians. 12But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not
listen to them; as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
The Seventh Plague: Thunder and Hail
13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand
before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the
Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14For this time I will
send all my plagues upon your heart, and upon your servants and your
people, that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15For
by now I could have put forth my hand and struck you and your people with
pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; 16but for this
purpose have I let you live, to show you my power, so that my name may be
declared throughout all the earth. 17You are still exalting yourself against
my people, and will not let them go. 18Behold, tomorrow about this time I
will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the
day it was founded until now. 19Now therefore send, get your cattle and all
that you have in the field into safe shelter; for the hail shall come down
upon every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home, and
they shall die.” ’ ” 20Then he who feared the word of the LORD among the
servants of Pharaoh made his slaves and his cattle flee into the houses; 21but
he who did not regard the word of the LORD left his slaves and his cattle in
the field.
22 And the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch forth your hand toward heaven,
that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man and beast and
every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23Then Moses
stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail,
and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail upon the land of
Egypt; 24there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the
hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it
became a nation. 25The hail struck down everything that was in the field
throughout all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and the hail struck
down every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field. 26Only in
the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.
27 Then Pharaoh sent, and called Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I
have sinned this time; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in
the wrong. 28Entreat the LORD; for there has been enough of this thunder
and hail; I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29Moses said to
him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to
the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you
may know that the earth is the LORD’s. 30But as for you and your servants,
I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.” 31(The flax and the barley
were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32But the
wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they are late in coming up.) 33So
Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and stretched out his hands to the
LORD; and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured
upon the earth. 34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the
thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again, and hardened his heart, he and his
servants. 35So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the
sons of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
The Eighth Plague: Locusts
10 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have
hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs
of mine among them, 2and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and
of your son’s son how I have made sport of the Egyptians and what signs I
have done among them; that you may know that I am the LORD.”
3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “Thus says the
LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble
yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4For if you
refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your
country, 5and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the
land; and they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat
every tree of yours which grows in the field, 6and they shall fill your
houses, and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians; as
neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they
came on earth to this day.’ ” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
7 And Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare
to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God; do you not
yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” 8So Moses and Aaron were brought
back to Pharaoh; and he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God; but
who are to go?” 9And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old;
we will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for
we must hold a feast to the LORD.” 10And he said to them, “The LORD be
with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil
purpose in mind.n 11No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for
that is what you desire.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s
presence.
12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of
Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat
every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” 13So Moses stretched forth
his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the
land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning the east wind
had brought the locusts. 14And the locusts came up over all the land of
Egypt, and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of
locusts as had never been before, nor ever shall be again. 15For they
covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they
ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had
left; not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through
all the land of Egypt. 16Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron in haste, and
said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17Now
therefore, forgive my sin, I beg you, only this once, and entreat the LORD
your God only to remove this death from me.” 18So he went out from
Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD. 19And the LORD turned a very strong west
wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not a single
locust was left in all the country of Egypt. 20But the LORD hardened
Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
The Ninth Plague: Darkness
21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven
that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.”
22So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick
darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; 23they did not see one another,
nor did any rise from his place for three days; but all the sons of Israel had
light where they dwelt. 24Then Pharaoh called Moses, and said, “Go, serve
the LORD; your children also may go with you; only let your flocks and your
herds remain behind.” 25But Moses said, “You must also let us have
sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
26Our cattle also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we
must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with
what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.” 27But the LORD
hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28Then Pharaoh
said to him, “Get away from me; take heed to yourself; never see my face
again; for in the day you see my face you shall die.” 29Moses said, “As you
say! I will not see your face again.”
Warning of the Final Plague
11 The LORD said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon
Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go from here; when he
lets you go, he will drive you away completely. 2Speak now in the hearing
of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of
her neighbor, jewelry of silver and of gold.” 3And the LORD gave the people
favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very
great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight
of the people.
4 And Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go forth in
the midst of Egypt; 5and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die,
from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits upon his throne, even to the first-
born of the maidservant who is behind the mill; and all the first-born of the
cattle. 6And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such
as there has never been, nor ever shall be again. 7But against any of the sons
of Israel, either man or beast, not a dog shall growl; that you may know that
the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. 8And all
these your servants shall come down to me, and bow down to me, saying,
‘Get you out, and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go
out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9Then the LORD said to
Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you; that my wonders may be multiplied
in the land of Egypt.”
10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD
hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his
land.
The Passover Instituted
12 * The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This
month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month
of the year for you. 3Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day
of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’
houses, a lamb for a household; 4and if the household is too small for a
lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to
the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your
count for the lamb. 5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old;
you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats; 6and you shall keep it
until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the
congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.o 7Then they
shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel
of the houses in which they eat them. 8They shall eat the flesh that night,
roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9Do not eat
any of it raw or boiled with water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its
inner parts. 10And you shall let none of it remain until the morning,
anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11In this manner
you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff
in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. 12For
I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the first-
born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt
I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13The blood shall be a sign for
you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass
over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I strike the
land of Egypt.
14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a
feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an
ordinance for ever. 15Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first
day you shall put away leaven out of your houses, for if any one eats what
is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut
off from Israel. 16On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the
seventh day a holy assembly; no work shall be done on those days; but what
every one must eat, that only may be prepared by you. 17And you shall
observe the feast of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your
hosts out of the land of Egypt: therefore you shall observe this day,
throughout your generations, as an ordinance for ever. 18In the first month,
on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened
bread, and so until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19For seven
days no leaven shall be found in your houses; for if any one eats what is
leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel,
whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20You shall eat nothing
leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.”
21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Select
lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb.
22Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and
touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood which is in the basin;
and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
23For the LORD will pass through to slay the Egyptians; and when he sees
the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the
door, and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to slay you.
24You shall observe this rite as an ordinance for you and for your sons for
ever. 25And when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, as he
has promised, you shall keep this service. 26And when your children say to
you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice
of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the sons of Israel
in Egypt, when he slew the Egyptians but spared our houses.' " And the
people bowed their heads and worshiped.
28 Then the sons of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded
land in haste; for they said, “We are all dead men.” 34So the people took
their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in
their mantles on their shoulders. 35The sons of Israel had also done as
Moses told them, for they had asked of the Egyptians jewelry of silver and
of gold, and clothing; 36and the LORD had given the people favor in the
sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus
they despoiled the Egyptians.
37 And the sons of Israel journeyed from Ram'eses to Succoth, about six
hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38A mixed
multitude also went up with them, and very many cattle, both flocks and
herds. 39And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had
brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out
of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any
provisions.
40 The time that the sons of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and
thirty years. 41And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on that very
day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42It was a
night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so
this same night is a night of watching kept to the LORD by all the sons of
Israel throughout their generations.
The Ordinance of the Passover
43 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the
Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it; 44but every slave that is bought for
money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45No sojourner or
hired servant may eat of it. 46In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not
carry forth any of the flesh outside the house; and you shall not break a
bone of it. 47All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48And when a
stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD,
let all his males be circumcised, then he may come near and keep it; he
shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
49There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns
among you.”
50 Thus did all the sons of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and
Aaron, so they did. 51And on that very day the LORD brought the sons of
Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.
13 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the first-born;
whatever is the first to open the womb among the sons of Israel, both of
man and of beast, is mine.”
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
3 And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came
out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by strength of hand the
LORD brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten.
4This day you are to go forth, in the month of Abib. 5And when the LORD
brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Am'orites, the
Hi'vites, and the Jeb'usites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a
land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.
6Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there
shall be a feast to the LORD. 7Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven
days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen
with you in all your territory. 8And you shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is
because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9And it
shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your
eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand
the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 10You shall therefore keep this
ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.
The Consecration of First-born Males
11 “And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he
swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12you shall set apart
to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstlings of your cattle
that are males shall be the LORD’s. 13Every firstling of a donkey you shall
redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck.
Every first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14And when in
time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to
him, ‘By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house
of bondage. 15For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD
slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and
the first-born of cattle. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that
first open the womb; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.’ 16It shall be
as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes; for by a strong hand
the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”
The Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the
land of the Philis'tines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest the
people repent when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18But God led the
people round by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the
sons of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19And
Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for Joseph had solemnly sworn
the sons of Israel, saying, “God will visit you; then you must carry my
bones with you from here.” 20And they moved on from Succoth, and
encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21And the LORD went
before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by
night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and
by night; 22the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not
depart from before the people.
Crossing the Red Sea
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Tell the sons of Israel to turn back
and encamp in front of Piha-hi'roth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of
Ba'al-ze'phon; you shall encamp over against it, by the sea. 3For Pharaoh
will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are entangled in the land; the wilderness
has shut them in.’ 4And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue
them and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host; and the Egyptians
shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of
Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said,
“What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
6So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7and took six
hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers
over all of them. 8And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of
Egypt and he pursued the sons of Israel as they went forth defiantly. 9The
Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen
and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Piha-hi'roth, in
front of Ba'al-ze'phon.
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and
behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were in great
fear. And the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD; 11and they said to Moses,
“Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to
die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, in bringing us out of
Egypt? 12Is not this what we said to you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us
serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the
Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13And Moses said to the people,
“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work
for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see
again. 14The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be still.” 15The
LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the sons of Israel to go
forward. 16Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and
divide it, that the sons of Israel may go on dry ground through the sea.
17And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after
them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his
horsemen. 18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have
gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 Then the angel of God who went before the host of Israel moved and
went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and
stood behind them, 20coming between the host of Egypt and the host of
Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness; and the night passedp
without one coming near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD drove the
sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the
waters were divided. 22And the sons of Israel went into the midst of the sea
on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on
their left. 23The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of
the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24And in the
morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down upon
the host of the Egyptians, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians,
25cloggingq their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily; and the
Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel; for the LORD fights for them
against the Egyptians.”
The Egyptians Drown in the Sea
26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that
the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon
their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the
sea returned to its usual flow when the morning appeared; and the
Egyptians fled into it, and the LORD routedr the Egyptians in the midst of
the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen
and all the hosts of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not so
much as one of them remained. 29But the sons of Israel walked on dry
ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand
and on their left.
30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians;
and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. 31And Israel saw the
great work which the LORD did against the Egyptians, and the people feared
the LORD; and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.
The Songs of Moses and Miriam
15 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD,
saying,
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his ridert he has thrown into the sea.
2The Lord is my strength and my song,
I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’
10You blew with your wind, the sea covered them;
they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
11“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
terrible in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
12You stretched out your right hand,
the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode,
the sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands have established.
18The LORD will reign for ever and ever.”
19 For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen
went into the sea, the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them;
but the sons of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20Then
Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and
all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing. 21And Miriam
sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Bitter Water Is Made Sweet
22 Then Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went into the
wilderness of Shur; they went three days in the wilderness and found no
water. 23When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah
because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.u 24And the people
murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25And he cried to
the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, and he threw it into the water,
and the water became sweet.
There the LORDv made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he
tested them, 26saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD
your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give heed to his
commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases
upon you which I put upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD, your healer.”
27 Then they came to E'lim, where there were twelve springs of water and
you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I
may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5On the sixth day,
when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they
gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At
evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the
land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD,
because he has heard your murmurings against the LORD. For what are we,
that you murmur against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you
in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the
LORD has heard your murmurings which you murmur against him—what
are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD.”
9 And Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the sons of
Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your murmurings.’ ”
10And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, they
looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared
in the cloud. 11And the LORD said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the
murmurings of the sons of Israel; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat
flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall
know that I am the LORD your God.’ ”
13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the
morning dew lay round about the camp. 14And when the dew had gone up,
there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as
hoarfrost on the ground.* 15When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one
another, “What is it?”w For they did not know what it was. And Moses said
to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16This is what
the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, every man of you, as much as he
can eat; you shall take an omer apiece, according to the number of the
persons whom each of you has in his tent.’ ” 17And the sons of Israel did so;
they gathered, some more, some less. 18But when they measured it with an
omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little
had no lack; each gathered according to what he could eat. 19And Moses
said to them, “Let no man leave any of it till the morning.” 20But they did
not listen to Moses; some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms
and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21Morning by morning
they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it
melted.
22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers apiece;
and when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23he said
to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of
solemn rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil
what you will boil, and all that is left over lay by to be kept till the
morning.' " 24So they laid it by till the morning, as Moses bade them; and it
did not become foul, and there were no worms in it. 25Moses said, “Eat it
today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the
field. 26Six days you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a
sabbath, there will be none.” 27On the seventh day some of the people went
out to gather, and they found none. 28And the LORD said to Moses, “How
long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29See! The
LORD has given you the sabbath, therefore on the sixth day he gives you
bread for two days; remain every man of you in his place, let no man go out
of his place on the seventh day.” 30So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 Now the house of Israel called its name manna; it was like coriander
seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32And
Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be
kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I
fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ”
33And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it,
and place it before the LORD, to be kept throughout your generations.” 34As
the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the covenant, to be
kept. 35And the sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a
habitable land; they ate the manna, till they came to the border of the land
of Canaan. 36(An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)
Water from the Rock
17 All the congregation of the sons of Israel moved on from the
wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD,
and camped at Reph'idim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
2Therefore the people found fault with Moses, and said, “Give us water to
drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you find fault with me? Why do
you put the LORD to the test?” 3But the people thirsted there for water, and
the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why did you bring us up
out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” 4So
Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are
almost ready to stone me.” 5And the LORD said to Moses, “Pass on before
the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your
hand the rod with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6Behold, I will stand
before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and
water shall come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so, in
the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the name of the place
Massahx and Mer'ibah,y because of the fault-finding of the sons of Israel,
and because they put the LORD to the test by saying, “Is the LORD among us
or not?”
Amalek Attacks Israel and Is Defeated
8 Then came Am'alek and fought with Israel at Reph'idim. 9And Moses
said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Am'alek;
tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my
hand.” 10So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Am'alek; and
Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11Whenever Moses
held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand,
Am'alek prevailed. 12But Moses’ hands grew weary; so they took a stone
and put it under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his
hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were
steady until the going down of the sun. 13And Joshua mowed down Am'alek
and his people with the edge of the sword.
14 And the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and
recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of
Am'alek from under heaven.” 15And Moses built an altar and called the
name of it, The LORD is my banner, 16saying, “A hand upon the banner of
the LORD! z The LORD will have war with Am'alek from generation to
generation.”
Jethro’s Counsel to Moses
18 Jethro, the priest of Mid'ian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that
God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had
brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken
Zippo'rah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away, 3and her two sons, of
whom the name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a
sojournera in a foreign land”), 4and the name of the other, Elie'zer b (for he
said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword
of Pharaoh”). 5And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his
wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of
God. 6And when one told Moses, “Behold,c your father-in-law Jethro is
coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7Moses went out
to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance and kissed him; and they asked
each other of their welfare, and went into the tent. 8Then Moses told his
father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for
Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how
the LORD had delivered them. 9And Jethro rejoiced for all the good which
the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand
of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of
the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh. 11Now I know
that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from
under the hand of the Egyptians,d when they dealt arrogantly with them.”
12And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, offerede a burnt offering and sacrifices
to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with
Moses’ father-in-law before God.
13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about
Moses from morning till evening. 14When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that
he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the
people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand about you from
morning till evening?” 15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the
people come to me to inquire of God; 16when they have a dispute, they
come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them
know the statutes of God and his decisions.” 17Moses’ father-in-law said to
him, “What you are doing is not good. 18You and the people with you will
wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to
perform it alone. 19Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and
God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their
cases to God; 20and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and
make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.
21Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God, men
who are trustworthy and who hate a bribe; and place such men over the
people as rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22And let
them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to
you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves; so it will be easier
for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23If you do this, and God
so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people also
will go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he
had said. 25Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads
over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
26And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to
Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27Then Moses let his
father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own country.
The Israelites Reach Mount Sinai
19 On the third new moon after the sons of Israel had gone forth out of
the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2And
when they set out from Reph'idim and came into the wilderness of Sinai,
they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the
mountain. 3And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him out of
the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the
sons of Israel: * 4You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore
you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you
will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession
among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, 6and you shall be to me a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall
speak to the children of Israel.”
7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them
all these words which the LORD had commanded him. 8And all the people
answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.”
And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD. 9And the LORD
said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people
may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you for ever.”
Then Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. 10And the LORD
said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow,
and let them wash their garments, 11and be ready by the third day; for on the
third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the
people. 12And you shall set bounds for the people round about, saying,
‘Take heed that you do not go up into the mountain or touch the border of it;
whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death; 13no hand shall touch
him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’
When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”
14So Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and consecrated
the people; and they washed their garments. 15And he said to the people,
“Be ready by the third day; do not go near a woman.”
God Speaks to Moses on the Mountain
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, and a
thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the
people who were in the camp trembled. 17Then Moses brought the people
out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the
mountain. 18And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD
descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a
kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19And as the sound of the
trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in
thunder. 20And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the
mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and
Moses went up. 21And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down and warn the
people, lest they break through to the LORD to gaze and many of them
perish. 22And also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate
themselves, lest the LORD break out upon them.” 23And Moses said to the
LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for you yourself
charged us, saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain, and consecrate it.’ ”
24And the LORD said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with
you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to
the LORD, lest he break out against them.” 25So Moses went down to the
people and told them.
The Ten Commandments
20 And God spoke all these words, saying,*
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of
will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor,
and do all your work; 10but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your
God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter,
your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who
is within your gates; 11for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the
sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD
blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the
the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid
and trembled; and they stood afar off, 19and said to Moses, “You speak to
us, and we will hear; but let not God speak to us, lest we die.” 20And Moses
said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that the
fear of him may be before your eyes, that you may not sin.”
God Gives Moses Laws about Sacrifice
21 And the people stood afar off, while Moses drew near to the thick
darkness where God was. 22And the LORD said to Moses, “Thus you shall
say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked
with you from heaven. 23You shall not make gods of silver to be with me,
nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24An altar of earth you
shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace
offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause my name
to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. 25And if you make me
an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones; for if you wield your
tool upon it you profane it. 26And you shall not go up by steps to my altar,
that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’
Laws concerning Slaves
21 “Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.
2When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh
he shall go out free, for nothing. 3If he comes in single, he shall go out
single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4If his
master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and
her children shall be her master’s and he shall go out alone. 5But if the slave
plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out
free,’ 6then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the
door or the doorpost; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl;
and he shall serve him for life.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the
male slaves do. 8If she does not please her master, who has designated her g
for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed; he shall have no right to sell
her to a foreign people, since he has dealt faithlessly with her. 9If he
designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10If he
takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing,
or her marital rights. 11And if he does not do these three things for her, she
shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
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Laws concerning Violence and Harm
12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. 13But if he
did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will
appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14But if a man willfully
attacks another to kill him treacherously, you shall take him from my altar,
that he may die.
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
16 “Whoever steals a man, whether he sells him or is found in possession
fist and the man does not die but keeps his bed, 19then if the man rises again
and walks abroad with his staff, he that struck him shall be clear; only he
shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.
20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave
dies under his hand, he shall be punished. 21But if the slave survives a day
or two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money.
22 “When men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that there
is a miscarriage, and yet no harm follows, the one who hurt her shallh be
fined, according as the woman’s husband shall lay upon him; and he shall
pay as the judges determine. 23If any harm follows, then you shall give life
for life, 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn
for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys
it, he shall let the slave go free for the eye’s sake. 27If he knocks out the
tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free for the
tooth’s sake.
28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned,
and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be clear. 29But
if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been
warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be
stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30If a ransom is laid on him,
then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid upon him.
31If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this
same rule. 32If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to
their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 “When a man leaves a pit open, or when a man digs a pit and does not
cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34the owner of the pit shall
make it good; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be
his.
35 “When one man’s ox hurts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell
the live ox and divide the price of it; and the dead beast also they shall
divide. 36Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the
past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall pay ox for ox, and the dead
beast shall be his.
Laws of Restitution
22i “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall pay
five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.j He shall make restitution;
if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4If the stolen beast is
found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he
shall pay double.
2k “If a thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall
be no bloodguilt for him; 3but if the sun has risen upon him, there shall be
bloodguilt for him.
5 “When a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his
beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution
from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.
6 “When fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or
the standing grain or the field is consumed, he that kindled the fire shall
make full restitution.
7 “If a man delivers to his neighbor money or goods to keep, and it is
stolen out of the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay
double. 8If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to
God, to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s goods.
9 “For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for
clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the
case of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn
shall pay double to his neighbor.
10 “If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any
beast to keep, and it dies or is hurt or is driven away, without any one
seeing it, 11an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether
he has not put his hand to his neighbor’s property; and the owner shall
accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. 12But if it is stolen from
him, he shall make restitution to its owner. 13If it is torn by beasts, let him
bring it as evidence; he shall not make restitution for what has been torn.
14 “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is hurt or dies, the
owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. 15If the owner was
with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hire.l
Social and Religious Laws
16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he
shall give the marriage present for her, and make her his wife. 17If her father
utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equivalent to the
marriage present for virgins.
18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
19 “Whoever lies with a beast shall be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, save to the LORD only, shall be utterly
destroyed.
21 “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers
in the land of Egypt. 22You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. 23If you
do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry; 24and my
wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall
become widows and your children fatherless.
25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall
not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26If
ever you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him
before the sun goes down; 27for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for
his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I
am compassionate.
28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
29 “You shall not delay to offer from the fulness of your harvest and from
the outflow of your presses.
“The first-born of your sons you shall give to me. 30You shall do likewise
with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its dam; on
the eighth day you shall give it to me.
31 “You shall be men consecrated to me; therefore you shall not eat any
flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall cast it to the dogs.
Laws concerning Justice
23 “You shall not utter a false report. You shall not join hands with a
wicked man, to be a malicious witness. 2You shall not follow a multitude to
do evil; nor shall you bear witness in a suit, turning aside after a multitude,
so as to pervert justice; 3nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his suit.
4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring
it back to him. 5If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its
burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it, you shall help him to lift
it up.m
6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his suit. 7Keep far
from a false charge, and do not slay the innocent and righteous, for I will
not acquit the wicked. 8And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the
officials, and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.
9 “You shall not oppress a stranger; you know the heart of a stranger, for
seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people
may eat; and what they leave the wild beasts may eat. You shall do likewise
with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.
12 “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest;
that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your
maidservant, and the alien, may be refreshed. 13Take heed to all that I have
said to you; and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let such
be heard out of your mouth.
Annual Feasts
14 “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. 15You shall keep
bring you to the place which I have prepared. 21Give heed to him and listen
to his voice, do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your
transgression; for my name is in him.
22 “But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will
increased and possess the land. 31And I will set your bounds from the Red
Sea to the sea of the Philis'tines, and from the wilderness to the Euphra'tes;
for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall
drive them out before you. 32You shall make no covenant with them or with
their gods. 33They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin
against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
The Blood of the Covenant
24 And he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron,
Na'dab, and Abi'hu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship afar off.
2Moses alone shall come near to the LORD; but the others shall not come
ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the
words which the LORD has spoken we will do.” 4And Moses wrote all the
words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at
the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes
of Israel. 5And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, who offered burnt
offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. 6And Moses
took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw
against the altar. 7Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the
hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will
do, and we will be obedient.” 8And Moses took the blood and threw it upon
the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant which the LORD has
made with you in accordance with all these words.”
On the Mountain of God
9 Then Moses and Aaron, Na'dab, and Abi'hu, and seventy of the elders of
Israel went up, 10and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his
feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for
clearness. 11And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of
Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.
12 The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait
there; and I will give you the tables of stone, with the law and the
commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13So Moses rose
with his servant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.
14And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again;
and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a cause, let him go
to them.”
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the
mountain. 16The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud
covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the
midst of the cloud. 17Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like
a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the sons of Israel.
18And Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. And Moses
was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Offerings for the Tabernacle
25 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, that they
take for me an offering; from every man whose heart makes him willing
you shall receive the offering for me. 3And this is the offering which you
shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4blue and purple and
scarlet stuff and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5tanned rams’ skins,
goatskins, acacia wood, 6oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and
for the fragrant incense, 7onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod
and for the breastpiece. 8And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may
dwell in their midst. 9According to all that I show you concerning the
pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
The Ark of the Covenant
10 “They shall make an ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half shall be
its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.
11And you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you
overlay it, and you shall make upon it a molding of gold round about. 12And
you shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two
rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13You shall
make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14And you shall
put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark by them.
15The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from
it. 16And you shall put into the ark the covenant which I shall give you.
17Then you shall make a mercy seat o of pure gold; two cubits and a half
shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18And you shall make
two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two
ends of the mercy seat. 19Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub
on the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the
cherubim on its two ends. 20The cherubim shall spread out their wings
above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to
another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21And
you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark; and in the ark you shall
put the covenant that I shall give you. 22There I will meet with you, and
from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon
the ark of the covenant, I will speak with you of all that I will give you in
commandment for the sons of Israel.
The Table for the Bread of the Presence
23 “And you shall make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its
length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24You shall
overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold around it. 25And you
shall make around it a frame a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold
around the frame. 26And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten
the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27Close to the frame the rings
shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28You shall make the
poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be
carried with these. 29And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense,
and its flagons and bowls with which to pour libations; of pure gold you
shall make them. 30And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table
before me always.
The Lampstand
31 “And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft
of the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its capitals, and
its flowers shall be of one piece with it; 32and there shall be six branches
going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it
and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33three cups
made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on one branch, and three
cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on the other branch
—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand; 34and on the
lampstand itself four cups made like almonds, with their capitals and
flowers, 35and a capital of one piece with it under each pair of the six
branches going out from the lampstand. 36Their capitals and their branches
shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it one piece of hammered work of
pure gold. 37And you shall make the seven lamps for it; and the lamps shall
be set up so as to give light upon the space in front of it. 38Its snuffers and
their trays shall be of pure gold. 39Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made,
with all these utensils. 40And see that you make them after the pattern for
them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
The Tabernacle
26 “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine
twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet stuff; with cherubim skilfully
worked shall you make them. 2The length of each curtain shall be twenty-
eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains
shall have one measure. 3Five curtains shall be coupled to one another; and
the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. 4And you shall make
loops of blue on the edge of the outmost curtain in the first set; and likewise
you shall make loops on the edge of the outmost curtain in the second set.
5Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall
make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be
opposite one another. 6And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple
the curtains one to the other with the clasps, that the tabernacle may be one
whole.
7 “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the
tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. 8The length of each curtain shall
be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; the eleven
curtains shall have the same measure. 9And you shall couple five curtains
by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you
shall double over at the front of the tent. 10And you shall make fifty loops
on the edge of the curtain that is outmost in one set, and fifty loops on the
edge of the curtain which is outmost in the second set.
11 “And you shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the
loops, and couple the tent together that it may be one whole. 12And the part
that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall
hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13And the cubit on the one side, and
the cubit on the other side, of what remains in the length of the curtains of
the tent shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that
side, to cover it. 14And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned
rams’ skins and goatskins.
The Framework
15 “And you shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood.
16Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the
breadth of each frame. 17There shall be two tenons in each frame, for fitting
together; so shall you do for all the frames of the tabernacle. 18You shall
make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; 19and
forty bases of silver you shall make under the twenty frames, two bases
under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under another frame for
its two tenons; 20and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side
twenty frames, 21and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame,
and two bases under another frame; 22and for the rear of the tabernacle
westward you shall make six frames. 23And you shall make two frames for
corners of the tabernacle in the rear; 24they shall be separate beneath, but
joined at the top, at the first ring; thus shall it be with both of them; they
shall form the two corners. 25And there shall be eight frames, with their
bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one frame, and two bases
under another frame.
26 “And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one
side of the tabernacle, 27and five bars for the frames of the other side of the
tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the
rear westward. 28The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall pass through
from end to end. 29You shall overlay the frames with gold, and shall make
their rings of gold for holders for the bars; and you shall overlay the bars
with gold. 30And you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it
which has been shown you on the mountain.
The Veil and the Screen
31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine
twined linen; in skilled work shall it be made, with cherubim; 32and you
shall hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of
gold, upon four bases of silver. 33And you shall hang the veil from the
clasps, and bring the ark of the covenant in there within the veil; and the
veil shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy. 34You shall
put the mercy seat upon the ark of the covenant in the most holy place.
35And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the
south side of the tabernacle opposite the table; and you shall put the table
on the north side.
36 “And you shall make a screen for the door of the tent, of blue and
purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen, embroidered with
needlework. 37And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and
overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five
bases of bronze for them.
The Altar of Burnt Offering
27 “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five
cubits broad; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits.
2And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of
one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3You shall make pots
for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and firepans; all
its utensils you shall make of bronze. 4You shall also make for it a grating, a
network of bronze; and upon the net you shall make four bronze rings at its
four corners. 5And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net
shall extend half way down the altar. 6And you shall make poles for the
altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze; 7and the poles
shall be put through the rings, so that the poles shall be upon the two sides
of the altar, when it is carried. 8You shall make it hollow, with boards; as it
has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.
The Court and Its Hangings
9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court
shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side;
10their pillars shall be twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the
hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11And likewise for its
length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, their
pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars
and their fillets shall be of silver. 12And for the breadth of the court on the
west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten
bases. 13The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits.
14The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with three
pillars and three bases. 15On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen
cubits, with three pillars and three bases. 16For the gate of the court there
shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and
fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework; it shall have four pillars
and with them four bases. 17All the pillars around the court shall be filleted
with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 18The
length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the
height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze.
19All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the
twined linen. 6And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple
and scarlet stuff, and of fine twined linen, skilfully worked. 7It shall have
two shoulder-pieces attached to its two edges, that it may be joined together.
8And the skilfully woven band upon it, to belt it on, shall be of the same
workmanship and materials, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet stuff, and
fine twined linen. 9And you shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on
them the names of the sons of Israel, 10six of their names on the one stone,
and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their
birth. 11As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones
with the names of the sons of Israel; you shall enclose them in settings of
gold filigree. 12And you shall set the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of
the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel; and Aaron shall
bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for remembrance.
13And you shall make settings of gold filigree, 14and two chains of pure
gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the
settings.
The Breastpiece of Judgment
15 “And you shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work; like
the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, blue and purple and
scarlet stuff, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16It shall be square and
double, a span its length and a span its breadth. 17And you shall set in it
four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first
row; 18and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19and the
third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20and the fourth row a beryl,
an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree. 21There shall be
twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel;
they shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.
22And you shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure
gold; 23and you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the
two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24And you shall put the two
cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece; 25the two ends
of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach
it in front to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. 26And you shall make two
rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside
edge next to the ephod. 27And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach
them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod, at its
joining above the skilfully woven band of the ephod. 28And they shall bind
the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that
it may lie upon the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the
breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29So Aaron shall bear the
names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment upon his heart,
when he goes into the holy place, to bring them to continual remembrance
before the LORD. 30And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the
U'rim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he
goes in before the LORD; thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the sons of
Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
The Robe of the Ephod
31 “And you shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32It shall have in
it an opening for the head, with a woven binding around the opening, like
the opening in a garment,p that it may not be torn. 33On its skirts you shall
make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet stuff, around its skirts,
with bells of gold between them, 34a golden bell and a pomegranate, a
golden bell and a pomegranate, round about on the skirts of the robe. 35And
it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when
he goes into the holy place before the LORD, and when he comes out, lest he
die.
Other Priestly Garments
36 “And you shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave on it, like the
engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37And you shall fasten it on the
turban by a lace of blue; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38It shall be
upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take upon himself any guilt
incurred in the holy offering which the sons of Israel hallow as their holy
gifts; it shall always be upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before
the LORD.
39 “And you shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you
shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered
with needlework.
40 “And for Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps; you
shall make them for glory and beauty. 41And you shall put them upon Aaron
your brother, and upon his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain
them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42And you
shall make for them linen breeches to cover their naked flesh; from the loins
to the thighs they shall reach; 43and they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his
sons, when they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the
altar to minister in the holy place; lest they bring guilt upon themselves and
die. This shall be a perpetual statute for him and for his descendants after
him.
The Ordination of Priests
29 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they
may serve me as priests. Take one young bull and two rams without
blemish, 2and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and
unleavened wafers spread with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour.
3And you shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and
bring the bull and the two rams. 4You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the
door of the tent of meeting, and wash them with water. 5And you shall take
the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the
ephod, and the breastpiece, and belt him with the skilfully woven band of
the ephod; 6and you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy crown
upon the turban. 7And you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his
head and anoint him. 8Then you shall bring his sons, and put coats on them,
9and you shall belt them with sashes q and bind caps on them; and the
sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the bull, 11and you shall kill the
bull before the LORD, at the door of the tent of meeting, 12and shall take part
of the blood of the bull and put it upon the horns of the altar with your
finger, and the rest of r the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar.
13And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage
of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them
upon the altar. 14But the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you
shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.
15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay
their hands upon the head of the ram, 16and you shall slaughter the ram, and
shall take its blood and throw it against the altar round about. 17Then you
shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them
with its pieces and its head, 18and burn the whole ram upon the altar; it is a
burnt offering to the LORD; it is a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the
LORD.
19 “You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their
hands upon the head of the ram, 20and you shall kill the ram, and take part
of its blood and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron and upon the
tips of the right ears of his sons, and upon the thumbs of their right hands,
and upon the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood
against the altar round about. 21Then you shall take part of the blood that is
on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron and his
garments, and upon his sons and his sons’ garments with him; and he and
his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.
22 “You shall also take the fat of the ram, and the fat tail, and the fat that
covers the entrails, and the appendage of the liver, and the two kidneys with
the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination),
23and one loaf of bread, and one cake of bread with oil, and one wafer, out
of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD; 24and you shall
put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and wave
them for a wave offering before the LORD. 25Then you shall take them from
their hands, and burn them on the altar in addition to the burnt offering, as a
pleasing odor before the LORD; it is an offering by fire to the LORD.
26 “And you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and
wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be your portion.
27And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of
the priests’ portion, which is waved, and which is offered from the ram of
ordination, since it is for Aaron and for his sons. 28It shall be for Aaron and
his sons as a perpetual debt from the sons of Israel, for it is the priests’
portion to be offered by the sons of Israel from their peace offerings; it is
their offering to the LORD.
29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be
anointed in them and ordained in them. 30The son who is priest in his place
shall wear them seven days, when he comes into the tent of meeting to
minister in the holy place.
31 “You shall take the ram of ordination, and boil its flesh in a holy place;
32and Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is
in the basket, at the door of the tent of meeting. 33They shall eat those
things with which atonement was made, to ordain and consecrate them, but
an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy. 34And if any of the
flesh for the ordination, or of the bread, remain until the morning, then you
shall burn the remainder with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have
commanded you; through seven days shall you ordain them, 36and every
day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall
offer a sin offering for the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall
anoint it, to consecrate it. 37Seven days you shall make atonement for the
altar, and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches
the altar shall become holy.
The Daily Offerings
38 “Now this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two lambs a year old
day by day continually. 39One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the
other lamb you shall offer in the evening; 40and with the first lamb a tenth
measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a
fourth of a hin of wine for a libation. 41And the other lamb you shall offer in
the evening, and shall offer with it a cereal offering and its libation, as in
the morning, for a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the LORD. 42It shall
be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the
tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak there
to you. 43There I will meet with the sons of Israel, and it shall be sanctified
by my glory; 44I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; Aaron
also and his sons I will consecrate, to serve me as priests. 45And I will dwell
among the sons of Israel, and will be their God. 46And they shall know that
I am the LORD their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt
that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God.
The Altar of Incense
30 “You shall make an altar to burn incense upon; of acacia wood shall
you make it. 2A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth; it shall be
square, and two cubits shall be its height; its horns shall be of one piece
with it. 3And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides round
about and its horns; and you shall make for it a molding of gold round
about. 4And two golden rings shall you make for it; under its molding on
two opposite sides of it shall you make them, and they shall be holders for
poles with which to carry it. 5You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and
overlay them with gold. 6And you shall put it before the veil that is by the
ark of the covenant, before the mercy seat that is over the covenant, where I
will meet with you. 7And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; every
morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8and when Aaron sets
up the lamps in the evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the
LORD throughout your generations. 9You shall offer no unholy incense
thereon, nor burnt offering, nor cereal offering; and you shall pour no
libation thereon. 10Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year;
with the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for
it once in the year throughout your generations; it is most holy to the
LORD.”
The Half Shekel for the Sanctuary
11 The LORD said to Moses, 12 “When you take the census of the sons of
Israel, then each shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD when you
number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
13Each who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel
according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a
shekel as an offering to the LORD. 14Every one who is numbered in the
census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD’s offering.
15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half
shekel, when you give the LORD’s offering to make atonement for
yourselves. 16And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of
Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tent of meeting; that it may
bring the sons of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make
atonement for yourselves.”
The Bronze Laver
17 The LORD said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze,
with its base of bronze, for washing. And you shall put it between the tent
of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19with which Aaron
and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20When they go into the
tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an
offering by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
21They shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die: it shall be a
statute for ever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their
generations.”
The Anointing Oil and Incense
22 Moreover, the LORD said to Moses, 23“Take the finest spices: of liquid
of olive oil a hin; 25and you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil
blended as by the perfumer; a holy anointing oil it shall be. 26And you shall
anoint with it the tent of meeting and the ark of the covenant, 27and the
table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of
incense, 28and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the laver
and its base; 29you shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy;
whatever touches them will become holy. 30And you shall anoint Aaron and
his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31And you
shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil
throughout your generations. 32It shall not be poured upon the bodies of
ordinary men, and you shall make no other like it in composition; it is holy,
and it shall be holy to you. 33Whoever compounds any like it or whoever
puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
34 And the LORD said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha,
and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be
an equal part), 35and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned
with salt, pure and holy; 36and you shall beat some of it very small, and put
part of it before the covenant in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with
you; it shall be for you most holy. 37And the incense which you shall make
according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves; it shall be
for you holy to the LORD. 38Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume
shall be cut off from his people.”
Bezalel and Oholiab
31 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bez'alel the
son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3and I have filled him with the
Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all
craftsmanship, 4to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and
bronze, 5in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in
every craft. 6And behold, I have appointed with him Oho'liab, the son of
Ahis'amach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have given to all able men ability,
that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7the tent of meeting,
and the ark of the covenant, and the mercy seat that is thereon, and all the
furnishings of the tent, 8the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand
with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, 9and the altar of burnt offering
with all its utensils, and the laver and its base, 10and the finely worked
garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his
sons, for their service as priests, 11and the anointing oil and the fragrant
incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you
they shall do.”
The Sabbath Law
12 And the LORD said to Moses, 13 “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You shall
keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your
generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. 14You shall
keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; every one who profanes it shall
be put to death; whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from
among his people. 15Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a
sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the
sabbath day shall be put to death. 16Therefore the sons of Israel shall keep
the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout their generations, as a
perpetual covenant. 17It is a sign for ever between me and the sons of Israel
that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he
rested, and was refreshed.’ ”
The Tables of the Covenant
18 And he gave to Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him
upon Mount Sinai, the two tables of the covenant, tables of stone, written
with the finger of God.
The Golden Calf
32 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the
mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to
him, “Up, make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man
who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has
become of him.” 2And Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold
which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and
bring them to me.” 3So all the people took off the rings of gold which were
in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4And he received the gold at their
hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made a molten calf; and they
said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of
Egypt!” 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made
proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” 6And they
rose up early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought peace
offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down; for your people, whom you
brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves; 8they have
turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have
made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to
it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the
land of Egypt!’ ” 9And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people,
and behold, it is a stiff-necked people; 10now therefore let me alone, that my
wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; but of you I will
make a great nation.”
11 But Moses begged the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does
your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought forth out
of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12Why
should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent he brought them forth, to slay
them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’?
Turn from your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against your people.
13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore
by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the
stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your
descendants, and they shall inherit it for ever.’ ” 14And the LORD repented of
the evil which he thought to do to his people.
15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mountain with the two
tables of the covenant in his hands, tables that were written on both sides;
on the one side and on the other were they written. 16And the tables were
the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the
tables. 17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said
to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18But he said, “It is not the
sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the
sound of singing that I hear.” 19And as soon as he came near the camp and
saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the
tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20And he
took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to
powder, and scattered it upon the water, and made the sons of Israel drink it.
21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you
have brought a great sin upon them?” 22And Aaron said, “Let not the anger
of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are set on evil. 23For
they said to me, ‘Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses,
the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what
has become of him.’ 24And I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it
off’; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and there came out
this calf.”
25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had
let them break loose, to their shame among their enemies), 26then Moses
stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come
to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
27And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put every man
his sword on his side, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout
the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion,
and every man his neighbor.’ ” 28And the sons of Levi did according to the
word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand
men. 29And Moses said, “Today you have ordained yourselvess for the
service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, that
he may bestow a blessing upon you this day.”
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin.
And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your
sin.” 31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people have
sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold. 32But now,
if you will forgive their sin—and if not, blot me, I beg you, out of your
book which you have written.” 33But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever
has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 34But now go, lead
the people to the place of which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel
shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their
sin upon them.”
35 And the LORD sent a plague upon the people, because they made the
on his ornaments. 5For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of
Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up
among you, I would consume you. So now put off your ornaments from
you, that I may know what to do with you.’ ” 6Therefore the sons of Israel
stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
The Tent of Meeting
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off
from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And every one who
sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the
camp. 8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up, and
every man stood at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he had gone
into the tent. 9When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would
descend and stand at the door of the tent, and the LORD would speak with
Moses. 10And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the
door of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, every man at his
tent door. 11Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man
speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his servant
Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent.
Moses’ Intercession
12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people’;
but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have
said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’
13Now therefore, I beg you, if I have found favor in your sight, show me
now your ways, that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider
too that this nation is your people.” 14And he said, “My presence will go
with you, and I will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, “If your presence
will not go with me, do not carry us up from here. 16For how shall it be
known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in
your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from all other
people that are upon the face of the earth?”
17 And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I
will do; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
18Moses said, “I beg you, show me your glory.” 19And he said, “I will make
all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name
‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will
show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see
my face; for man shall not see me and live.” 21And the LORD said, “Behold,
there is a place by me where you shall stand upon the rock; 22and while my
glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you
with my hand until I have passed by; 23then I will take away my hand, and
you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
New Tables of Stone
34 The LORD said to Moses, “Cut two tables of stone like the first; and I
will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which you
broke. 2Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount
Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. 3No man
shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the
mountain; let no flocks or herds feed before that mountain.” 4So Moses cut
two tables of stone like the first; and he rose early in the morning and went
up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand
two tables of stone. 5And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with
him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6The LORD passed before
him, and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abounding in mercy and faithfulness, 7keeping merciful
love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who
will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth
generation.” 8And Moses made haste to bow his head toward the earth, and
worshiped. 9And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord,
let the Lord, I beg you, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked
people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your
inheritance.”
The Covenant Renewed
10 And he said, “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will
do marvels, such as have not been wrought in all the earth or in any nation;
and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD; for
it is a terrible thing that I will do with you.
11 “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before
you the Am'orites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Per'izzites, the Hi'vites,
and the Jeb'usites. 12Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with
the inhabitants of the land where you go, lest it become a snare in your
midst. 13You shall tear down their altars, and break their pillars, and cut
down their Ashe'rim 14(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD,
whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), 15lest you make a covenant with
the inhabitants of the land, and when they play the harlot after their gods
and sacrifice to their gods and one invites you, you eat of his sacrifice,
16and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters play the
harlot after their gods and make your sons play the harlot after their gods.
17 “You shall make for yourself no molten gods.
18 “The feast of unleavened bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat
redeem it you shall break its neck. All the first-born of your sons you shall
redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in
plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. 22And you shall observe the
feast of weeks, the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering
at the year’s end. 23Three times in the year shall all your males appear
before the LORD God, the God of Israel. 24For I will cast out nations before
you, and enlarge your borders; neither shall any man desire your land, when
you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.
25 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall
the sacrifice of the feast of the Passover be left until the morning. 26The
first of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the
LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.”
27 And the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words; in accordance with
these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28And he
was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread
nor drank water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant,
the ten commandments.t
The Shining Face of Moses
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tables of the
covenant in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not
know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.
30And when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of
his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called
to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him,
and Moses talked with them. 32And afterward all the sons of Israel came
near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with
him in Mount Sinai. 33And when Moses had finished speaking with them,
he put a veil on his face; 34but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to
speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and when he came
out, and told the sons of Israel what he was commanded, 35the sons of Israel
saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone; and Moses
would put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Sabbath Regulations
35 Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said
to them, “These are the things which the LORD has commanded you to do.
2Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy
sabbath of solemn rest to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be
put to death; 3you shall kindle no fire in all your habitations on the sabbath
day.”
Preparations for Making the Tabernacle
4 Moses said to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, “This is the thing
which the LORD has commanded. 5Take from among you an offering to the
LORD; whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s offering:
gold, silver, and bronze; 6blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined
linen; goats’ hair, 7tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, 8oil for
the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9and onyx
stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.
10 “And let every able man among you come and make all that the LORD
has commanded: the tabernacle, 11its tent and its covering, its hooks and its
frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12the ark with its poles, the mercy
seat, and the veil of the screen; 13the table with its poles and all its utensils,
and the bread of the Presence; 14the lampstand also for the light, with its
utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15and the altar of incense,
with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen
for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16the altar of burnt offering, with
its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the laver and its base;
17the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the
gate of the court; 18the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and
their cords; 19the finely wrought garments for ministering in the holy place,
the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for
their service as priests.”
Offerings Brought for the Tabernacle
20 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel departed from the
presence of Moses. 21And they came, every one whose heart stirred him,
and every one whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s offering to
be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy
garments. 22So they came, both men and women; all who were of a willing
heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts
of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the LORD.
23And every man with whom was found blue or purple or scarlet stuff or
fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins, brought them.
24Every one who could make an offering of silver or bronze brought it as
the LORD’s offering; and every man with whom was found acacia wood of
any use in the work, brought it. 25And all women who had ability spun with
their hands, and brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet
stuff and fine twined linen; 26all the women whose hearts were moved with
ability spun the goats’ hair. 27And the leaders brought onyx stones and
stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, 28and spices and oil
for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29All the
men and women, the sons of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring
anything for the work which the LORD had commanded by Moses to be
done, brought it as their freewill offering to the LORD.
Bezalel and Oholiab Receive the Offerings
30 And Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name
Bez'alel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31and he has filled
him with the Spirit of God, with ability, with intelligence, with knowledge,
and with all craftsmanship, 32to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and
silver and bronze, 33in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for
work in every skilled craft. 34And he has inspired him to teach, both him
and Oho'liab the son of Ahis'amach of the tribe of Dan. 35He has filled them
with ability to do every sort of work done by a craftsman or by a designer
or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined
linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled
36 designer. 1Bez'alel and Oho'liab and every able man in whom the
LORD has put ability and intelligence to know how to do any work in the
construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the
LORD has commanded.”
2 And Moses called Bez'alel and Oho'liab and every able man in whose
mind the LORD had put ability, every one whose heart stirred him up to
come to do the work; 3and they received from Moses all the freewill
offering which the sons of Israel had brought for doing the work on the
sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning,
4so that all the able men who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary
came, each from the task that he was doing, 5and said to Moses, “The
people bring much more than enough for doing the work which the LORD
has commanded us to do.” 6So Moses gave command, and word was
proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let neither man nor woman do anything
more for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from
bringing; 7for the stuff they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.
Construction of the Tabernacle
8 And all the able men among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten
curtains; they were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and
scarlet stuff, with cherubim skilfully worked. 9The length of each curtain
was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the
curtains had the same measure.
10 And he coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains
he coupled to one another. 11And he made loops of blue on the edge of the
outmost curtain of the first set; likewise he made them on the edge of the
outmost curtain of the second set; 12he made fifty loops on the one curtain,
and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second
set; the loops were opposite one another. 13And he made fifty clasps of
gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps; so the tabernacle
was one whole.
14 He also made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he
made eleven curtains. 15The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the
breadth of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains had the same
measure. 16He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by
themselves. 17And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outmost curtain of
the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain.
18And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it
might be one whole. 19And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams’
skins and goatskins.
20 Then he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood.
21Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of
each frame. 22Each frame had two tenons, for fitting together; he did this
for all the frames of the tabernacle. 23The frames for the tabernacle he made
thus: twenty frames for the south side; 24and he made forty bases of silver
under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and
two bases under another frame for its two tenons. 25And for the second side
of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames 26and their forty
bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under another
frame. 27And for the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames.
28And he made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29And
they were separate beneath, but joined at the top, at the first ring; he made
two of them thus, for the two corners. 30There were eight frames with their
bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases.
31 And he made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of
the tabernacle, 32and five bars for the frames of the other side of the
tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear
westward. 33And he made the middle bar to pass through from end to end
halfway up the frames. 34And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made
their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
35 And he made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine
twined linen; with cherubim skilfully worked he made it. 36And for it he
made four pillars of acacia, and overlaid them with gold; their hooks were
of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver. 37He also made a screen
for the door of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined
linen, embroidered with needlework; 38and its five pillars with their hooks.
He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases
were of bronze.
Making the Ark of the Covenant
37 Bez'alel made the ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half was its
length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 2And
he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a molding of
gold around it. 3And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four corners, two
rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. 4And he made poles of
acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, 5and put the poles into the rings
on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark. 6And he made a mercy seat of pure
gold; two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.
7And he made two cherubim of hammered gold; on the two ends of the
mercy seat he made them, 8one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on
the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim on its
two ends. 9The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the
mercy seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the
mercy seat were the faces of the cherubim.
Making the Table
10 He also made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a
cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height; 11and he overlaid it with
pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it. 12And he made around it a
frame a handbreadth wide, and made a molding of gold around the frame.
13He cast for it four rings of gold, and fastened the rings to the four corners
at its four legs. 14Close to the frame were the rings, as holders for the poles
to carry the table. 15He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table,
and overlaid them with gold. 16And he made the vessels of pure gold which
were to be upon the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls
and flagons with which to pour libations.
Making the Lampstand
17 He also made the lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the
lampstand were made of hammered work; its cups, its capitals, and its
flowers were of one piece with it. 18And there were six branches going out
of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three
branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 19three cups made like
almonds, each with capital and flower, on one branch, and three cups made
like almonds, each with capital and flower, on the other branch—so for the
six branches going out of the lampstand. 20And on the lampstand itself were
four cups made like almonds, with their capitals and flowers, 21and a capital
of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out of it.
22Their capitals and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it
was one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 23And he made its seven
lamps and its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. 24He made it and all its
utensils of a talent of pure gold.
Making the Altar of Incense
25 He made the altar of incense of acacia wood; its length was a cubit, and
its breadth was a cubit; it was square, and two cubits was its height; its
horns were of one piece with it. 26He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, and
its sides round about, and its horns; and he made a molding of gold round
about it, 27and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two
opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it. 28And he
made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
Making the Anointing Oil and Incense
29 He made the holy anointing oil also, and the pure fragrant incense,
of the ministering women who ministered at the door of the tent of meeting.
9 And he made the court; for the south side the hangings of the court were
of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; 10their pillars were twenty and their
bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of
silver. 11And for the north side a hundred cubits, their pillars twenty, their
bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of
silver. 12And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten,
and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
13And for the front to the east, fifty cubits. 14The hangings for one side of
the gate were fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three bases. 15And so for
the other side; on this hand and that hand by the gate of the court were
hangings of fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three bases. 16All the
hangings round about the court were of fine twined linen. 17And the bases
for the pillars were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets
were of silver; the overlaying of their capitals was also of silver, and all the
pillars of the court were filleted with silver. 18And the screen for the gate of
the court was embroidered with needlework in blue and purple and scarlet
stuff and fine twined linen; it was twenty cubits long and five cubits high in
its breadth, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19And their pillars
were four; their four bases were of bronze, their hooks of silver, and the
overlaying of their capitals and their fillets of silver. 20And all the pegs for
the tabernacle and for the court round about were of bronze.
Materials of the Tabernacle
21 This is the sum of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the
sanctuary, the gold from the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven
hundred and thirty shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 25And the silver
from those of the congregation who were numbered was a hundred talents
and a thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, by the shekel of the
sanctuary: 26a beka a head (that is, half a shekel, by the shekel of the
sanctuary), for every one who was numbered in the census, from twenty
years old and upward, for six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and
fifty men. 27The hundred talents of silver were for casting the bases of the
sanctuary, and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents,
a talent for a base. 28And of the thousand seven hundred and seventy-five
shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their capitals and made
fillets for them. 29And the bronze that was contributed was seventy talents,
and two thousand and four hundred shekels; 30with it he made the bases for
the door of the tent of meeting, the bronze altar and the bronze grating for it
and all the utensils of the altar, 31the bases round about the court, and the
bases of the gate of the court, all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs
round about the court.
Making the Priests’ Garments
39 And of the blue and purple and scarlet stuff they made finely
wrought garments, for ministering in the holy place; they made the holy
garments for Aaron; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet stuff, and
fine twined linen. 3And gold leaf was hammered out and cut into threads to
work into the blue and purple and the scarlet stuff, and into the fine twined
linen, in skilled design. 4They made for the ephod shoulder-pieces, joined to
it at its two edges. 5And the skilfully woven band upon it, to belt it on, was
of the same materials and workmanship, of gold, blue and purple and
scarlet stuff, and fine twined linen; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
6 The onyx stones were prepared, enclosed in settings of gold filigree and
engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons
of Israel. 7And he set them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones
of remembrance for the sons of Israel; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
8 He made the breastpiece, in skilled work, like the work of the ephod, of
gold, blue and purple and scarlet stuff, and fine twined linen. 9It was square;
the breastpiece was made double, a span its length and a span its breadth
when doubled. 10And they set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,
topaz, and carbuncle was the first row; 11and the second row, an emerald, a
sapphire, and a diamond; 12and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an
amethyst; 13and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper; they were
enclosed in settings of gold filigree. 14There were twelve stones with their
names according to the names of the sons of Israel; they were like signets,
each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 15And they made on the
breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold; 16and they made two
settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two
edges of the breastpiece; 17and they put the two cords of gold in the two
rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 18Two ends of the two cords they had
attached to the two settings of filigree; thus they attached it in front to the
shoulder-pieces of the ephod. 19Then they made two rings of gold, and put
them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod.
20And they made two rings of gold, and attached them in front to the lower
part of the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod, at its joining above the
skilfully woven band of the ephod. 21And they bound the breastpiece by its
rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it should lie upon
the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece should not
come loose from the ephod; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22 He also made the robe of the ephod woven all of blue; 23and the
opening of the robe in it was like the opening in a garment, with a binding
around the opening, that it might not be torn. 24On the skirts of the robe
they made pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine
twined linen. 25They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between
the pomegranates upon the skirts of the robe round about, between the
pomegranates; 26a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate round
about upon the skirts of the robe for ministering; as the LORD had
commanded Moses.
27 They also made the coats, woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons,
28and the turban of fine linen, and the caps of fine linen, and the linen
breeches of fine twined linen, 29and the sash of fine twined linen and of
blue and purple and scarlet stuff, embroidered with needlework; as the
LORD had commanded Moses.
30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon
and the sons of Israel had done according to all that the LORD had
commanded Moses; so had they done. 33And they brought the tabernacle to
Moses, the tent and all its utensils, its hooks, its frames, its bars, its pillars,
and its bases; 34the covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins, and the
veil of the screen; 35the ark of the covenant with its poles and the mercy
seat; 36the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 37the
lampstand of pure gold and its lamps with the lamps set and all its utensils,
and the oil for the light; 38the golden altar, the anointing oil and the fragrant
incense, and the screen for the door of the tent; 39the bronze altar, and its
grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver and its base; 40the
hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the screen for the gate of
the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the utensils for the service of the
tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41the finely worked garments for
ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and
the garments of his sons to serve as priests. 42According to all that the LORD
had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel had done all the work. 43And
Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had
commanded, so had they done it. And Moses blessed them.
Erection of the Tabernacle
40 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “On the first day of the first month you
shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3And you shall put in it the
ark of the covenant, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4And you
shall bring in the table, and set its arrangements in order; and you shall
bring in the lampstand, and set up its lamps. 5And you shall put the golden
altar for incense before the ark of the covenant, and set up the screen for the
door of the tabernacle. 6You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the
door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7and place the laver between
the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8And you shall set up
the court round about, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9Then you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that
is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture; and it shall become holy.
10You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and
consecrate the altar; and the altar shall be most holy. 11You shall also anoint
the laver and its base, and consecrate it. 12Then you shall bring Aaron and
his sons to the door of the tent of meeting, and shall wash them with water,
13and put upon Aaron the holy garments, and you shall anoint him and
consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14You shall bring his sons
also and put coats on them, 15and anoint them, as you anointed their father,
that they may serve me as priests: and their anointing shall admit them to a
perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
16 Thus did Moses; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he
did. 17And in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the
month, the tabernacle was erected. 18Moses erected the tabernacle; he laid
its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars;
19and he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent
over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20And he took the covenant
and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark, and set the mercy seat
above on the ark; 21and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up
the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the covenant; as the LORD had
commanded Moses. 22And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the
north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23and set the bread in order on
it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24And he put the
lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the
tabernacle, 25and set up the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD had
commanded Moses. 26And he put the golden altar in the tent of meeting
before the veil, 27and burnt fragrant incense upon it; as the LORD had
commanded Moses. 28And he put in place the screen for the door of the
tabernacle. 29And he set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the
tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and
the cereal offering; as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30And he set the
laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for
washing, 31with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands
and their feet; 32when they went into the tent of meeting, and when they
approached the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses. 33And
he erected the court round the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen
of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
The Cloud and the Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud * covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD
filled the tabernacle. 35And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting,
because the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the
tabernacle. 36Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken
up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would go onward; 37but if the
cloud was not taken up, then they did not go onward till the day that it was
taken up. 38For throughout all their journeys the cloud of the LORD was
upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the
house of Israel.
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Leviticus
Chapters
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LEVITICUS
Burnt Offerings
1 The LORD called Moses, and spoke to him from the tent of meeting,
saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, When any man of
you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of cattle
from the herd or from the flock.
3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male
without blemish; he shall offer it at the door of the tent of meeting, that he
may be accepted before the LORD; 4he shall lay his hand upon the head of
the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for
him. 5Then he shall kill the bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the
priests shall present the blood, and throw the blood round about against the
altar that is at the door of the tent of meeting. 6And he shall flay the burnt
offering and cut it into pieces; 7and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put
fire on the altar, and lay wood in order upon the fire; 8and Aaron’s sons the
priests shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood
that is on the fire upon the altar; 9but its entrails and its legs he shall wash
with water. And the priest shall burn the whole on the altar, as a burnt
offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD.
10 “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or
goats, he shall offer a male without blemish; 11and he shall kill it on the
north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall
throw its blood against the altar round about. 12And he shall cut it into
pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall lay them in order upon
the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; 13but the entrails and the legs he
shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on
the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the
LORD.
14 “If his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall
bring his offering of turtledoves or of young pigeons. 15And the priest shall
bring it to the altar and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its
blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar; 16and he shall take away
its crop with the feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the
place for ashes; 17he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it asunder.
And the priest shall burn it on the altar, upon the wood that is on the fire; it
is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD.
Cereal Offerings
2 “When any one brings a cereal offering as an offering to the LORD, his
offering shall be of fine flour; he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense
on it, 2and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a
handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense; and the priest
shall burn this as its memorial portion upon the altar, an offering by fire, a
pleasing odor to the LORD. 3And what is left of the cereal offering shall be
for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings by fire to the
LORD.
4 “When you bring a cereal offering baked in the oven as an offering, it
LORD; and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.
9And the priest shall take from the cereal offering its memorial portion and
burn this on the altar, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD.
10And what is left of the cereal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is
a most holy part of the offerings by fire to the LORD.
11 “No cereal offering which you bring to the LORD shall be made with
leaven; for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as an offering by fire to
the LORD. 12As an offering of first fruits you may bring them to the LORD,
but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing odor. 13You shall
season all your cereal offerings with salt; you shall not let the salt of the
covenant with your God be lacking from your cereal offering; with all your
offerings you shall offer salt.
14 “If you offer a cereal offering of first fruits to the LORD, you shall offer
for the cereal offering of your first fruits crushed new grain from fresh ears,
parched with fire. 15And you shall put oil upon it, and lay frankincense on
it; it is a cereal offering. 16And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion
part of the crushed grain and of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is an
offering by fire to the LORD.
Peace Offerings
3 “If a man’s offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an
animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish
before the LORD. 2And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering
and kill it at the door of the tent of meeting; and Aaron’s sons the priests
shall throw the blood against the altar round about. 3And from the sacrifice
of the peace offering, as an offering by fire to the LORD, he shall offer the
fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 4and the two
kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the
liver which he shall take away with the kidneys. 5Then Aaron’s sons shall
burn it on the altar upon the burnt offering, which is upon the wood on the
fire; it is an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD.
6 “If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the LORD is an animal
from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. 7If he
offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD, 8laying
his hand upon the head of his offering and killing it before the tent of
meeting; and Aaron’s sons shall throw its blood against the altar round
about. 9Then from the sacrifice of the peace offering as an offering by fire
to the LORD he shall offer its fat, the fat tail entire, taking it away close by
the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on
the entrails, 10and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins,
and the appendage of the liver which he shall take away with the kidneys.
11And the priest shall burn it on the altar as food offered by fire to the LORD.
12 “If his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD, 13and
lay his hand upon its head, and kill it before the tent of meeting; and the
sons of Aaron shall throw its blood against the altar round about. 14Then he
shall offer from it, as his offering for an offering by fire to the LORD, the fat
covering the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails, 15and the two
kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the
liver which he shall take away with the kidneys. 16And the priest shall burn
them on the altar as food offered by fire for a pleasing odor. All fat is the
LORD’s. 17It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, in all
your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.”
Sin Offerings
4 And the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the sons of Israel, If any one
sins unwittingly in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to
be done, and does any one of them, 3if it is the anointed priest who sins,
thus bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer for the sin which he has
committed a young bull without blemish to the LORD for a sin offering. 4He
shall bring the bull to the door of the tent of meeting before the LORD, and
lay his hand on the head of the bull, and kill the bull before the LORD. 5And
the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to
the tent of meeting; 6and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and
sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the LORD in front of the veil of
the sanctuary. 7And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of
the altar of fragrant incense before the LORD which is in the tent of meeting,
and the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar
of burnt offering which is at the door of the tent of meeting. 8And all the fat
of the bull of the sin offering he shall take from it, the fat that covers the
entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 9and the two kidneys with the
fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver which he shall
take away with the kidneys 10(just as these are taken from the ox of the
sacrifice of the peace offerings), and the priest shall burn them upon the
altar of burnt offering. 11But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, with its
head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung, 12the whole bull he shall carry forth
outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and shall
burn it on a fire of wood; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.
13 “If the whole congregation of Israel commits a sin unwittingly and the
thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the
things which the LORD has commanded not to be done and are guilty;
14when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly
shall offer a young bull for a sin offering and bring it before the tent of
meeting; 15and the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the
head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be killed before the
LORD. 16Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to
the tent of meeting, 17and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and
sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil. 18And he shall
put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is in the tent of
meeting before the LORD; and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the
base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the door of the tent of meeting.
19And all its fat he shall take from it and burn upon the altar. 20Thus shall he
do with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do
with this; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be
forgiven. 21And he shall carry forth the bull outside the camp, and burn it as
he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.
22 “When a ruler sins, doing unwittingly any one of all the things which
the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty, 23if the sin
which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his
offering a goat, a male without blemish, 24and shall lay his hand upon the
head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering
before the LORD; it is a sin offering. 25Then the priest shall take some of the
blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar
of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of
burnt offering. 26And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the
sacrifice of peace offerings; so the priest shall make atonement for him for
his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
27 “If any one of the common people sins unwittingly in doing any one of
the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,
28when the sin which he has committed is made known to him he shall
bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he
has committed. 29And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering,
and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. 30And the priest shall
take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of
burnt offering, and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.
31And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace
offerings, and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a pleasing odor to the
LORD; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be
forgiven.
32 “If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a
female without blemish, 33and lay his hand upon the head of the sin
offering, and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt
offering. 34Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering
with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and
pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. 35And all its fat he shall
remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace
offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, upon the offerings by fire
to the LORD; and the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which
he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
5 “If any one sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify and
though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet
does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity. 2Or if any one touches an unclean
thing, whether the carcass of an unclean beast or a carcass of unclean cattle
or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him, and he
has become unclean, he shall be guilty. 3Or if he touches human
uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one
becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it he
shall be guilty. 4Or if any one utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to
do good, any sort of rash oath that men swear, and it is hidden from him,
when he comes to know it he shall in any of these be guilty. 5When a man is
guilty in any of these, he shall confess the sin he has committed, 6and he
shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin which he has
committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering; and
the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.
7 “But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring, as his guilt offering
to the LORD for the sin which he has committed, two turtledoves or two
young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8He
shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin
offering; he shall wring its head from its neck, but shall not sever it, 9and he
shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar,
while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a
sin offering. 10Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according
to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin
which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
11 “But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he
shall bring, as his offering for the sin which he has committed, a tenth of an
ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, and shall
put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12And he shall bring it to
the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion
and burn this on the altar, upon the offerings by fire to the LORD; it is a sin
offering. 13Thus the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which
he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And
the remainder shall be for the priest, as in the cereal offering.”
Guilt Offerings
14 The LORD said to Moses, 15 “If any one commits a breach of faith and
sins unwittingly in any of the holy things of the LORD, he shall bring, as his
guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued by
you in shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; it is a guilt
offering. 16He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the
holy thing, and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest; and the priest
shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he
shall be forgiven.
17 “If any one sins, doing any of the things which the LORD has
commanded not to be done, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and
shall bear his iniquity. 18He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish
out of the flock, valued by you at the price for a guilt offering, and the priest
shall make atonement for him for the error which he committed unwittingly,
and he shall be forgiven. 19It is a guilt offering; he is guilty before the
LORD.”
6 a The LORD said to Moses, 2 “If any one sins and commits a breach of
faith against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or
security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor 3or has
found what was lost and lied about it, swearing falsely—in any of all the
things which men do and sin therein, 4when one has sinned and become
guilty, he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what he got by
oppression, or the deposit which was committed to him, or the lost thing
which he found, 5or anything about which he has sworn falsely; he shall
restore it in full, and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it
belongs, on the day of his guilt offering. 6And he shall bring to the priest his
guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued by
you at the price for a guilt offering; 7and the priest shall make atonement for
him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things which
one may do and thereby become guilty.”
The Law of Offerings
8b The LORD said to Moses, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This
is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth
upon the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be
kept burning on it. 10And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and put
his linen breeches upon his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which
the fire has consumed the burnt offering on the altar, and put them beside
the altar. 11Then he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments,
and carry forth the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12The fire on the
altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not go out; the priest shall burn
wood on it every morning, and he shall lay the burnt offering in order upon
it, and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13Fire shall be kept
burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out.
14 “And this is the law of the cereal offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer
it before the LORD, in front of the altar. 15And one shall take from it a
handful of the fine flour of the cereal offering with its oil and all the
frankincense which is on the cereal offering, and burn this as its memorial
portion on the altar, a pleasing odor to the LORD. 16And the rest of it Aaron
and his sons shall eat; it shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place; in the
court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17It shall not be baked with
leaven. I have given it as their portion of my offerings by fire; it is a thing
most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18Every male among
the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed for ever throughout your
generations, from the LORD’s offerings by fire; whoever touches them
shall become holy.”
19 The LORD said to Moses, 20 “This is the offering which Aaron and his
sons shall offer to the LORD on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an
ephah of fine flour as a regular cereal offering, half of it in the morning and
half in the evening. 21It shall be made with oil on a griddle; you shall bring
it well mixed, in baked c pieces like a cereal offering, and offer it for a
pleasing odor to the LORD. 22The priest from among Aaron’s sons, who is
anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the LORD as decreed for ever; the
whole of it shall be burned. 23Every cereal offering of a priest shall be
wholly burned; it shall not be eaten.”
24 The LORD said to Moses, 25 “Say to Aaron and his sons, This is the law
of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the
sin offering be killed before the LORD; it is most holy. 26The priest who
offers it for sin shall eat it; in a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of
the tent of meeting. 27Whatever d touches its flesh shall be holy; and when
any of its blood is sprinkled on a garment, you shall wash that on which it
was sprinkled in a holy place. 28And the earthen vessel in which it is boiled
shall be broken; but if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured,
and rinsed in water. 29Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most
holy. 30But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought
into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the holy place; it shall be
burned with fire.
7 “This is the law of the guilt offering. It is most holy; 2in the place
where they kill the burnt offering they shall kill the guilt offering, and its
blood shall be thrown on the altar round about. 3And all its fat shall be
offered, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, 4the two kidneys with the
fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver which he shall
take away with the kidneys; 5the priest shall burn them on the altar as an
offering by fire to the LORD; it is a guilt offering. 6Every male among the
priests may eat of it; it shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy. 7The
guilt offering is like the sin offering, there is one law for them; the priest
who makes atonement with it shall have it. 8And the priest who offers any
man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering
which he has offered. 9And every cereal offering baked in the oven and all
that is prepared on a pan or a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it.
10And every cereal offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be for all the sons
offer to the LORD. 12If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer
with the thank offering unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers
spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour well mixed with oil. 13With the
sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering
with cakes of leavened bread. 14And of such he shall offer one cake from
each offering, as an offering to the LORD; it shall belong to the priest who
throws the blood of the peace offerings. 15And the flesh of the sacrifice of
his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his
offering; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. 16But if the sacrifice
of his offering is a votive offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on
the day that he offers his sacrifice, and the next day what remains of it shall
be eaten, 17but what remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day
shall be burned with fire. 18If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace
offering is eaten on the third day, he who offers it shall not be accepted,
neither shall it be credited to him; it shall be an abomination, and he who
eats of it shall bear his iniquity.
19 “Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be
burned with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, 20but the person who eats
of the flesh of the sacrifice of the LORD’s peace offerings while an
uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. 21And if
any one touches an unclean thing, whether the uncleanness of man or an
unclean beast or any unclean abomination, and then eats of the flesh of the
sacrifice of the LORD’s peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from
his people.”
22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Say to the people of Israel, You shall eat
no fat, of ox, or sheep, or goat. 24The fat of an animal that dies of itself, and
the fat of one that is torn by beasts, may be put to any other use, but on no
account shall you eat it. 25For every person who eats of the fat of an animal
of which an offering by fire is made to the LORD shall be cut off from his
people. 26Moreover you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of
animal, in any of your dwellings. 27Whoever eats any blood, that person
shall be cut off from his people.”
28 The LORD said to Moses, 29 “Say to the sons of Israel, He that offers the
sacrifice of his peace offerings to the LORD shall bring his offering to the
LORD; from the sacrifice of his peace offerings 30he shall bring with his own
hands the offerings by fire to the LORD; he shall bring the fat with the
breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the LORD.
31The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron
and his sons. 32And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as an offering
from the sacrifice of your peace offerings; 33he among the sons of Aaron
who offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right
thigh for a portion. 34For the breast that is waved and the thigh that is
offered I have taken from the sons of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their
peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as
a perpetual debt from the sons of Israel. 35This is the portion of Aaron and
of his sons from the offerings made by fire to the LORD, consecrated to them
on the day they were presented to serve as priests of the LORD; 36the LORD
commanded this to be given them by the sons of Israel, on the day that they
were anointed; it is a perpetual debt throughout their generations.”
37 This is the law of the burnt offering, of the cereal offering, of the sin
has commanded to be done.” 6And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and
washed them with water. 7And he put on him the coat, and girded him with
the sash, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and
girded him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod, binding it to him
therewith. 8And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he
put the U'rim and the Thummim. 9And he set the turban upon his head, and
on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD
commanded Moses.
10 Then Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all
that was in it, and consecrated them. 11And he sprinkled some of it on the
altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the laver
and its base, to consecrate them. 12And he poured some of the anointing oil
on Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to consecrate him. 13And Moses
brought Aaron’s sons, and clothed them with coats, and girded them with
sashes, and bound caps on them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
14 Then he brought the bull of the sin offering; and Aaron and his sons laid
their hands upon the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15And Moses killed
it, and took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar
round about, and purified the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of
the altar, and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 16And he took all the
fat that was on the entrails, and the appendage of the liver, and the two
kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar. 17But the bull,
and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the
camp, as the LORD commanded Moses.
18 Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering; and Aaron and his sons
laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19And Moses killed it, and threw the
blood upon the altar round about. 20And when the ram was cut into pieces,
Moses burned the head and the pieces and the fat. 21And when the entrails
and the legs were washed with water, Moses burned the whole ram on the
altar, as a burnt offering, a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the LORD, as
the LORD commanded Moses.
22 Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination; and Aaron and
his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23And Moses killed it, and
took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear and on the
thumb of his right hand and on the great toe of his right foot. 24And Aaron’s
sons were brought, and Moses put some of the blood on the tips of their
right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of
their right feet; and Moses threw the blood upon the altar round about.
25Then he took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the
entrails, and the appendage of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat,
and the right thigh; 26and out of the basket of unleavened bread which was
before the LORD he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of bread with
oil, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh; 27and
he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and
waved them as a wave offering before the LORD. 28Then Moses took them
from their hands, and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering, as an
ordination offering, a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the LORD. 29And
Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD; it
was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, as the LORD commanded
Moses.
30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood which was
on the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron and his garments, and also upon
his sons and his sons’ garments; so he consecrated Aaron and his garments,
and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.
31 And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the door of the
tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of
ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat
it’; 32and what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn with fire.
33And you shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting for seven
days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven
days to ordain you. 34As has been done today, the LORD has commanded to
be done to make atonement for you. 35At the door of the tent of meeting
you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the LORD
has charged, lest you die; for so I am commanded.” 36And Aaron and his
sons did all the things which the LORD commanded by Moses.
Aaron’s Priesthood Inaugurated
9 On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of
Israel; 2and he said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf for a sin offering, and a ram
for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD.
3And say to the sons of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a
calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering, 4and
an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a
cereal offering mixed with oil; for today the LORD will appear to you.’ ”
5And they brought what Moses commanded before the tent of meeting; and
all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. 6And Moses
said, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded you to do; and the
glory of the LORD will appear to you.” 7Then Moses said to Aaron, “Draw
near to the altar, and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and
make atonement for yourself and for the people; and bring the offering of
the people, and make atonement for them; as the LORD has commanded.”
8 So Aaron drew near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering,
which was for himself. 9And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him,
and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and
poured out the blood at the base of the altar; 10but the fat and the kidneys
and the appendage of the liver from the sin offering he burned upon the
altar, as the LORD commanded Moses. 11The flesh and the skin he burned
with fire outside the camp.
12 And he killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered to him the
blood, and he threw it on the altar round about. 13And they delivered the
burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head; and he burned them
upon the altar. 14And he washed the entrails and the legs, and burned them
with the burnt offering on the altar.
15 Then he presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin
offering which was for the people, and killed it, and offered it for sin, like
the first sin offering. 16And he presented the burnt offering, and offered it
according to the ordinance. 17And he presented the cereal offering, and
filled his hand from it, and burned it upon the altar, besides the burnt
offering of the morning.
18 He killed the ox also and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings for
the people; and Aaron’s sons delivered to him the blood, which he threw
upon the altar round about, 19and the fat of the ox and of the ram, the fat
tail, and that which covers the entrails, and the kidneys, and the appendage
of the liver; 20and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned the fat
upon the altar, 21but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave
offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded.
22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them; and
he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the
peace offerings. 23And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting; and
when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD
appeared to all the people. 24And fire came forth from before the LORD and
consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar; and when all the
people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Nadab and Abihu
10 Now Na'dab and Abi'hu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer,
and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered unholy fire before the
LORD, such as he had not commanded them. 2And fire came forth from the
presence of the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said, ‘I will show
myself holy among those who are near me, and before all the people I will
be glorified.’ ” And Aaron held his peace.
4 And Moses called Mish'a-el and El'zaphan, the sons of Uz'ziel the uncle
of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brethren from before the
sanctuary out of the camp.” 5So they drew near, and carried them in their
coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. 6And Moses said to Aaron and to
Elea'zar and Ith'amar, his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang
loose, and do not rend your clothes, lest you die, and lest wrath come upon
all the congregation; but your brethren, the whole house of Israel, may
bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled. 7And do not go out from
the door of the tent of meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of the
LORD is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.
8 And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 “Drink no wine nor strong drink,
you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you
die; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations. 10You are to
distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and
the clean; 11and you are to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the
LORD has spoken to them by Moses.”
12 And Moses said to Aaron and to Elea'zar and Ith'amar, his sons who
were left, “Take the cereal offering that remains of the offerings by fire to
the LORD, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy; 13you
shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due, from
the offerings by fire to the LORD; for so I am commanded. 14But the breast
that is waved and the thigh that is offered you shall eat in any clean place,
you and your sons and your daughters with you; for they are given as your
due and your sons’ due, from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the
sons of Israel. 15The thigh that is offered and the breast that is waved they
shall bring with the offerings by fire of the fat, to wave for a wave offering
before the LORD, and it shall be yours, and your sons’ with you, as a debt
for ever; as the LORD has commanded.”
16 Now Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and
behold, it was burned! And he was angry with Elea'zar and Ith'amar, the
sons of Aaron who were left, saying, 17 “Why have you not eaten the sin
offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has
been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to
make atonement for them before the LORD? 18Behold, its blood was not
brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have
eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” 19And Aaron said to Moses,
“Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering
before the LORD; and yet such things as these have befallen me! If I had
eaten the sin offering today, would it have been acceptable in the sight of
the LORD?” 20And when Moses heard that, he was content.
Clean and Unclean Foods
11 * And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2“Say to the sons of Israel,
These are the living things which you may eat among all the beasts that are
on the earth. 3Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the
cud, among the animals, you may eat. 4Nevertheless among those that chew
the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it
chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. 5And the rock
badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to
you. 6And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is
unclean to you. 7And the swine, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-
footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. 8Of their flesh you
shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to
you.
9 “These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the
waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may
eat. 10But anything in the seas or the rivers that has not fins and scales, of
the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in
the waters, is an abomination to you. 11They shall remain an abomination to
you; of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall have in
abomination. 12Everything in the waters that has not fins and scales is an
abomination to you.
Unclean Creatures
13 “And these you shall have in abomination among the birds, they shall
not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey,
14the kite, the falcon according to its kind, 15every raven according to its
kind, 16the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk according to its
kind, 17the owl, the cormorant, the ibis, 18the water hen, the pelican, the
carrion vulture, 19the stork, the heron according to its kind, the hoopoe, and
the bat.
20 “All winged insects that go upon all fours are an abomination to you.
21Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those
which have legs above their feet, with which to leap on the earth. 22Of them
you may eat: the locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its
kind, the cricket according to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its
kind. 23But all other winged insects which have four feet are an
abomination to you.
24 “And by these you shall become unclean; whoever touches their carcass
shall be unclean until the evening, 25and whoever carries any part of their
carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 26Every
animal which parts the hoof but is not cloven-footed or does not chew the
cud is unclean to you; every one who touches them shall be unclean. 27And
all that go on their paws, among the animals that go on all fours, are
unclean to you; whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the
evening, 28and he who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes and be
unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.
29 “And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm
upon the earth: the weasel, the mouse, the great lizard according to its kind,
30the gecko, the land crocodile, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the
chameleon. 31These are unclean to you among all that swarm; whoever
touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening. 32And
anything upon which any of them falls when they are dead shall be unclean,
whether it is an article of wood or a garment or a skin or a sack, any vessel
that is used for any purpose; it must be put into water, and it shall be
unclean until the evening; then it shall be clean. 33And if any of them falls
into any earthen vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break
it. 34Any food in it which may be eaten, upon which water may come, shall
be unclean; and all drink which may be drunk from every such vessel shall
be unclean. 35And everything upon which any part of their carcass falls
shall be unclean; whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces; they
are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. 36Nevertheless a spring or a
cistern holding water shall be clean; but whatever touches their carcass shall
be unclean. 37And if any part of their carcass falls upon any seed for sowing
that is to be sown, it is clean; 38but if water is put on the seed and any part
of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.
39 “And if any animal of which you may eat dies, he who touches its
carcass shall be unclean until the evening, 40and he who eats of its carcass
shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; he also who carries
the carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.
41 “Every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth is an abomination; it
shall not be eaten. 42Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all
fours, or whatever has many feet, all the swarming things that swarm upon
the earth, you shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 43You shall not
make yourselves abominable with any swarming thing that swarms; and
you shall not defile yourselves with them, lest you become unclean. 44For I
am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I
am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that
crawls upon the earth. 45For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the
land of Egypt, to be your God; you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
46 This is the law pertaining to beast and bird and every living creature
that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms upon the
earth, 47to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and
between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that
may not be eaten.
Purification of Women
12 The LORD said to Moses, 2“Say to the sons of Israel, If a woman
conceives, and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as
at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3And on the eighth
day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4Then she shall continue
for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying; she shall not touch any
hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying
are completed. 5But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean
two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall continue in the blood of
her purifying for sixty-six days.
6 “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or
for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting
a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove
for a sin offering, 7and he shall offer it before the LORD, and make
atonement for her; then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This
is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. 8And if she
cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young
pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the
priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”
Skin Diseases
13 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2“When a man has on the skin
of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a leprous
disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest
or to one of his sons the priests, 3and the priest shall examine the diseased
spot on the skin of his body; and if the hair in the diseased spot has turned
white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a
leprous disease; when the priest has examined him he shall pronounce him
unclean. 4But if the spot is white in the skin of his body, and appears no
deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall
shut up the diseased person for seven days; 5and the priest shall examine
him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the
disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven
days more; 6and the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and
if the diseased spot is dim and the disease has not spread in the skin, then
the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption; and he shall
wash his clothes, and be clean. 7But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after
he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again
before the priest; 8and the priest shall make an examination, and if the
eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean;
it is leprosy.
9 “When a man is afflicted with leprosy, he shall be brought to the priest;
10and the priest shall make an examination, and if there is a white swelling
in the skin, which has turned the hair white, and there is quick raw flesh in
the swelling, 11it is a chronic leprosy in the skin of his body, and the priest
shall pronounce him unclean; he shall not shut him up, for he is unclean.
12And if the leprosy breaks out in the skin, so that the leprosy covers all the
skin of the diseased person from head to foot, so far as the priest can see,
13then the priest shall make an examination, and if the leprosy has covered
all his body, he shall pronounce him clean of the disease; it has all turned
white, and he is clean. 14But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be
unclean. 15And the priest shall examine the raw flesh, and pronounce him
unclean; raw flesh is unclean, for it is leprosy. 16But if the raw flesh turns
again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest, 17and the
priest shall examine him, and if the disease has turned white, then the priest
shall pronounce the diseased person clean; he is clean.
18 “And when there is in the skin of one’s body a boil that has healed,
19and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a reddish-
white spot, then it shall be shown to the priest; 20and the priest shall make
an examination, and if it appears deeper than the skin and its hair has turned
white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the disease of
leprosy, it has broken out in the boil. 21But if the priest examines it, and the
hair on it is not white and it is not deeper than the skin, but is dim, then the
priest shall shut him up seven days; 22and if it spreads in the skin, then the
priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is diseased. 23But if the spot remains
in one place and does not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest
shall pronounce him clean.
24 “Or, when the body has a burn on its skin and the raw flesh of the burn
becomes a spot, reddish-white or white, 25the priest shall examine it, and if
the hair in the spot has turned white and it appears deeper than the skin,
then it is leprosy; it has broken out in the burn, and the priest shall
pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease. 26But if the priest examines
it, and the hair in the spot is not white and it is no deeper than the skin, but
is dim, the priest shall shut him up seven days, 27and the priest shall
examine him the seventh day; if it is spreading in the skin, then the priest
shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease. 28But if the spot
remains in one place and does not spread in the skin, but is dim, it is a
swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean; for it is
the scar of the burn.
29 “When a man or woman has a disease on the head or the beard, 30the
priest shall examine the disease; and if it appears deeper than the skin, and
the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean;
it is an itch, a leprosy of the head or the beard. 31And if the priest examines
the itching disease, and it appears no deeper than the skin and there is no
black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up the person with the itching
disease for seven days, 32and on the seventh day the priest shall examine the
disease; and if the itch has not spread, and there is in it no yellow hair, and
the itch appears to be no deeper than the skin, 33then he shall shave himself,
but the itch he shall not shave; and the priest shall shut up the person with
the itching disease for seven days more; 34and on the seventh day the priest
shall examine the itch, and if the itch has not spread in the skin and it
appears to be no deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him
clean; and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 35But if the itch spreads
in the skin after his cleansing, 36then the priest shall examine him, and if the
itch has spread in the skin, the priest need not seek for the yellow hair; he is
unclean. 37But if in his eyes the itch is checked, and black hair has grown in
it, the itch is healed, he is clean; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
38 “When a man or a woman has spots on the skin of the body, white
spots, 39the priest shall make an examination, and if the spots on the skin of
the body are of a dull white, it is tetter that has broken out in the skin; he is
clean.
40 “If a man’s hair has fallen from his head, he is bald but he is clean.
41And if a man’s hair has fallen from his forehead and temples, he has
baldness of the forehead but he is clean. 42But if there is on the bald head or
the bald forehead a reddish-white diseased spot, it is leprosy breaking out
on his bald head or his bald forehead. 43Then the priest shall examine him,
and if the diseased swelling is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald
forehead, like the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the body, 44he is a
leprous man, he is unclean; the priest must pronounce him unclean; his
disease is on his head.
45 “The leper who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair
of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean,
unclean.’ 46He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is
unclean; he shall dwell alone in a habitation outside the camp.
47 “When there is a leprous disease in a garment, whether a woolen or a
spread in the garment, in warp or woof, or in the skin, whatever be the use
of the skin, the disease is a malignant leprosy; it is unclean. 52And he shall
burn the garment, whether diseased in warp or woof, woolen or linen, or
anything of skin, for it is a malignant leprosy; it shall be burned in the fire.
53 “And if the priest examines, and the disease has not spread in the
shall tear the spot out of the garment or the skin or the warp or woof; 57then
if it appears again in the garment, in warp or woof, or in anything of skin, it
is spreading; you shall burn with fire that in which is the disease. 58But the
garment, warp or woof, or anything of skin from which the disease departs
when you have washed it, shall then be washed a second time, and be
clean.”
59 This is the law for a leprous disease in a garment of wool or linen,
and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a cereal offering of three
tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil. 11And the
priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these
things before the LORD, at the door of the tent of meeting. 12And the priest
shall take one of the male lambs, and offer it for a guilt offering, along with
the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD; 13and he
shall kill the lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt
offering, in the holy place; for the guilt offering, like the sin offering,
belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14The priest shall take some of the
blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right
ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on
the great toe of his right foot. 15Then the priest shall take some of the log of
oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand, 16and dip his right finger
in the oil that is in his left hand, and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven
times before the LORD. 17And some of the oil that remains in his hand the
priest shall put on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and
on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, upon
the blood of the guilt offering; 18and the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s
hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. Then the priest
shall make atonement for him before the LORD. 19The priest shall offer the
sin offering, to make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his
uncleanness. And afterward he shall kill the burnt offering; 20and the priest
shall offer the burnt offering and the cereal offering on the altar. Thus the
priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
21 “But if he is poor and cannot afford so much, then he shall take one
male lamb for a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and
a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering, and a
log of oil; 22also two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he can
afford; the one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. 23And
on the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the
door of the tent of meeting, before the LORD; 24and the priest shall take the
lamb of the guilt offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them
for a wave offering before the LORD. 25And he shall kill the lamb of the
guilt offering; and the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt
offering, and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed,
and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot.
26And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left
hand; 27and shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his
left hand seven times before the LORD; 28and the priest shall put some of the
oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed,
and on the thumb of his right hand, and the great toe of his right foot, in the
place where the blood of the guilt offering was put; 29and the rest of the oil
that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be
cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. 30And he shall offer,
of the turtledoves or young pigeons such as he can afford, 31one x for a sin
offering and the other for a burnt offering, along with a cereal offering; and
the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for him who is being
cleansed. 32This is the law for him in whom is a leprous disease, who
cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing.”
Cleansing of Leprous Houses
33 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 34 “When you come into the land
of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a leprous disease in
a house in the land of your possession, 35then he who owns the house shall
come and tell the priest, ‘There seems to me to be some sort of disease in
my house.’ 36Then the priest shall command that they empty the house
before the priest goes to examine the disease, lest all that is in the house be
declared unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house.
37And he shall examine the disease; and if the disease is in the walls of the
house with greenish or reddish spots, and if it appears to be deeper than the
surface, 38then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house,
and shut up the house seven days. 39And the priest shall come again on the
seventh day, and look; and if the disease has spread in the walls of the
house, 40then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in
which is the disease and throw them into an unclean place outside the city;
41and he shall cause the inside of the house to be scraped round about, and
the plaster that they scrape off they shall pour into an unclean place outside
the city; 42then they shall take other stones and put them in the place of
those stones, and he shall take other plaster and plaster the house.
43 “If the disease breaks out again in the house, after he has taken out the
stones and scraped the house and plastered it, 44then the priest shall go and
look; and if the disease has spread in the house, it is a malignant leprosy in
the house; it is unclean. 45And he shall break down the house, its stones and
timber and all the plaster of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of
the city to an unclean place. 46Moreover he who enters the house while it is
shut up shall be unclean until the evening; 47and he who lies down in the
house shall wash his clothes; and he who eats in the house shall wash his
clothes.
48 “But if the priest comes and makes an examination, and the disease has
not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall
pronounce the house clean, for the disease is healed. 49And for the
cleansing of the house he shall take two small birds, with cedarwood and
scarlet stuff and hyssop, 50and shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel
over running water, 51and shall take the cedarwood and the hyssop and the
scarlet stuff, along with the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the bird
that was killed and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
52Thus he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the
running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedarwood and hyssop
and scarlet stuff; 53and he shall let the living bird go out of the city into the
open field; so he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.”
54 This is the law for any leprous disease: for an itch, 55for leprosy in a
shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes;
and he shall bathe his body in running water, and shall be clean. 14And on
the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and
come before the LORD to the door of the tent of meeting, and give them to
the priest; 15and the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the
other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him
before the LORD for his discharge.
16 “And if a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body
in water, and be unclean until the evening. 17And every garment and every
skin on which the semen comes shall be washed with water, and be unclean
until the evening. 18If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of
semen, both of them shall bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until
the evening.
Concerning Women’s Bodily Discharges
19 “When a woman has a discharge of blood which is her regular
discharge from her body, she shall be in her impurity for seven days, and
whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. 20And everything
upon which she lies during her impurity shall be unclean; everything also
upon which she sits shall be unclean. 21And whoever touches her bed shall
wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
evening. 22And whoever touches anything upon which she sits shall wash
his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening;
23whether it is the bed or anything upon which she sits, when he touches it
he shall be unclean until the evening. 24And if any man lies with her, and
her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on
which he lies shall be unclean.
25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of
her impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all
the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness; as in the days of
her impurity, she shall be unclean. 26Every bed on which she lies, all the
days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and
everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her
impurity. 27And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall
wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
evening. 28But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count for herself
seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29And on the eighth day she
shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the
priest, to the door of the tent of meeting. 30And the priest shall offer one for
a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make
atonement for her before the LORD for her unclean discharge.
The Law concerning Discharges
31 “Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separate from their uncleanness,
emission of semen, becoming unclean thereby; 33also for her who is sick
with her impurity; that is, for any one, male or female, who has a discharge,
and for the man who lies with a woman who is unclean.
The Day of Atonement
16 The LORD spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron,
when they drew near before the LORD and died; 2and the LORD said to
Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at all times into the holy place
within the veil, before the mercy seat which is upon the ark, lest he die; for
I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 3But thus shall Aaron come
into the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a
burnt offering. 4He shall put on the holy linen coat, and shall have the linen
breeches on his body, be girded with the linen sash, and wear the linen
turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and
then put them on. 5And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of
Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 “And Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall
make atonement for himself and for his house. 7Then he shall take the two
goats, and set them before the LORD at the door of the tent of meeting; 8and
Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other
lot for Aza'zel. 9And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for
the LORD, and offer it as a sin offering; 10but the goat on which the lot fell
for Aza'zel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement
over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.
11 “Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall
make atonement for himself and for his house; he shall kill the bull as a sin
offering for himself. 12And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from
the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small;
and he shall bring it within the veil 13and put the incense on the fire before
the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat which is
upon the covenant, lest he die; 14and he shall take some of the blood of the
bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, and
before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven
times.
15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering which is for the people,
and bring its blood within the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the
blood of the bull, sprinkling it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy
seat; 16thus he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the
uncleannesses of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions, all
their sins; and so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which abides with
them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17There shall be no man in the tent
of meeting when he enters to make atonement in the holy place until he
comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all
the assembly of Israel. 18Then he shall go out to the altar which is before
the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the
bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar round
about. 19And he shall sprinkle some of the blood upon it with his finger
seven times, and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the sons
of Israel.
20 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the holy place and the
tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat; 21and Aaron
shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over
him all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions, all
their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and send him
away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22The
goat shall bear all their iniquities upon him to a solitary land; and he shall
let the goat go in the wilderness.
23 “Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and shall put off the
linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall
leave them there; 24and he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place, and
put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering and the
burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the
people. 25And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn upon the altar. 26And
he who lets the goat go to Aza'zel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body
in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. 27And the bull for the
sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to
make atonement in the holy place, shall be carried forth outside the camp;
their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned with fire. 28And he
who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and
afterward he may come into the camp.
29 “And it shall be a statute to you for ever that in the seventh month, on
the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves, and shall do no
work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you; 30for on
this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins
you shall be clean before the LORD. 31It is a sabbath of solemn rest to you,
and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute for ever. 32And the priest who
is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make
atonement, wearing the holy linen garments; 33he shall make atonement for
the sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for
the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people
of the assembly. 34And this shall be an everlasting statute for you, that
atonement may be made for the sons of Israel once in the year because of
all their sins.” And Moses did as the LORD commanded him.
The Slaughter of Animals
17 * And the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to Aaron and his sons, and to
all the sons of Israel, This is the thing which the LORD has commanded. 3If
any man of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp,
or kills it outside the camp, 4and does not bring it to the door of the tent of
meeting, to offer it as a gift to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD,
bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man; he has shed blood; and that man
shall be cut off from among his people. 5This is to the end that the sons of
Israel may bring their sacrifices which they slay in the open field, that they
may bring them to the LORD, to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting,
and slay them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the LORD; 6and the priest
shall sprinkle the blood on the altar of the LORD at the door of the tent of
meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasing odor to the LORD. 7So they shall no
more slay their sacrifices for satyrs, after whom they play the harlot. This
shall be a statute for ever to them throughout their generations.
8 “And you shall say to them, Any man of the house of Israel, or of the
strangers that sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9and does not bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, to sacrifice it to the
them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood,
and will cut him off from among his people. 11For the life of the flesh is in
the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for
your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life.
12Therefore I have said to the sons of Israel, No person among you shall eat
blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. 13Any
man also of the sons of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them,
who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its
blood and cover it with dust.
14 “For the life of every creature is the blood of it;e therefore I have said to
the sons of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of
every creature is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off. 15And every
person that eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a
native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and
be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean. 16But if he does not
wash them or bathe his flesh, he shall bear his iniquity.”
18 And the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the sons of Israel, I am the
LORD your God. 3You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where
you dwelt, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I
am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. 4You shall do my
ordinances and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your
God. 5You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, by doing
which a man shall live: I am the LORD.
Laws concerning Sexual Relations
6 “None of you shall approach any one near of kin to him to uncover
nakedness. I am the LORD. 7You shall not uncover the nakedness of your
father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall
not uncover her nakedness. 8You shall not uncover the nakedness of your
father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. 9You shall not uncover the
nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or the daughter of your
mother, whether born at home or born abroad. 10You shall not uncover the
nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their
nakedness is your own nakedness. 11You shall not uncover the nakedness of
your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father, since she is your
sister. 12You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is
your father’s near kinswoman. 13You shall not uncover the nakedness of
your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s near kinswoman. 14You shall
not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you shall not
approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15You shall not uncover the nakedness
of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her
nakedness. 16You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife;
she is your brother’s nakedness. 17You shall not uncover the nakedness of a
woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son’s daughter or her
daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are yourf near
kinswomen; it is wickedness. 18And you shall not take a woman as a rival
wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is yet alive.
19 “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is
in her menstrual uncleanness. 20And you shall not lie carnally with your
neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her. 21You shall not give any of
your children to devote them by fire to Mo'lech, and so profane the name of
your God: I am the LORD. 22You shall not lie with a male as with a woman;
it is an abomination. 23And you shall not lie with any beast and defile
yourself with it, neither shall any woman give herself to a beast to lie with
it: it is perversion.
24 “Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these the
nations I am casting out before you defiled themselves; 25and the land
became defiled, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its
inhabitants. 26But you shall keep my statutes and my ordinances and do
none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns
among you 27(for all of these abominations the men of the land did, who
were before you, so that the land became defiled); 28lest the land vomit you
out, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
29For whoever shall do any of these abominations, the persons that do them
shall be cut off from among their people. 30So keep my charge never to
practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you,
and never to defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God.”
Ritual and Moral Holiness
19 And the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to all the congregation of the
sons of Israel, You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy. 3Every
one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my
sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. 4Do not turn to idols or make for
yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
5 “When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, you shall
offer it so that you may be accepted. 6It shall be eaten the same day you
offer it, or on the next day; and anything left over until the third day shall be
burned with fire. 7If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it
will not be accepted, 8and every one who eats it shall bear his iniquity,
because he has profaned a holy thing of the LORD; and that person shall be
cut off from his people.
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field to
its very border, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest.
10And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the
fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the
sojourner: I am the LORD your God.
11 “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. 12And you
shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I
am the LORD.
13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired
servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14You shall
not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall
fear your God: I am the LORD.
15 “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the
poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your
neighbor. 16You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your
people, and you shall not stand forth against the lifeg of your neighbor: I am
the LORD.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with
your neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him. 18You shall not take
vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you
shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
19 “You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a
different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; nor shall
there come upon you a garment of cloth made of two kinds of stuff.
20 “If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave, betrothed to
another man and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, an inquiry shall be
held. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free; 21but he shall
bring a guilt offering for himself to the LORD, to the door of the tent of
meeting, a ram for a guilt offering. 22And the priest shall make atonement
for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the LORD for his sin which
he has committed; and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven
him.
23 “When you come into the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then
you shall count their fruit as forbidden;h three years it shall be forbidden to
you, it must not be eaten. 24And in the fourth year all their fruit shall be
holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. 25But in the fifth year you may eat
of their fruit, that they may yield more richly for you: I am the LORD your
God.
26 “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not practice
augury or witchcraft. 27You shall not round off the hair on your temples or
mar the edges of your beard. 28You shall not make any cuttings in your
flesh on account of the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
29 “Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot, lest the land fall
into harlotry and the land become full of wickedness. 30You shall keep my
sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
31 “Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, to be defiled
quantity. 36You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a
just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of
Egypt. 37And you shall observe all my statutes and all my ordinances, and
do them: I am the LORD.”
Penalties for Violations
20 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the sons of Israel, Any man of
the sons of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, who gives any of
his children to Mo'lech shall be put to death; the people of the land shall
stone him with stones. 3I myself will set my face against that man, and will
cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his
children to Mo'lech, defiling my sanctuary and profaning my holy name.
4And if the people of the land do at all hide their eyes from that man, when
he gives one of his children to Mo'lech, and do not put him to death, 5then I
will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut them
off from among their people, him and all who follow him in playing the
harlot after Mo'lech.
6 “If a person turns to mediums and wizards, playing the harlot after them,
I will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his
people. 7Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the LORD
your God. 8Keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD who sanctify
you. 9For every one who curses his father or his mother shall be put to
death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his blood is upon him.
10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of i his neighbor, both the
adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death. 11The man who lies with
his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall be
put to death, their blood is upon them. 12If a man lies with his daughter-in-
law, both of them shall be put to death; they have committed incest, their
blood is upon them. 13If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of
them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood
is upon them. 14If a man takes a wife and her mother also, it is wickedness;
they shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no
wickedness among you. 15If a man lies with a beast, he shall be put to
death; and you shall kill the beast. 16If a woman approaches any beast and
lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the beast; they shall be put to
death, their blood is upon them.
17 “If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his
mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a shameful
thing, and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people; he
has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, he shall bear his iniquity. 18If a man
lies with a woman having her sickness, and uncovers her nakedness, he has
made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood;
both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19You shall not
uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister or of your father’s sister, for
that is to make naked one’s near kin; they shall bear their iniquity. 20If a
man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness; they
shall bear their sin, they shall die childless. 21If a man takes his brother’s
wife, it is impurity; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness, they shall be
childless.
22 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do
them; that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you
out. 23And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am
casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I
abhorred them. 24But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I
will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the
LORD your God, who have separated you from the peoples. 25You shall
therefore make a distinction between the clean beast and the unclean, and
between the unclean bird and the clean; you shall not make yourselves
abominable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground
teems, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. 26You shall be holy to
me; for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that
you should be mine.
27 “A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall be put to death;
they shall be stoned with stones, their blood shall be upon them.”
The Holiness of Priests
21 And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of
Aaron, and say to them that none of them shall defile himself for the dead
among his people, 2except for his nearest of kin, his mother, his father, his
son, his daughter, his brother, 3or his virgin sister (who is near to him
because she has had no husband; for her he may defile himself). 4He shall
not defile himself as a husband among his people and so profane himself.
5They shall not make tonsures upon their heads, nor shave off the edges of
their beards, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. 6They shall be holy to
their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the
offerings by fire to the LORD, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be
holy. 7They shall not marry a harlot or a woman who has been defiled;
neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband; for the priest
is holy to his God. 8You shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of
your God; he shall be holy to you; for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am
holy. 9And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the
harlot, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
10 “The priest who is chief among his brethren, upon whose head the
anointing oil is poured, and who has been consecrated to wear the garments,
shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, nor tear his clothes; 11he shall
not go in to any dead body, nor defile himself, even for his father or for his
mother; 12neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary
of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him:
I am the LORD. 13And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 14A widow, or
one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a harlot, these he shall
not marry; but he shall take to wife a virgin of his own people, 15that he
may not profane his children among his people; for I am the LORD who
sanctify him.”
16 And the LORD said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron, None of your
descendants throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach
to offer the bread of his God. 18For no one who has a blemish shall draw
near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too
long, 19or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, 20or a
hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching
disease or scabs or crushed testicles; 21no man of the descendants of Aaron
the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD’s offerings
by fire; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of
his God. 22He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of
the holy things, 23but he shall not come near the veil or approach the altar,
because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries; for I am
the LORD who sanctify them.” 24So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons
and to all the sons of Israel.
The Use of Holy Things
22 And the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to keep
away from the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to me,
so that they may not profane my holy name: I am the LORD. 3Say to them,
‘If any one of all your descendants throughout your generations approaches
the holy things, which the sons of Israel dedicate to the LORD, while he has
an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am the
LORD. 4None of the line of Aaron who is a leper or suffers a discharge may
eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is
unclean through contact with the dead or a man who has had an emission of
semen, 5and whoever touches a creeping thing by which he may be made
unclean or a man from whom he may take uncleanness, whatever his
uncleanness may be—6the person who touches any such shall be unclean
until the evening and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed
his body in water. 7When the sun is down he shall be clean; and afterward
he may eat of the holy things, because such are his food. 8That which dies
of itself or is torn by beasts he shall not eat, defiling himself by it: I am the
LORD.’ 9They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it and
die thereby when they profane it: I am the LORD who sanctify them.
10 “An outsider shall not eat of a holy thing. A sojourner of the priest’s or
a hired servant shall not eat of a holy thing; 11but if a priest buys a slave as
his property for money, the slave may eat of it; and those that are born in his
house may eat of his food. 12If a priest’s daughter is married to an outsider
she shall not eat of the offering of the holy things. 13But if a priest’s
daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and returns to her
father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; yet no
outsider shall eat of it. 14And if a man eats of a holy thing unwittingly, he
shall add the fifth of its value to it, and give the holy thing to the priest.
15The priests shall not profane the holy things of the sons of Israel, which
they offer to the LORD, 16and so cause them to bear iniquity and guilt, by
eating their holy things: for I am the LORD who sanctify them.”
Acceptable Offerings
17 And the LORD said to Moses, 18 “Say to Aaron and his sons and all the
people of Israel, When any one of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in
Israel presents his offering, whether in payment of a vow or as a freewill
offering which is offered to the LORD as a burnt offering, 19to be accepted
you shall offer a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the
goats. 20You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be
acceptable for you. 21And when any one offers a sacrifice of peace offerings
to the LORD, to fulfil a vow or as a freewill offering, from the herd or from
the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it.
22Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or
scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD or make of them an offering by fire
upon the altar to the LORD. 23A bull or a lamb which has a part too long or
too short you may present for a freewill offering; but for a votive offering it
cannot be accepted. 24Any animal which has its testicles bruised or crushed
or torn or cut, you shall not offer to the LORD or sacrifice within your land;
25neither shall you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten
shall remain seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day on it shall
be acceptable as an offering by fire to the LORD. 28And whether the mother
is a cow or a ewe, you shall not kill both her and her young in one day.
29And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall
sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30It shall be eaten on the same day,
you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the LORD.
31 “So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the LORD.
32And you shall not profane my holy name, but I will be hallowed among
the sons of Israel; I am the LORD who sanctify you, 33who brought you out
of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD.”
The Sabbath
23 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the sons of Israel, The appointed
feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, my
appointed feasts, are these. 3Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh
day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no work; it
is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.
The Passover
4 “These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations,
which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. 5In the first
month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening,j is the LORD’s
Passover. 6And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of
unleavened bread to the LORD; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no
laborious work. 8But you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD seven
days; on the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious
work.”
The Offering of First Fruits
9 And the LORD said to Moses, 10 “Say to the sons of Israel, When you
come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the
sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest; 11and he shall wave the
sheaf before the LORD, that you may find acceptance; on the day after the
sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12And on the day when you wave the sheaf,
you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to
the LORD. 13And the cereal offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah
of fine flour mixed with oil, to be offered by fire to the LORD, a pleasing
odor; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. 14And
you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day,
until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute for ever
throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
The Feast of Weeks
15 “And you shall count from the day after the sabbath, from the day that
you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they be,
16counting fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall
present a cereal offering of new grain to the LORD. 17You shall bring from
your dwellings two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an
ephah; they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baked with leaven, as first
fruits to the LORD. 18And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a
year old without blemish, and one young bull, and two rams; they shall be a
burnt offering to the LORD, with their cereal offering and their drink
offerings, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD. 19And you shall
offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a
sacrifice of peace offerings. 20And the priest shall wave them with the bread
of the first fruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs;
they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21And you shall make
proclamation on the same day; you shall hold a holy convocation; you shall
do no laborious work: it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings
throughout your generations.
22 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your
field to its very border, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest;
you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your
God.”
The Feast of Trumpets
23 And the LORD said to Moses, 24 “Say to the sons of Israel, In the seventh
month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest,
a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25You
shall do no laborious work; and you shall present an offering by fire to the
LORD.”
The Day of Atonement
26 And the LORD said to Moses, 27 “On the tenth day of this seventh month
is the day of atonement; it shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and
you shall afflict yourselves and present an offering by fire to the LORD.
28And you shall do no work on this same day; for it is a day of atonement,
to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. 29For whoever is not
afflicted on this same day shall be cut off from his people. 30And whoever
does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his
people. 31You shall do no work: it is a statute for ever throughout your
generations in all your dwellings. 32It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn
rest, and you shall afflict yourselves; on the ninth day of the month
beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your
sabbath.”
The Feast of Booths
33 And the LORD said to Moses, 34 “Say to the sons of Israel, On the
fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the feast of
boothsk to the LORD. 35On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you
shall do no laborious work. 36Seven days you shall present offerings by fire
to the LORD; on the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and
present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is a solemn assembly; you shall
do no laborious work.
37 “These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim
the produce of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD seven days; on
the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn
rest. 40And you shall take on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches
of palm trees, and boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you
shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41You shall keep it as a
feast to the LORD seven days in the year; it is a statute for ever throughout
your generations; you shall keep it in the seventh month. 42You shall dwell
in booths for seven days; all that are native in Israel shall dwell in booths,
43that your generations may know that I made the sons of Israel dwell in
booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your
God.”
44 Thus Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed feasts of the
LORD.
The Lamp
24 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Command the sons of Israel to bring you
pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning
continually. 3Outside the veil of the covenant, in the tent of meeting, Aaron
shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD continually;
it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations. 4He shall keep the
lamps in order upon the lampstand of pure gold before the LORD
continually.
Bread for the Tabernacle
5 “And you shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it; two tenths of
an ephah shall be in each cake. 6And you shall set them in two rows, six in
a row, upon the table of pure gold. 7And you shall put pure frankincense
with each row, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion to be
offered by fire to the LORD. 8Every sabbath day Aaron shall set it in order
before the LORD continually on behalf of the sons of Israel as a covenant for
ever. 9And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy
place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the offerings by fire to
the LORD, a perpetual debt.”
Blasphemy and Its Punishment
10 Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out
among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel
quarreled in the camp, 11and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the
Name, and cursed. And they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was
Shelo'mith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12And they put him in
custody, till the will of the LORD should be declared to them.
13 And the LORD said to Moses, 14 “Bring out of the camp him who cursed;
and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the
congregation stone him. 15And say to the sons of Israel, Whoever curses his
God shall bear his sin. 16He who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall be
put to death; all the congregation shall stone him; the sojourner as well as
the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. 17He who
kills a man shall be put to death. 18He who kills a beast shall make it good,
life for life. 19When a man causes a disfigurement in his neighbor, as he has
done it shall be done to him, 20fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for
tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured. 21He who kills a
beast shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. 1You
shall have one law for the sojourner and for the native; for I am the LORD
your God.” 23So Moses spoke to the sons of Israel; and they brought him
who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. Thus the sons
of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
The Sabbatical Year
25 The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 2“Say to the sons of Israel,
When you come into the land which I give you, the land shall keep a
sabbath to the LORD. 3Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you
shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruits; 4but in the seventh year
there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD;
you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. 5What grows of itself
in your harvest you shall not reap, and the grapes of your undressed vine
you shall not gather; it shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. 6The
sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your
male and female slaves and for your hired servant and the sojourner who
lives with you; 7for your cattle also and for the beasts that are in your land
all its yield shall be for food.
The Year of Jubilee
8 “And you shall count seven weeksl of years, seven times seven years, so
that the time of the seven weeks of years shall be to you forty-nine years.
9Then you shall send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the
seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall send abroad the trumpet
throughout all your land. 10And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and
proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a
jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of
you shall return to his family. 11A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be to you; in
it you shall neither sow, nor reap what grows of itself, nor gather the grapes
from the undressed vines. 12For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you
shall eat what it yields out of the field.
13 “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. 14And if
you sell to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong
one another. 15According to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall
buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years for crops he
shall sell to you. 16If the years are many you shall increase the price, and if
the years are few you shall diminish the price, for it is the number of the
crops that he is selling to you. 17You shall not wrong one another, but you
shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.
18 “Therefore you shall do my statutes, and keep my ordinances and
perform them; so you will dwell in the land securely. 19The land will yield
its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell in it securely. 20And if you say,
‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our
crop?’ 21I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, so that it
will bring forth fruit for three years. 22When you sow in the eighth year, you
will be eating old produce; until the ninth year, when its produce comes in,
you shall eat the old. 23The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land
is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me. 24And in all the
country you possess, you shall grant a redemption of the land.
25 “If your brother becomes poor, and sells part of his property, then his
next of kin shall come and redeem what his brother has sold. 26If a man has
no one to redeem it, and then himself becomes prosperous and finds
sufficient means to redeem it, 27let him reckon the years since he sold it and
pay back the overpayment to the man to whom he sold it; and he shall
return to his property. 28But if he has not sufficient means to get it back for
himself, then what he sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it
until the year of jubilee; in the jubilee it shall be released, and he shall
return to his property.
29 “If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, he may redeem it
within a whole year after its sale; for a full year he shall have the right of
redemption. 30If it is not redeemed within a full year, then the house that is
in the walled city shall be made sure in perpetuity to him who bought it,
throughout his generations; it shall not be released in the jubilee. 31But the
houses of the villages which have no wall around them shall be reckoned
with the fields of the country; they may be redeemed, and they shall be
released in the jubilee. 32Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, the houses in
the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time. 33And if
one of the Levites does not exercisem his right of redemption, then the
house that was sold in a city of their possession shall be released in the
jubilee; for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among
the sons of Israel. 34But the fields of common land belonging to their cities
may not be sold; for that is their perpetual possession.
35 “And if your brother becomes poor, and cannot maintain himself with
you, you shall maintain him; as a stranger and a sojourner he shall live with
you. 36Take no interest from him or increase, but fear your God; that your
brother may live beside you. 37You shall not lend him your money at
interest, nor give him your food for profit. 38I am the LORD your God, who
brought you forth out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan,
and to be your God.
39 “And if your brother becomes poor beside you, and sells himself to you,
you shall not make him serve as a slave: 40he shall be with you as a hired
servant and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the
jubilee; 41then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and
go back to his own family, and return to the possession of his fathers. 42For
they are my servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; they
shall not be sold as slaves. 43You shall not rule over him with harshness, but
shall fear your God. 44As for your male and female slaves whom you may
have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are
round about you. 45You may also buy from among the strangers who
sojourn with you and their families that are with you, who have been born
in your land; and they may be your property. 46You may bequeath them to
your sons after you, to inherit as a possession for ever; you may make
slaves of them, but over your brethren the sons of Israel you shall not rule,
one over another, with harshness.
47 “If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother
beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with
you, or to a member of the stranger’s family, 48then after he is sold he may
be redeemed; one of his brothers may redeem him, 49or his uncle, or his
cousin may redeem him, or a near kinsman belonging to his family may
redeem him; or if he grows rich he may redeem himself. 50He shall reckon
with him who bought him from the year when he sold himself to him until
the year of jubilee, and the price of his release shall be according to the
number of years; the time he was with his owner shall be rated as the time
of a hired servant. 51If there are still many years, according to them he shall
refund out of the price paid for him the price for his redemption. 52If there
remain but a few years until the year of jubilee, he shall make a reckoning
with him; according to the years of service due from him he shall refund the
money for his redemption. 53As a servant hired year by year shall he be
with him; he shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight. 54And if
he is not redeemed by these means, then he shall be released in the year of
jubilee, he and his children with him. 55For to me the sons of Israel are
servants, they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of
Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Rewards for Obedience
26 “You shall make for yourselves no idols and erect no graven image
or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land, to bow down
to them; for I am the LORD your God. 2You shall keep my sabbaths and
reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do
them, 4then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall
yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5And your
threshing shall last to the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last to the
time for sowing; and you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your
land securely. 6And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down,
and none shall make you afraid; and I will remove evil beasts from the land,
and the sword shall not go through your land. 7And you shall chase your
enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8Five of you shall
chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your
enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9And I will have regard for you
and make you fruitful and multiply you, and will confirm my covenant with
you. 10And you shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old
to make way for the new. 11And I will make my abode among you, and my
soul shall not abhor you. 12And I will walk among you, and will be your
God, and you shall be my people. 13I am the LORD your God, who brought
you forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; and I
have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
Punishment for Disobedience
14 “But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these
more plagues upon you, sevenfold as many as your sins. 22And I will let
loose the wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and
destroy your cattle, and make you few in number, so that your ways shall
become desolate.
23 “And if by this discipline you are not turned to me, but walk contrary to
me, 24then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you
sevenfold for your sins. 25And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall
execute vengeance for the covenant; and if you gather within your cities I
will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of
the enemy. 26When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your
bread in one oven, and shall deliver your bread again by weight; and you
shall eat, and not be satisfied.
27 “And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to
me, 28then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and chastise you myself
sevenfold for your sins. 29You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall
eat the flesh of your daughters. 30And I will destroy your high places, and
cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the dead
bodies of your idols; and my soul will abhor you. 31And I will lay your
cities waste, and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell
your pleasing odors. 32And I will devastate the land, so that your enemies
who settle in it shall be astonished at it. 33And I will scatter you among the
nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you; and your land shall be a
desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
34 “Then the land shall enjoyn its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while
you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest, and enjoyn its
sabbaths. 35As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest which it had
not in your sabbaths when you dwelt upon it. 36And as for those of you that
are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies;
the sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one
flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues. 37They shall
stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues; and
you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38And you shall
perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.
39And those of you that are left shall pine away in your enemies’ lands
because of their iniquity; and also because of the iniquities of their fathers
they shall pine away like them.
40 “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in
their treachery which they committed against me, and also in walking
contrary to me, 41so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into
the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and
they make amends for their iniquity; 42then I will remember my covenant
with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant
with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43But the land shall be left by
them, and enjoyn its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; and they
shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my ordinances,
and their soul abhorred my statutes. 44Yet for all that, when they are in the
land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as
to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them; for I am the
LORD their God; 45but I will for their sake remember the covenant with their
forefathers, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the
nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.”
46 These are the statutes and ordinances and laws which the LORD made
shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand.
15And if he who dedicates it wishes to redeem his house, he shall add a fifth
inheritance, then your valuation shall be according to the seed for it; a
sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. 17If he
dedicates his field from the year of jubilee, it shall stand at your full
valuation; 18but if he dedicates his field after the jubilee, then the priest
shall compute the money-value for it according to the years that remain
until the year of jubilee, and a deduction shall be made from your valuation.
19And if he who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, then he shall add a
fifth of the valuation in money to it, and it shall remain his. 20But if he does
not wish to redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it
shall not be redeemed any more; 21but the field, when it is released in the
jubilee, shall be holy to the LORD, as a field that has been devoted; the priest
shall be in possession of it. 22If he dedicates to the LORD a field which he
has bought, which is not a part of his possession by inheritance, 23then the
priest shall compute the valuation for it up to the year of jubilee, and the
man shall give the amount of the valuation on that day as a holy thing to the
LORD. 24In the year of jubilee the field shall return to him from whom it was
bought, to whom the land belongs as a possession by inheritance. 25Every
valuation shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs
shall make a shekel.
26 “But a firstling of animals, which as a firstling belongs to the LORD, no
of the trees, is the LORD’s; it is holy to the LORD. 31If a man wishes to
redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32And all the tithe of herds
and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff,
shall be holy to the LORD. 33A man shall not inquire whether it is good or
bad, neither shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it, then both it and
that for which it is exchanged shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
34 These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for
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Numbers
Chapters
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29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
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NUMBERS
The First Census of Israel
1 The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of
meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they
had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Take a census of all the
congregation of the sons of Israel, by families, by fathers’ houses,
according to the number of names, every male, head by head; 3from twenty
years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war, you and
Aaron shall number them, company by company. 4And there shall be with
you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his
fathers. 5And these are the names of the men who shall attend you. From
Reuben, Eli'zur the son of Shed'eur; 6from Simeon, Shelu'mi-el the son of
Zurishad'dai; 7from Judah, Nahshon the son of Ammin'adab; 8from
Is'sachar, Nethan'el the son of Zu'ar; 9from Zeb'ulun, Eli'ab the son of
He'lon; 10from the sons of Joseph, from E'phraim, Elish'ama the son of
Ammi'hud, and from Manas'seh, Gama'li-el the son of Pedah'zur; 11from
Benjamin, Abi'dan the son of Gideo'ni; 12from Dan, Ahie'zer the son of
Ammishad'dai; 13from Asher, Pa'giel the son of Ochran; 14from Gad,
Eli'asaph the son of Deu'el; 15from Naph'tali, Ahi'ra the son of E'nan.”
16These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the leaders of their
first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation
together, who registered themselves by families, by fathers’ houses,
according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head
by head, 19as the LORD commanded Moses. So he numbered them in the
wilderness of Sinai.
20 The people of Reuben, Israel’s first-born, their generations, by their
fathers’ houses, those of them that were numbered, according to the number
of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all
who were able to go forth to war: 23the number of the tribe of Simeon was
fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
24 Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their
fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years
old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war: 25the number of the
tribe of Gad was forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.
26 Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their families, by their
fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old
and upward, every man able to go forth to war: 27the number of the tribe of
Judah was seventy-four thousand six hundred.
28 Of the people of Is'sachar, their generations, by their families, by their
fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old
and upward, every man able to go forth to war: 29the number of the tribe of
Is'sachar was fifty-four thousand four hundred.
30 Of the people of Zeb'ulun, their generations, by their families, by their
fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old
and upward, every man able to go forth to war: 31the number of the tribe of
Zeb'ulun was fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
32 Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of E'phraim, their
fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old
and upward, every man able to go forth to war: 37the number of the tribe of
Benjamin was thirty-five thousand four hundred.
38 Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their families, by their
fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old
and upward, every man able to go forth to war: 39the number of the tribe of
Dan was sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
40 Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their families, by their
fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old
and upward, every man able to go forth to war: 41the number of the tribe of
Asher was forty-one thousand five hundred.
42 Of the people of Naph'tali, their generations, by their families, by their
fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old
and upward, every man able to go forth to war: 43the number of the tribe of
Naph'tali was fifty-three thousand four hundred.
44 These are those who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron
numbered with the help of the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each
representing his fathers’ house. 45So the whole number of the sons of Israel,
by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able
to go forth to war in Israel—46their whole number was six hundred and
three thousand five hundred and fifty.
47 But the Levites were not numbered by their ancestral tribe along with
them. 48For the LORD said to Moses, 49“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not
number, and you shall not take a census of them among the sons of Israel;
50but appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the covenant, and over all
its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it; they are to carry the
tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall tend it, and shall encamp
around the tabernacle. 51When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall
take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set
it up. And if any one else comes near, he shall be put to death. 52The sons of
Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, every man by his own camp
and every man by his own standard; 53but the Levites shall encamp around
the tabernacle of the covenant, that there may be no wrath upon the
congregation of the sons of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the
tabernacle of the covenant.” 54Thus did the sons of Israel; they did
according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Order of Encampment and Marching
2 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “The sons of Israel shall encamp
each by his own standard, with the ensigns of their fathers’ houses; they
shall encamp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3Those to encamp on
the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of
Judah by their companies, the leader of the people of Judah being Nahshon
the son of Ammin'adab, 4his host as numbered being seventy-four thousand
six hundred. 5Those to encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Is'sachar,
the leader of the people of Issachar being Nethan'el the son of Zu'ar, 6his
host as numbered being fifty-four thousand four hundred. 7Then the tribe of
Zeb'ulun, the leader of the people of Zebulun being Eli'ab the son of He'lon,
8his host as numbered being fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 9The whole
number of the camp of Judah, by their companies, is a hundred and eighty-
six thousand four hundred. They shall set out first on the march.
10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their
companies, the leader of the people of Reuben being Eli'zur the son of
Shed'eur, 11his host as numbered being forty-six thousand five hundred.
12And those to encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the leader
hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty. They shall set out
second.
17 “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in
the midst of the camps; as they encamp, so shall they set out, each in
position, standard by standard.
18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of E'phraim by their
companies, the leader of the people of Ephraim being Elish'ama the son of
Ammi'hud, 19his host as numbered being forty thousand five hundred.
20And next to him shall be the tribe of Manas'seh, the leader of the people
whole number of the camp of Dan is a hundred and fifty-seven thousand six
hundred. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”
32 These are the sons of Israel as numbered by their fathers’ houses; all in
the camps who were numbered by their companies were six hundred and
three thousand five hundred and fifty. 33But the Levites were not numbered
among the sons of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.
34 Thus did the sons of Israel. According to all that the LORD commanded
Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, every one
in his family, according to his fathers’ house.
Sons of Aaron
3 These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the
LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These are the names of the sons
of Aaron: Na'dab the first-born, and Abi'hu, Elea'zar, and Ith'amar; 3these
are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained
to minister in the priest’s office. 4But Na'dab and Abi'hu died before the
LORD when they offered unholy fire before the LORD in the wilderness of
Sinai; and they had no children. So Elea'zar and Ith'amar served as priests in
the lifetime of Aaron their father.
Duties of the Levites
5 And the LORD said to Moses, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set
them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7They shall
perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of
meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle; 8they shall have charge of all the
furnishings of the tent of meeting, and attend to the duties for the sons of
Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. 9And you shall give the Levites to
Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of
Israel. 10And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to
their priesthood; but if any one else comes near, he shall be put to death.”
11 And the LORD said to Moses, 12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from
among the sons of Israel instead of every first-born that opens the womb
among the sons of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, 13for all the first-born
are mine; on the day that I slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I
consecrated for my own all the first-born in Israel, both of man and of
beast; they shall be mine: I am the LORD.”
Census of the Levites
14 And the LORD said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, 15“Number the
sons of Levi, by fathers’ houses and by families; every male from a month
old and upward you shall number.” 16So Moses numbered them according
to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17And these were the sons
of Levi by their names: Gershon and Ko'hath and Merar'i. 18And these are
the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shim'e-i.
19And the sons of Ko'hath by their families: Amram, Izhar, He'bron, and
Uz'ziel. 20And the sons of Merar'i by their families: Mah'li and Mu'shi.
These are the families of the Levites, by their fathers’ houses.
21 Of Gershon were the family of the Libnites and the family of the
Iz'harites, and the family of the He'bronites, and the family of the
Uz'zielites; these are the families of the Ko'hathites. 28According to the
number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight
thousand six hundred, attending to the duties of the sanctuary. 29The
families of the sons of Ko'hath were to encamp on the south side of the
tabernacle, 30with Eliza'phan the son of Uz'ziel as head of the fathers’ house
of the families of the Ko'hathites. 31And their charge was to be the ark, the
table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the
priests minister, and the screen; all the service pertaining to these. 32And
Elea'zar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the
Levites, and to have oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary.
33 Of Merar'i were the family of the Mah'lites and the family of the
Mu'shites: these are the families of Merari. 34Their number according to the
number of all the males from a month old and upward was six thousand two
hundred. 35And the head of the fathers’ house of the families of Merar'i was
Zu'riel the son of Abiha'il; they were to encamp on the north side of the
tabernacle. 36And the appointed charge of the sons of Merar'i was to be the
frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their
accessories; all the service pertaining to these; 37also the pillars of the court
round about, with their bases and pegs and cords.
38 And those to encamp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of
meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, having
charge of the rites within the sanctuary, whatever had to be done for the
sons of Israel; and any one else who came near was to be put to death. 39All
who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at
the commandment of the LORD, by families, all the males from a month old
and upward, were twenty-two thousand.
Redemption of the First-born
40 And the LORD said to Moses, “Number all the first-born males of the
sons of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking their number by names.
41And you shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all
the first-born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead
of all the firstlings among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42So Moses
numbered all the first-born among the sons of Israel, as the LORD
commanded him. 43And all the first-born males, according to the number of
names, from a month old and upward as numbered were twenty-two
thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44 And the LORD said to Moses, 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the first-
born among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their
cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 46And for the
redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the first-born of the
sons of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, 47you shall
take five shekels apiece; reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, the
shekel of twenty gerahs, you shall take them, 48and give the money by
which the excess number of them is redeemed to Aaron and his sons.” 49So
Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above
those redeemed by the Levites; 50from the first-born of the sons of Israel he
took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels,
reckoned by the shekel of the sanctuary; 51and Moses gave the redemption
money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the
LORD commanded Moses.
The Kohathites
4 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Take a census of the sons of
Ko'hath from among the sons of Levi, by their families and their fathers’
houses, 3from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can enter the
service, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4This is the service of the
sons of Ko'hath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things. 5When the
camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of
the screen, and cover the ark of the covenant with it; 6then they shall put on
it a covering of goatskin, and spread over that a cloth all of blue, and shall
put in its poles. 7And over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall
spread a cloth of blue, and put upon it the plates, the dishes for incense, the
bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the continual bread also shall
be on it; 8then they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the
same with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 9And they shall
take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand for the light, with its lamps, its
snuffers, its trays, and all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied: 10and
they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of goatskin and put it upon
the carrying frame. 11And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of
blue, and cover it with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles;
12and they shall take all the vessels of the service which are used in the
sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering
of goatskin, and put them on the carrying frame. 13And they shall take away
the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it; 14and they shall
put on it all the utensils of the altar, which are used for the service there, the
firepans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar;
and they shall spread upon it a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its
poles. 15And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary
and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the
sons of Ko'hath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy
things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting which the
sons of Kohath are to carry.
16 “And Elea'zar the son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for
the light, the fragrant incense, the continual cereal offering, and the
anointing oil, with the oversight of all the tabernacle and all that is in it, of
the sanctuary and its vessels.”
17 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 18“ Let not the tribe of the families
of the Ko'hathites be destroyed from among the Levites; 19but deal thus
with them, that they may live and not die when they come near to the most
holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his
task and to his burden, 20but they shall not go in to look upon the holy
things even for a moment, lest they die.”
The Gershonites and Merarites
21 The LORD said to Moses, 22 “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also,
by their families and their fathers’ houses; 23from thirty years old up to fifty
years old, you shall number them, all who can enter for service, to do the
work in the tent of meeting. 24This is the service of the families of the
Ger'shonites, in serving and bearing burdens: 25they shall carry the curtains
of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting with its covering, and the covering
of goatskin that is on top of it, and the screen for the door of the tent of
meeting, 26and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the entrance of
the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their
cords, and all the equipment for their service; and they shall do all that
needs to be done with regard to them. 27All the service of the sons of the
Ger'shonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they
are to carry, and in all that they have to do; and you shall assign to their
charge all that they are to carry. 28This is the service of the families of the
sons of the Ger'shonites in the tent of meeting, and their work is to be under
the oversight of Ith'amar the son of Aaron the priest.
29 “As for the sons of Merar'i, you shall number them by their families and
their fathers’ houses; 30from thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall
number them, every one that can enter the service, to do the work of the tent
of meeting. 31And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of
their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its
bars, pillars, and bases, 32and the pillars of the court round about with their
bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories;
and you shall assign by name the objects which they are required to carry.
33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merar'i, the whole of their
service in the tent of meeting, under the hand of Ith'amar the son of Aaron
the priest.”
Census of the Levites
34 And Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered
the sons of the Ko'hathites, by their families and their fathers’ houses,
35from thirty years old up to fifty years old, every one that could enter the
service, for work in the tent of meeting; 36and their number by families was
two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37This was the number of the
families of the Ko'hathites, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom
Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD by
Moses.
38 The number of the sons of Gershon, by their families and their fathers’
houses, 39from thirty years old up to fifty years old, every one that could
enter the service for work in the tent of meeting—40their number by their
families and their fathers’ houses was two thousand six hundred and thirty.
41This was the number of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who
served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according
to the commandment of the LORD.
42 The number of the families of the sons of Merar'i, by their families and
their fathers’ houses, 43from thirty years old up to fifty years old, every one
that could enter the service, for work in the tent of meeting—44their number
by families was three thousand two hundred. 45These are those who were
numbered of the families of the sons of Merar'i, whom Moses and Aaron
numbered according to the commandment of the LORD by Moses.
46 All those who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron
and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and their fathers’
houses, 47from thirty years old up to fifty years old, every one that could
enter to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the tent
of meeting, 48those who were numbered of them were eight thousand five
hundred and eighty. 49According to the commandment of the LORD through
Moses they were appointed, each to his task of serving or carrying; thus
they were numbered by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Unclean Persons
5 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Command the sons of Israel that they put
out of the camp every leper, and every one having a discharge, and every
one that is unclean through contact with the dead; 3you shall put out both
male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile
their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.” 4And the sons of Israel did so,
and drove them outside the camp; as the LORD said to Moses, so the sons of
Israel did.
Confession and Restitution
5 And the LORD said to Moses, 6 “Say to the sons of Israel, When a man or
woman commits any of the sins that men commit by breaking faith with the
LORD, and that person is guilty, 7he shall confess his sin which he has
committed; and he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to
it, and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. 8But if the man has no
kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for
wrong shall go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of
atonement with which atonement is made for him. 9And every offering, all
the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be
his; 10and every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives to
the priest shall be his.”
An Unfaithful Wife or Jealous Husband
11 And the LORD said to Moses, 12 “Say to the sons of Israel, If any man’s
wife goes astray and acts unfaithfully against him, 13if a man lies with her
carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is
undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against
her, since she was not taken in the act; 14and if the spirit of jealousy comes
upon him, and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself; or if the
spirit of jealousy comes upon him, and he is jealous of his wife, though she
has not defiled herself; 15then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and
bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he
shall pour no oil upon it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a cereal
offering of jealousy, a cereal offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to
remembrance.
16 “And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD; 17and
the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the
dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18And the
priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and unbind the hair of the
woman’s head, and place in her hands the cereal offering of remembrance,
which is the cereal offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall
have the water of bitterness that brings the curse. 19Then the priest shall
make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have
not turned aside to uncleanness, while you were under your husband’s
authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse. 20But if
you have gone astray, though you are under your husband’s authority, and if
you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain
with you, 21then’ (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse,
and say to the woman) ‘the LORD make you an execration and an oath
among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh fall away and your
body swell; 22may this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and
make your body swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman shall say,
‘Amen, Amen.’
23 “Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and wash them off
into the water of bitterness; 24and he shall make the woman drink the water
of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall
enter into her and cause bitter pain. 25And the priest shall take the cereal
offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the cereal
offering before the LORD and bring it to the altar; 26and the priest shall take
a handful of the cereal offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it upon
the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27And when
he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has
acted unfaithfully against her husband, the water that brings the curse shall
enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her body shall swell, and her thigh
shall fall away, and the woman shall become an execration among her
people. 28But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she
shall be free and shall conceive children.
29 “This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her
husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, 30or when the spirit of
jealousy comes upon a man and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set
the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this
law. 31The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her
iniquity.”
The Nazirites
6 And the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the sons of Israel, When either
a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Naz'irite, b to separate
himself to the LORD, 3he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink;
he shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink, and shall not
drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. 4All the days of his
separation c he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even
the seeds or the skins.
5 “All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come upon his
head; until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the
LORD, he shall be holy; he shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.
6 “All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a
dead body. 7Neither for his father nor for his mother, nor for brother or
sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean; because his separation to
God is upon his head. 8All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD.
9 “And if any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles his
consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing;
on the seventh day he shall shave it. 10On the eighth day he shall bring two
turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest to the door of the tent of
meeting, 11and the priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a
burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of
the dead body. And he shall consecrate his head that same day, 12and
separate himself to the LORD for the days of his separation, and bring a male
lamb a year old for a guilt offering; but the former time shall be void,
because his separation was defiled.
13 “And this is the law for the Naz'irite, when the time of his separation
has been completed: he shall be brought to the door of the tent of meeting,
14and he shall offer his gift to the LORD, one male lamb a year old without
blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish
as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as a peace offering, 15and a
basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and
unleavened wafers spread with oil, and their cereal offering and their drink
offerings. 16And the priest shall present them before the LORD and offer his
sin offering and his burnt offering, 17and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice
of peace offering to the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread; the
priest shall offer also its cereal offering and its drink offering. 18And the
Naz'irite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tent of meeting,
and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire
which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering. 19And the priest shall take
the shoulder of the ram, when it is boiled, and one unleavened cake out of
the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of
the Naz'irite, after he has shaven the hair of his consecration, 20and the
priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD; they are a holy
portion for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh
that is offered; and after that the Naz'irite may drink wine.
21 “This is the law for the Naz'irite who takes a vow. His offering to the
LORD shall be according to his vow as a Nazirite, apart from what else he
can afford; in accordance with the vow which he takes, so shall he do
according to the law for his separation as a Nazirite.”
The Priestly Benediction
22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Say to Aaron and his sons, Thus you shall
them.”
Offerings of the Leaders
7 On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and
had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings, and had anointed
and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, 2the leaders of Israel, heads of
their fathers’ houses, the leaders of the tribes, who were over those who
were numbered, 3offered and brought their offerings before the LORD, six
covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the leaders, and
for each one an ox; they offered them before the tabernacle. 4Then the LORD
said to Moses, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing
the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man
according to his service.” 6So Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and
gave them to the Levites. 7Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of
Gershon, according to their service; 8and four wagons and eight oxen he
gave to the sons of Merar'i, according to their service, under the direction of
Ith'amar the son of Aaron the priest. 9But to the sons of Ko'hath he gave
none, because they were charged with the care of the holy things which had
to be carried on the shoulder. 10And the leaders offered offerings for the
dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the leaders offered
their offering before the altar. 11And the LORD said to Moses, “They shall
offer their offerings, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”
12 He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of
Ammin'adab, of the tribe of Judah; 13and his offering was one silver plate
whose weight was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy
shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine
flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; 14one golden dish of ten shekels,
full of incense; 15one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a
burnt offering; 16one male goat for a sin offering; 17and for the sacrifice of
peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a
year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Ammin'adab.
18 On the second day Nethan'el the son of Zu'ar, the leader of Is'sachar,
made an offering; 19he offered for his offering one silver plate, whose
weight was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy
shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine
flour mixed with oil for a cereal offering; 20one golden dish of ten shekels,
full of incense; 21one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a
burnt offering; 22one male goat for a sin offering; 23and for the sacrifice of
peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a
year old. This was the offering of Nethan'el the son of Zu'ar.
24 On the third day Eli'ab the son of He'lon, the leader of the men of
Zeb'ulun: 25his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to the
shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a
cereal offering; 26one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 27one
young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28one
male goat for a sin offering; 29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was
the offering of Eli'ab the son of He'lon.
30 On the fourth day Eli'zur the son of Shed'eur, the leader of the men of
Reuben: 31his offering was one silver plate whose weight was a hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to the
shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a
cereal offering; 32one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 33one
young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 34one
male goat for a sin offering; 35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was
the offering of Eli'zur the son of Shed'eur.
36 On the fifth day Shelu'mi-el the son of Zurishad'dai, the leader of the
men of Simeon: 37his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to
the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for
a cereal offering; 38one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 39one
young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 40one
male goat for a sin offering; 41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was
the offering of Shelu'mi-el the son of Zurishad'dai.
42 On the sixth day Eli'asaph the son of Deu'el, the leader of the men of
Gad: 43his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a hundred and
thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to the shekel
of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal
offering; 44one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 45one young bull,
one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 46one male goat for
a sin offering; 47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five
rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering
of Eli'asaph the son of Deu'el.
48 On the seventh day Elish'ama the son of Ammi'hud, the leader of the
men of E'phraim: 49his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to
the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for
a cereal offering; 50one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 51one
young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 52one
male goat for a sin offering; 53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was
the offering of Elish'ama the son of Ammi'hud.
54 On the eighth day Gama'liel the son of Pedah'zur, the leader of the men
of Manas'seh: 55his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to
the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for
a cereal offering; 56one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 57one
young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 58one
male goat for a sin offering; 59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was
the offering of Gama'liel the son of Pedah'zur.
60 On the ninth day Abi'dan the son of Gideo'ni, the leader of the men of
Benjamin: 61his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to the
shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a
cereal offering; 62one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 63one
young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 64one
male goat for a sin offering; 65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was
the offering of Abi'dan the son of Gideo'ni.
66 On the tenth day Ahie'zer the son of Ammishad'dai, the leader of the
men of Dan: 67his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a
hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to
the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for
a cereal offering; 68one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 69one
young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 70one
male goat for a sin offering; 71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was
the offering of Ahie'zer the son of Ammishad'dai.
72 On the eleventh day Pa'giel the son of Ochran, the leader of the men of
Asher: 73his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a hundred and
thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to the shekel
of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a cereal
offering; 74one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 75one young bull,
one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 76one male goat for
a sin offering; 77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five
rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering
of Pa'giel the son of Ochran.
78 On the twelfth day Ahi'ra the son of E'nan, the leader of the men of
Naph'tali: 79his offering was one silver plate, whose weight was a hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, according to the
shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a
cereal offering; 80one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense; 81one
young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 82one
male goat for a sin offering; 83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two
oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was
the offering of Ahi'ra the son of E'nan.
84 This was the dedication offering for the altar, on the day when it was
anointed, from the leaders of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver
basins, twelve golden dishes, 85each silver plate weighing a hundred and
thirty shekels and each basin seventy, all the silver of the vessels two
thousand four hundred shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary,
86the twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece
according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being a
hundred and twenty shekels; 87all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve
bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their cereal offering;
and twelve male goats for a sin offering; 88and all the cattle for the sacrifice
of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty,
the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication offering for the
altar, after it was anointed.
89 And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD,
he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was
upon the ark of the covenant, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke
to him.
The Seven Lamps
8 Now the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to Aaron, When you set up the
lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” 3And
Aaron did so; he set up its lamps to give light in front of the lampstand, as
the LORD commanded Moses. 4And this was the workmanship of the
lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers, it was
hammered work; according to the pattern which the LORD had shown
Moses, so he made the lampstand.
The Levites’ Consecration and Service
5 And the LORD said to Moses, 6“Take the Levites from among the sons of
Israel, and cleanse them. 7And thus you shall do to them, to cleanse them:
sprinkle the water of expiation upon them, and let them go with a razor over
all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. 8Then let
them take a young bull and its cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil,
and you shall take another young bull for a sin offering. 9And you shall
present the Levites before the tent of meeting, and assemble the whole
congregation of the sons of Israel. 10When you present the Levites before
the LORD, the sons of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites, 11and
Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the
sons of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD. 12Then the
Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bulls; and you shall offer
the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to
make atonement for the Levites. 13And you shall cause the Levites to attend
Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.
14 “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and
the Levites shall be mine. 15And after that the Levites shall go in to do
service at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered
them as a wave offering. 16For they are wholly given to me from among the
sons of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, the first-born of all the
sons of Israel, I have taken them for myself. 17For all the first-born among
the sons of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast; on the day that I slew
all the first-born in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18and I
have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the sons of Israel.
19And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among
the sons of Israel, to do the service for the sons of Israel at the tent of
meeting, and to make atonement for the sons of Israel, that there may be no
plague among the sons of Israel in case the sons of Israel should come near
the sanctuary.”
20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel
from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to perform the work
in the service of the tent of meeting; 25and from the age of fifty years they
shall withdraw from the work of the service and serve no more, 26but
minister to their brethren in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and they
shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their
duties.”
The Passover Kept at Sinai
9 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first
month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt,
saying, 2 “Let the sons of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3On
the fourteenth day of this month, in the evening, you shall keep it at its
appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its ordinances you shall
keep it.” 4So Moses told the sons of Israel that they should keep the
Passover. 5And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth
day of the month, in the evening, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all
that the LORD commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. 6And there were
certain men who were unclean through touching the dead body of a man, so
that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before
Moses and Aaron on that day; 7and those men said to him, “We are unclean
through touching the dead body of a man; why are we kept from offering
the LORD’s offering at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?” 8And
Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command
concerning you.”
9 The LORD said to Moses, 10 “Say to the sons of Israel, If any man of you
tabernacle, the tent of the covenant; and at evening it was over the
tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16So it was continually;
the cloud covered it by day, d and the appearance of fire by night. 17And
whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tent, after that the sons of
Israel set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons
of Israel encamped. 18At the command of the LORD the sons of Israel set
out, and at the command of the LORD they encamped; as long as the cloud
rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19Even when the cloud
continued over the tabernacle many days, the sons of Israel kept the charge
of the LORD, and did not set out. 20Sometimes the cloud was a few days
over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the LORD they
remained in camp; then according to the command of the LORD they set out.
21And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning; and
when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they set out, or if it continued
for a day and a night, when the cloud was taken up they set out. 22Whether
it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over
the tabernacle, abiding there, the sons of Israel remained in camp and did
not set out; but when it was taken up they set out. 23At the command of the
LORD they encamped, and at the command of the LORD they set out; they
kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by Moses.
The Silver Trumpets
10 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Make two silver trumpets; of hammered
work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the
congregation, and for breaking camp. 3And when both are blown, all the
congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of
meeting. 4But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the tribes
of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5When you blow an alarm, the
camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6And when you blow an alarm
the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm
is to be blown whenever they are to set out. 7But when the assembly is to be
gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. 8And
the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall
be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 9And when
you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then
you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered
before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. 10On
the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts, and at the
beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt
offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; they shall serve
you for remembrance before your God; I am the LORD your God.”
Departure from Sinai
11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the
month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant,
12and the sons of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai; and
the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Par'an. 13They set out for the
first time at the command of the LORD by Moses. 14The standard of the
camp of the men of Judah set out first by their companies; and over their
host was Nahshon the son of Ammin'adab. 15And over the host of the tribe
of the men of Is'sachar was Nethan'el the son of Zu'ar. 16And over the host
of the tribe of the men of Zeb'ulun was Eli'ab the son of He'lon.
17 And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the
sons of Merar'i, who carried the tabernacle, set out. 18And the standard of
the camp of Reuben set out by their companies; and over their host was
Eli'zur the son of Shed'eur. 19And over the host of the tribe of the men of
Simeon was Shelu'mi-el the son of Zurishad'dai. 20And over the host of the
tribe of the men of Gad was Eli'asaph the son of Deu'el.
21 Then the Ko'hathites set out, carrying the holy things, and the
tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22And the standard of the camp of
the men of E'phraim set out by their companies; and over their host was
Elish'ama the son of Ammi'hud. 23And over the host of the tribe of the men
of Manas'seh was Gama'liel the son of Pedah'zur. 24And over the host of the
tribe of the men of Benjamin was Abi'dan the son of Gideo'ni.
25 Then the standard of the camp of the men of Dan, acting as the rear
guard of all the camps, set out by their companies; and over their host was
Ahie'zer the son of Ammishad'dai. 26And over the host of the tribe of the
men of Asher was Pa'giel the son of Ochran. 27And over the host of the
tribe of the men of Naph'tali was Ahi'ra the son of E'nan. 28This was the
order of march of the sons of Israel according to their hosts, when they set
out.
29 And Moses said to Ho'bab the son of Reu'el the Mid'ianite, Moses’
father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, ‘I
will give it to you’; come with us, and we will do you good; for the LORD
has promised good to Israel.” 30But he said to him, “I will not go; I will
depart to my own land and to my kindred.” 31And he said, “Do not leave us,
I beg you, for you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you
will serve as eyes for us. 32And if you go with us, whatever good the LORD
will do to us, the same will we do to you.”
33 So they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey; and the
ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them three days’ journey, to
seek out a resting place for them. 34And the cloud of the LORD was over
them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.
35 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O LORD, and let your
enemies be scattered; and let them who hate you flee before you.” 36And
when it rested, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the ten thousand thousands of
Israel.”
Complaining in the Desert
11 And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their
misfortunes; and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the
fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some outlying parts of
the camp. 2Then the people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to the LORD,
and the fire abated. 3So the name of that place was called Tab'erah, e
because the fire of the LORD burned among them.
4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving; and the
people of Israel also wept again, and said, “O that we had meat to eat! 5We
remember the fish we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons,
the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6but now our strength is dried up, and
there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of
gum resin. 8The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or
beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it; and the taste
of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9When the dew fell upon the
camp in the night, the manna fell with it.
10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man
at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses
was displeased. 11Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you dealt ill with
your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay
the burden of all this people upon me? 12Did I conceive all this people? Did
I bring them forth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom,
as a nurse carries the sucking child,’ to the land which you swore to give
their fathers? 13Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they
weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14I am not able to
carry all this people alone, the burden is too heavy for me. 15If you will deal
thus with me, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see
my wretchedness.”
The Seventy Elders
16 And the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders
of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over
them; and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand
there with you. 17And I will come down and talk with you there; and I will
take some of the spirit which is upon you and put it upon them; and they
shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it
yourself alone. 18And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for
tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the
LORD, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in
Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19You
shall not eat one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days,
20but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes
loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you,
and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come forth out of
Egypt?” ’ ” 21But Moses said, “The people among whom I am number six
hundred thousand on foot; and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that
they may eat a whole month!’ 22Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for
them, to satisfy them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together
for them, to satisfy them?” 23And the LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’s
hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for
you or not.”
24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD; and he
gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and placed them round
about the tent. 25Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him,
and took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it upon the seventy
elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did
so no more.
26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other
named Medad, and the spirit rested upon them; they were among those
registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in
the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are
prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of
Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My lord Moses, forbid them.” 29But
Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the
LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his spirit upon
them!” 30And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.*
The Quails
31 And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and it brought quails from
the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side
and a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two
cubits above the face of the earth. 32And the people rose all that day, and all
night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails; he who gathered least
gathered ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves all around
the camp. 33While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was
consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the
LORD struck the people with a very great plague. 34Therefore the name of
that place was called Kib'roth-hatta'avah, f because there they buried the
people who had the craving. 35From Kib'roth-hatta'avah the people
journeyed to Haze'roth; and they remained at Hazeroth.
Aaron and Miriam Speak against Moses
12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite
woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman; 2and
they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not
spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it. 3Now the man Moses was
very meek, more than all men that were on the face of the earth. 4And
suddenly the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out,
you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. 5And the
LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the tent, and
called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6And he said, “Hear
my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known
to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. 7Not so with my servant
Moses; he is entrusted with all my house. 8With him I speak mouth to
mouth, clearly, and not in dark speech; and he beholds the form of the
LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed;
10and when the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was
leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam, and behold,
she was leprous. 11And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not g punish
us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. 12Let her not be as one
dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his
mother’s womb.” 13And Moses cried to the LORD, “Heal her, O God, I beg
you.” 14But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face,
should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp
seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15So Miriam was
shut up outside the camp seven days; and the people did not set out on the
march till Miriam was brought in again. 16After that the people set out from
Haze'roth, and encamped in the wilderness of Par'an.
Spies Sent into Canaan
13 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan,
which I give to the sons of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers shall you
send a man, every one a leader among them.” 3So Moses sent them from the
wilderness of Par'an, according to the command of the LORD, all of them
men who were heads of the sons of Israel. 4And these were their names:
From the tribe of Reuben, Sham'mu-a the son of Zaccur; 5from the tribe of
Simeon, Sha'phat the son of Ho'ri; 6from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of
Jephun'neh; 7from the tribe of Is'sachar, I'gal the son of Joseph; 8from the
tribe of E'phraim, Hoshe'a the son of Nun; 9from the tribe of Benjamin,
Palti the son of Ra'phu; 10from the tribe of Zeb'ulun, Gad'diel the son of
Sodi; 11from the tribe of Joseph (that is from the tribe of Manas'seh), Gaddi
the son of Susi; 12from the tribe of Dan, Am'miel the son of Gemal'li;
13from the tribe of Asher, Seth'ur the son of Michael; 14from the tribe of
Naph'tali, Nahbi the son of Voph'si; 15from the tribe of Gad, Geu'el the son
of Machi. 16These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out
the land. And Moses called Hoshe'a the son of Nun Joshua.
17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go
up into the Neg'eb yonder, and go up into the hill country, 18and see what
the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak,
whether they are few or many, 19and whether the land that they dwell in is
good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or
strongholds, 20and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there is
wood in it or not. Be of good courage, and bring some of the fruit of the
land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.
21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to
Re'hob, near the entrance of Ha'math. 22They went up into the Neg'eb, and
came to He'bron; and Ahi'man, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of
A'nak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
23And they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch
with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of
them; they brought also some pomegranates and figs. 24That place was
called the Valley of Eshcol, h because of the cluster which the men of Israel
cut down from there.
25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26And
they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of
Israel in the wilderness of Par'an, at Ka'desh; they brought back word to
them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.
27And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us; it flows
with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28Yet the people who dwell in the
land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and besides, we
saw the descendants of A'nak there. 29The Amal'ekites dwell in the land of
the Neg'eb; the Hittites, the Jeb'usites, and the Am'orites dwell in the hill
country; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at
once, and occupy it; for we are well able to overcome it.” 31Then the men
who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the
people; for they are stronger than we.” 32So they brought to the sons of
Israel an evil report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land,
through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its
inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.
33And there we saw the Neph'ilim (the sons of A'nak, who come from the
Egypt.” 5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly
of the congregation of the sons of Israel. 6And Joshua the son of Nun and
Caleb the son of Jephun'neh, who were among those who had spied out the
land, tore their clothes, 7and said to all the congregation of the sons of
Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly
good land. 8If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and
give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. 9Only, do not rebel
against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread
for us; their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do
not fear them.” 10But all the congregation said to stone them with stones.
Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the sons
of Israel. 11And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise
me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs
which I have wrought among them? 12I will strike them with the pestilence
and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier
than they.”
Moses Intercedes for the People
13 But Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you
brought up this people in your might from among them, 14and they will tell
the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the
midst of this people; for you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud
stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in
a pillar of fire by night. 15Now if you kill this people as one man, then the
nations who have heard your fame will say, 16‘Because the LORD was not
able to bring this people into the land which he swore to give to them,
therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’ 17And now, I beg you, let the
power of the LORD be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The LORD is
slow to anger, and abounding in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers upon
children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.’ 19Pardon the
iniquity of this people, I beg you, according to the greatness of your mercy,
and according as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until
now.”
20 Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word; 21but
truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD,
22none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs which I wrought
in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the proof these ten
times and have not hearkened to my voice, 23shall see the land which I
swore to give to their fathers; and none of those who despised me shall see
it. 24But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has
followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his
descendants shall possess it. 25Now, since the Amal'ekites and the
Canaanites dwell in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the
wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”
God’s Punishment of the Disobedient
26 And the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron, 27 “How long shall this
numbered from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against
me, 30not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you
dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephun'neh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31But
your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and
they shall know the land which you have despised. 32But as for you, your
dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33And your children shall be
shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and shall suffer for your
faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.
34According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land,
forty days, for every day a year, you shall bear your iniquity, forty years,
and you shall know my displeasure.’ 35I, the LORD, have spoken; surely this
will I do to all this wicked congregation that are gathered together against
me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall
die.”
36 And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and who returned
and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up an evil
report against the land, 37the men who brought up an evil report of the land,
died by plague before the LORD. 38But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the
son of Jephun'neh remained alive, of those men who went to spy out the
land.
39 And Moses told these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people
mourned greatly. 40And they rose early in the morning, and went up to the
heights of the hill country, saying, “See, we are here, we will go up to the
place which the LORD has promised; for we have sinned.” 41But Moses said,
“Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, for that will not
succeed? 42Do not go up lest you be struck down before your enemies, for
the LORD is not among you. 43For there the Amal'ekites and the Canaanites
are before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned
back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” 44But they
presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark
of the covenant of the LORD, nor Moses, departed out of the camp. 45Then
the Amal'ekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country came
down, and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.
Various Offerings
15 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the sons of Israel, When you
come into the land you are to inhabit, which I give you, 3and you offer to
the LORD from the herd or from the flock an offering by fire or a burnt
offering or a sacrifice, to fulfil a vow or as a freewill offering or at your
appointed feasts, to make a pleasing odor to the LORD, 4then he who brings
his offering shall offer to the LORD a cereal offering of a tenth of an ephah
of fine flour, mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil; 5and wine for the drink
offering, a fourth of a hin, you shall prepare with the burnt offering, or for
the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6Or for a ram, you shall prepare for a cereal
offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of
oil; 7and for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a
pleasing odor to the LORD. 8And when you prepare a bull for a burnt
offering, or for a sacrifice, to fulfil a vow, or for peace offerings to the
LORD, 9then you shall offer with the bull a cereal offering of three tenths of
an ephah of fine flour, mixed with half a hin of oil, 10and you shall offer for
the drink offering half a hin of wine, as an offering by fire, a pleasing odor
to the LORD.
11 “Thus it shall be done for each bull or ram, or for each of the male
lambs or the kids. 12According to the number that you prepare, so shall you
do with every one according to their number. 13All who are native shall do
these things in this way, in offering an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to
the LORD. 14And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or any one is among
you throughout your generations, and he wishes to offer an offering by fire,
a pleasing odor to the LORD, he shall do as you do. 15For the assembly, there
shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a
perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the
sojourner be before the LORD. 16One law and one ordinance shall be for you
and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”
17 The LORD said to Moses, 18 “Say to the sons of Israel, When you come
into the land to which I bring you 19and when you eat of the food of the
land, you shall present an offering to the LORD. 20Of the first of your coarse
meal you shall present a cake as an offering; as an offering from the
threshing floor, so shall you present it. 21Of the first of your coarse meal
you shall give to the LORD an offering throughout your generations.
22 “But if you err, and do not observe all these commandments which the
LORD has spoken to Moses, 23all that the LORD has commanded you by
Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward
throughout your generations, 24then if it was done unwittingly without the
knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one young
bull for a burnt offering, a pleasing odor to the LORD, with its cereal
offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male
goat for a sin offering. 25And the priest shall make atonement for all the
congregation of the sons of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; because it was
an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the
LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their error. 26And all the
congregation of the sons of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who
sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the
error.
27 “If one person sins unwittingly, he shall offer a female goat a year old
for a sin offering. 28And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD
for the person who commits an error, when he sins unwittingly, to make
atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. 29You shall have one law for
him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native among the sons
of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them. 30But the person
who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner,
reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people.
31Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken his
commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be
upon him.”
Punishment for Violating the Sabbath
32 While the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man
gathering sticks on the sabbath day. 33And those who found him gathering
sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34They
put him in custody, because it had not been made plain what should be done
to him. 35And the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all
the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36And all
the congregation brought him outside the camp, and stoned him to death
with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Tassels on Garments
37 The LORD said to Moses, 38“Speak to the sons of Israel, and bid them to
said, “We will not come up. 13Is it a small thing that you have brought us up
out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that
you must also make yourself a prince over us? 14Moreover you have not
brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us
inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men?
We will not come up.”
15 And Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, “Do not respect their
offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed
one of them.” 16And Moses said to Ko'rah, “Be present, you and all your
company, before the LORD, you and they, and Aaron, tomorrow; 17and let
every one of you take his censer, and put incense upon it, and every one of
you bring before the LORD his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; you
also, and Aaron, each his censer.” 18So every man took his censer, and they
put fire in them and laid incense upon them, and they stood at the entrance
of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19Then Ko'rah assembled all
the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And
the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram Are Punished
20 And the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron, 21 “Separate yourselves from
Israel followed him. 26And he said to the congregation, “Depart, I beg you,
from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be
swept away with all their sins.” 27So they got away from about the dwelling
of Ko'rah, Da'than, and Abi'ram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and
stood at the door of their tents, together with their wives, their sons, and
their little ones. 28And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD
has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own
accord. 29If these men die the common death of all men, or if they are
visited by the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30But if the
LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows
them up, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol,
then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD.”
31 And as he finished speaking all these words, the ground under them
split asunder; 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up,
with their households and all the men that belonged to Ko'rah and all their
goods. 33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol;
and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the
assembly. 34And all Israel that were round about them fled at their cry; for
they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35And fire came forth from the
LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense.
36 i Then the LORD said to Moses, 37 “Tell Elea'zar the son of Aaron the
priest to take up the censers out of the blaze; then scatter the fire far and
wide. For they are holy, 38the censers of these men who have sinned at the
cost of their lives; so let them be made into hammered plates as a covering
for the altar, for they offered them before the LORD; therefore they are holy.
Thus they shall be a sign to the sons of Israel.” 39So Elea'zar the priest took
the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered; and they
were hammered out as a covering for the altar, 40to be a reminder to the
sons of Israel, so that no one who is not a priest, who is not of the
descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD,
lest he become as Ko'rah and as his company—as the LORD said to Elea'zar
through Moses.
A Plague Strikes the Rebels
41 But the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel murmured
against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the
LORD.” 42And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and
against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting; and behold, the
cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43And Moses and
Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the LORD said to
Moses, 45 “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may
consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. 46And Moses
said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and
lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make
atonement for them; for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has
begun.” 47So Aaron took it as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the
assembly; and behold, the plague had already begun among the people; and
he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48And he stood
between the dead and the living; and the plague was stopped. 49Now those
who died by the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides
those who died in the affair of Ko'rah. 50And Aaron returned to Moses at
the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.
The Blossoming of Aaron’s Rod
17 j The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and get
from them rods, one for each fathers’ house, from all their leaders
according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each man’s name
upon his rod, 3and write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi. For there shall
be one rod for the head of each fathers’ house. 4Then you shall deposit them
in the tent of meeting before the covenant, where I meet with you. 5And the
rod of the man whom I choose shall sprout; thus I will make to cease from
me the murmurings of the sons of Israel, which they murmur against you.”
6Moses spoke to the sons of Israel; and all their leaders gave him rods, one
for each leader, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod
of Aaron was among their rods. 7And Moses deposited the rods before the
LORD in the tent of the covenant.
8 And the next day Moses went into the tent of the covenant; and behold,
the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds, and
produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9Then Moses brought out all
the rods from before the LORD to all the sons of Israel; and they looked, and
each man took his rod. 10And the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the rod of
Aaron before the covenant, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may
make an end of their murmurings against me, lest they die.” 11Thus did
Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did.
12 And the sons of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are
undone, we are all undone. 13Every one who comes near, who comes near
to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?”
Duties of Priests and Levites
18 So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’
house with you shall bear iniquity in connection with the sanctuary; and
you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity in connection with your
priesthood. 2And with you bring your brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the
tribe of your father, that they may join you, and minister to you while you
and your sons with you are before the tent of the covenant. 3They shall
attend you and attend to all duties of the tent; but shall not come near to the
vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar, lest they, and you, die. 4They shall
join you, and attend to the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent; and
no one else shall come near you. 5And you shall attend to the duties of the
sanctuary and the duties of the altar, that there be wrath no more upon the
sons of Israel. 6And behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from
among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the
service of the tent of meeting. 7And you and your sons with you shall attend
to your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil;
and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, k and any one else who
comes near shall be put to death.”
The Priest’s Portion
8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, “And behold, I have given you whatever is
kept of the offerings made to me, all the consecrated things of the sons of
Israel; I have given them to you as a portion, and to your sons as a perpetual
debt. 9This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire;
every offering of theirs, every cereal offering of theirs and every sin
offering of theirs and every guilt offering of theirs, which they render to me,
shall be most holy to you and to your sons. 10In a most holy place shall you
eat of it; every male may eat of it; it is holy to you. 11This also is yours, the
offering of their gift, all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have
given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual
debt; every one who is clean in your house may eat of it. 12All the best of
the oil, and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the first fruits of what
they give to the LORD, I give to you. 13The first ripe fruits of all that is in
their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours; every one who is
clean in your house may eat of it. 14Every devoted thing in Israel shall be
yours. 15Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast,
which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours; nevertheless the first-born of
man you shall redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts you shall redeem.
16And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you
shall fix at five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary,
which is twenty gerahs. 17But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a
sheep, or the firstling of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You
shall sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shall burn their fat as an
offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD; 18but their flesh shall be yours,
as the breast that is waved and as the right thigh are yours. 19All the holy
offerings which the sons of Israel present to the LORD I give to you, and to
your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual debt; it is a covenant of
salt for ever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you.”
20And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land,
neither shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your
inheritance among the sons of Israel.
21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in
return for their service which they serve, their service in the tent of meeting.
22And henceforth the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting,
lest they bear sin and die. 23But the Levites shall do the service of the tent
of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute
throughout your generations; and among the sons of Israel they shall have
no inheritance. 24For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they present as an
offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance;
therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the
sons of Israel.”
25 And the LORD said to Moses, 26 “Moreover you shall say to the Levites,
‘When you take from the sons of Israel the tithe which I have given you
from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to
the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. 27And your offering shall be reckoned to you
as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fulness of the
wine press. 28So shall you also present an offering to the LORD from all
your tithes, which you receive from the sons of Israel; and from it you shall
give the LORD’s offering to Aaron the priest. 29Out of all the gifts to you,
you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them,
giving the hallowed part from them.’ 30Therefore you shall say to them,
‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be
reckoned to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of
the wine press; 31and you may eat it in any place, you and your households;
for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting. 32And
you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have offered the best of it.
And you shall not profane the holy things of the sons of Israel, lest you
die.’ ”
Ceremony of the Red Heifer
19 Now the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron, 2 “This is the statute of
the law which the LORD has commanded: Tell the sons of Israel to bring you
a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and upon which a
yoke has never come. 3And you shall give her to Elea'zar the priest, and she
shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him; 4and Elea'zar
the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of
her blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. 5And the
heifer shall be burned in his sight; her skin, her flesh, and her blood, with
all her dung, shall be burned; 6and the priest shall take cedarwood and
hyssop and scarlet stuff, and cast them into the midst of the burning of the
heifer. 7Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water,
and afterwards he shall come into the camp; and the priest shall be unclean
until evening. 8He who burns the heifer shall wash his clothes in water and
bathe his body in water, and shall be unclean until evening. 9And a man
who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and deposit them
outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the
congregation of the sons of Israel for the water for impurity, for the removal
of sin. 10And he who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes,
and be unclean until evening. And this shall be to the sons of Israel, and to
the stranger who sojourns among them, a perpetual statute.
Laws concerning the Dead
11 “He who touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven
days; 12he shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the
seventh day, and so be clean; but if he does not cleanse himself on the third
day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. 13Whoever touches a
dead person, the body of any man who has died, and does not cleanse
himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD, and that person shall be cut off
from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown upon him, he
shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.
14 “This is the law when a man dies in a tent: every one who comes into
the tent, and every one who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
15And every open vessel, which has no cover fastened upon it, is unclean.
16Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a
running water shall be added in a vessel; 18then a clean person shall take
hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all
the furnishings, and upon the persons who were there, and upon him who
touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave; 19and the clean
person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh
day; thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his
clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.
20 “But the man who is unclean and does not cleanse himself, that person
shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the
sanctuary of the LORD; because the water for impurity has not been thrown
upon him, he is unclean. 21And it shall be a perpetual statute for them. He
who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes; and he who
touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening. 22And
whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and any one who
touches it shall be unclean until evening.”
The Waters of Meribah
20 And the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the
wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Ka'desh; and
Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2 Now there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3And the people
contended with Moses, and said, “Would that we had died when our
brethren died before the LORD! 4Why have you brought the assembly of the
LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle?
5And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil
brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water; so you shall
bring water out of the rock for them; so you shall give drink to the
congregation and their cattle.” 9And Moses took the rod from before the
LORD, as he commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock,
and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for
you out of this rock?” 11And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock
with his rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation
drank, and their cattle. 12And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because
you did not believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the sons of Israel,
therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given
them.” 13These are the waters of Mer'ibah, l where the sons of Israel
contended with the LORD, and he showed himself holy among them.
Passage through Edom Refused
14 Moses sent messengers from Ka'desh to the king of E'dom, “Thus says
your brother Israel: You know all the adversity that has befallen us: 15how
our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the
Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers; 16and when we cried to the
LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us forth out of
Egypt; and here we are in Ka'desh, a city on the edge of your territory.
17Now let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or
vineyard, neither will we drink water from a well; we will go along the
King’s Highway, we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until
we have passed through your territory.” 18But E'dom said to him, “You shall
not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” 19And the
sons of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink
of your water, I and my cattle, then I will pay for it; let me only pass
through on foot, nothing more.” 20But he said, “You shall not pass through.”
And E'dom came out against them with many men, and with a strong force.
21Thus E'dom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel
congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23And the LORD said to Moses and
Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of E'dom, 24 “Aaron shall be
gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to
the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters
of Mer'ibah. 25Take Aaron and Elea'zar his son, and bring them up to Mount
Hor; 26and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Elea'zar his son;
and Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and shall die there.” 27Moses did
as the LORD commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of the
congregation. 28And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them
upon Elea'zar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain.
Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29And when all the
congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel wept for
Aaron thirty days.
The Bronze Serpent
21 When the Canaanite, the king of Ar'ad, who dwelt in the Neg'eb,
heard that Israel was coming by the way of Ath'arim, he fought against
Israel, and took some of them captive. 2And Israel vowed a vow to the
LORD, and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I
will utterly destroy their cities.” 3And the LORD listened to the voice of
Israel, and gave over the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and
their cities; so the name of the place was called Hormah. m
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around
the land of E'dom; and the people became impatient on the way. 5And the
people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up
out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and
we loathe this worthless food.” 6Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among
the people, and they bit the people, so that many sons of Israel died. 7And
the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken
against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD, that he take away the
serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said to
Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it up as a sign; and every one who is
bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9So Moses made a bronze serpent, and
set it up as a sign; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze
serpent and live.*
The Journey to Moab
10 And the sons of Israel set out, and encamped in O'both. 11And they set
vineyard; we will not drink the water of a well; we will go by the King’s
Highway, until we have passed through your territory.” 23But Si'hon would
not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his men
together, and went out against Israel to the wilderness, and came to Ja'haz,
and fought against Israel. 24And Israel slew him with the edge of the sword,
and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as to
the Am'monites; for Ja'zer was the boundary of the Ammonites. p 25And
Israel took all these cities, and Israel settled in all the cities of the Am'orites,
in Heshbon, and in all its villages. 26For Heshbon was the city of Si'hon the
king of the Am'orites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and
taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon. 27Therefore the ballad
singers say,
“Come to Heshbon, let it be built,
let the city of Si'hon be established.
28For fire went forth from Heshbon,
OceanofPDF.com
30So their posterity perished from Heshbon, q as far as Di'bon,
and we laid waste until fire spread to Med'eba.” r
Og the King of Bashan Defeated
31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Am'orites. 32And Moses sent to spy
out Ja'zer; and they took its villages, and dispossessed the Am'orites that
were there. 33Then they turned and went up by the way to Bashan; and Og
the king of Bashan came out against them, he and all his people, to battle at
Ed're-i. 34But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him; for I have given
him into your hand, and all his people, and his land; and you shall do to him
as you did to Si'hon king of the Am'orites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” 35So
they slew him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was not one
survivor left to him; and they possessed his land.
Balak Summons Balaam
22 Then the sons of Israel set out, and encamped in the plains of Moab
beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 2And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that
Israel had done to the Am'orites. 3And Moab was in great dread of the
people, because they were many; Moab was overcome with fear of the sons
of Israel. 4And Moab said to the elders of Mid'ian, “This horde will now
lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.”
So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5sent
messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pe'thor, which is near the River, in
the land of Am'aw to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of
Egypt; they cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me.
6Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me;
perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land; for I
know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Mid'ian departed with the fees
for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam, and gave him
Balak’s message. 8And he said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will
bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me”; so the princes of Moab
stayed with Balaam. 9And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these
men with you?” 10And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king
of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,
and it covers the face of the earth; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I
shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.’ ” 12God said to
Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for
they are blessed.” 13So Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the princes
of Balak, “Go to your own land; for the LORD has refused to let me go with
you.” 14So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam
refuses to come with us.”
15 Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable
than they. 16And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak
the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me; 17for I will
surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do; come,
curse this people for me.’ ” 18But Balaam answered and said to the servants
of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I
could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
19Please, now, tarry here this night also, that I may know what more the
LORD will say to me.” 20And God came to Balaam at night and said to him,
“If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only what I bid
you, that shall you do.”
Balaam, His Donkey, and the Angel
21 * So Balaam rose in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went
with the princes of Moab. 22But God’s anger was kindled because he went;
and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now
he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23And the
donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword
in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the road, and went into the
field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 24Then the
angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall
on either side. 25And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she
pushed against the wall, and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he
struck her again. 26Then the angel of the LORD went ahead, and stood in a
narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the
left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under
Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his
staff. 28Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to
Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three
times?” 29And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made sport of
me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” 30And the
donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, upon which you have
ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so to
you?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the
LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed
his head, and fell on his face. 32And the angel of the LORD said to him,
“Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come
forth to withstand you, because your way is perverse before me; 33and the
donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not
turned aside from me, surely just now I would have slain you and let her
live.” 34Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did
not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil
in your sight, I will go back again.” 35And the angel of the LORD said to
Balaam, “Go with the men; but only the word which I bid you, that shall
you speak.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at
the city of Moab, on the boundary formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of
the boundary. 37And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to you to call
you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” 38Balaam
said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power at all to
speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.”
39Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kir'iath-hu'zoth. 40And
Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam and to the princes who
were with him.
Balaam’s First Oracle
41 And the next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Ba'moth-
curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.”
12And he answered, “Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD puts in
my mouth?”
Balaam’s Second Oracle
13 And Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place, from which
you may see them; you shall see only the nearest of them, and shall not see
them all; then curse them for me from there.” 14And he took him to the field
of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull
and a ram on each altar. 15Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your
burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.” 16And the LORD met
Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus
shall you speak.” 17And he came to him, and, behold, he was standing
beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said
to him, “What has the LORD spoken?” 18And Balaam took up his discourse,
and said,
“Rise, Balak, and hear;
hearken to me, O son of Zippor:
19God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should repent.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it?
20Behold, I received a command to bless:
all.” 26But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the LORD
says, that I must do’?” 27And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take
you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them
for me from there.” 28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that
overlooks the desert. t 29And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here
seven altars, and provide for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30And
Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Balaam’s Third Oracle
24 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not
go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the
wilderness. 2And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and saw Israel encamping tribe
by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3and he took up his
discourse, and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, u
4the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
way.
Worship of Baal of Peor
25 While Israel dwelt in Shittim the people began to play the harlot
with the daughters of Moab. 2These invited the people to the sacrifices of
their gods, and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. 3So Israel
yoked himself to Ba'al of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled
against Israel; 4and the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the
people, and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of
the LORD may turn away from Israel.” 5And Moses said to the judges of
Israel, “Every one of you slay his men who have yoked themselves to Ba'al
of Peor.”
6 And behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought a Mid'ianite
woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole
congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of
the tent of meeting. 7When Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar, son of Aaron the
priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation, and took a spear in his hand
8and went after the man of Israel into the inner room, and pierced both of
them, the man of Israel and the woman, through her body. Thus the plague
was stayed from the sons of Israel. 9Nevertheless those that died by the
plague were twenty-four thousand.
10 And the LORD said to Moses, 11“Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar, son of
Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the sons of Israel, in that
he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the
sons of Israel in my jealousy. 12Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my
covenant of peace; 13and it shall be to him, and to his descendants after him,
the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God,
and made atonement for the sons of Israel.’ ”
14 The name of the slain man of Israel, who was slain with the Mid'ianite
woman, was Zimri the son of Sa'lu, head of a fathers’ house belonging to
the Simeonites. 15And the name of the Mid'ianite woman who was slain
was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the head of the people of a fathers’
house in Mid'ian.
16 And the LORD said to Moses, 17 “Harass the Mid'ianites, and strike
them; 18for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they
beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter
of the prince of Mid'ian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague
on account of Peor.”
Another Census of Israel
26 After the plague the LORD said to Moses and to Elea'zar the son of
Aaron, the priest, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of
Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all in
Israel who are able to go forth to war.” 3And Moses and Elea'zar the priest
spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
4“Take a census of the people, x from twenty years old and upward,” as the
LORD commanded Moses. The sons of Israel, who came forth out of the
land of Egypt, were:
5 Reuben, the first-born of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Ha'noch, the
family of the Ha'nochites; of Pallu, the family of the Pal'luites; 6of Hezron,
the family of the Hez'ronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 7These
are the families of the Reubenites; and their number was forty-three
thousand seven hundred and thirty. 8And the sons of Pallu: Eli'ab. 9The sons
of Eli'ab: Nem'u-el, Da'than, and Abi'ram. These are the Dathan and
Abiram, chosen from the congregation, who contended against Moses and
Aaron in the company of Ko'rah, when they contended against the LORD,
10and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with
Ko'rah, when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and
fifty men; and they became a warning. 11Notwithstanding, the sons of
Ko'rah did not die.
12 The sons of Simeon according to their families: of Nem'u-el, the family
the To'laites; of Pu'vah, the family of the Pu'nites; 24of Jash'ub, the family of
the Jash'ubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shim'ronites. 25These are the
families of Is'sachar according to their number, sixty-four thousand three
hundred.
26 The sons of Zeb'ulun, according to their families: of Se'red, the family
of the Se'redites; of E'lon, the family of the E'lonites; of Jah'leel, the family
of the Jah'leelites. 27These are the families of the Zeb'ulunites according to
their number, sixty thousand five hundred.
28 The sons of Joseph according to their families: Manas'seh and E'phraim.
29The sons of Manas'seh: of Ma'chir, the family of the Ma'chirites; and
Machir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
30These are the sons of Gilead: of Iez'er, the family of the Iez'erites; of
He'lek, the family of the He'lekites; 31and of As'riel, the family of the
As'rielites; and of She'chem, the family of the She'chemites; 32and of
Shemi'da, the family of the Shemi'daites; and of He'pher, the family of the
He'pherites. 33Now Zeloph'ehad the son of He'pher had no sons, but
daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah,
Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34These are the families of Manas'seh;
and their number was fifty-two thousand seven hundred.
35 These are the sons of E'phraim according to their families: of
family of the Shu'hamites. These are the families of Dan according to their
families. 43All the families of the Shu'hamites, according to their number,
were sixty-four thousand four hundred.
44 The sons of Asher according to their families: of Imnah, the family of
the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beri'ah, the family of the
Beri'ites. 45Of the sons of Beri'ah: of He'ber, the family of the He'berites; of
Mal'chi-el, the family of the Mal'chi-elites. 46And the name of the daughter
of Asher was Se'rah. 47These are the families of the sons of Asher according
to their number, fifty-three thousand four hundred.
48 The sons of Naph'tali according to their families: of Jah'zeel, the family
of the Jah'zeelites; of Gu'ni, the family of the Gu'nites; 49of Je'zer, the
family of the Je'zerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shil'lemites. 50These
are the families of Naph'tali according to their families; and their number
was forty-five thousand four hundred.
51 This was the number of the sons of Israel, six hundred and one thousand
inheritance according to the number of names. 54To a large tribe you shall
give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small
inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance according to its
numbers. 55But the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of
the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56Their inheritance shall be
divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller.”
57 These are the Levites as numbered according to their families: of
Gershon, the family of the Ger'shonites; of Ko'hath, the family of the
Ko'hathites; of Merar'i, the family of the Merar'ites. 58These are the families
of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the He'bronites, the family
of the Mahlites, the family of the Mu'shites, the family of the Ko'rahites.
And Ko'hath was the father of Amram. 59The name of Amram’s wife was
Joch'ebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she
bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister. 60And to Aaron
were born Na'dab, Abi'hu, Elea'zar and Ith'amar. 61But Na'dab and Abi'hu
died when they offered unholy fire before the LORD. 62And those numbered
of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and
upward; for they were not numbered among the sons of Israel, because
there was no inheritance given to them among the sons of Israel.
63 These were those numbered by Moses and Elea'zar the priest, who
numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
64But among these there was not a man of those numbered by Moses and
Aaron the priest, who had numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of
Sinai. 65For the LORD had said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.”
There was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephun'neh and
Joshua the son of Nun.
The Daughters of Zelophehad
27 Then drew near the daughters of Zeloph'ehad the son of He'pher,
son of Gilead, son of Ma'chir, son of Manas'seh, from the families of
Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah,
Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2And they stood before Moses, and
before Elea'zar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, at
the door of the tent of meeting, saying, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness;
he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together
against the LORD in the company of Ko'rah, but died for his own sin; and he
had no sons. 4Why should the name of our father be taken away from his
family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s
brethren.”
5 Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6And the LORD said to Moses,
7 “The daughters of Zeloph'ehad are right; you shall give them possession
of an inheritance among their father’s brethren and cause the inheritance of
their father to pass to them. 8And you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘If a
man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his
daughter. 9And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to
his brothers. 10And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance
to his father’s brothers. 11And if his father has no brothers, then you shall
give his inheritance to his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he
shall possess it. And it shall be to the sons of Israel a statute and ordinance,
as the LORD commanded Moses.’ ”
Joshua Appointed Moses’ Successor
12 The LORD said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Ab'arim, and see
the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. 13And when you have seen
it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was
gathered, 14because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin
during the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before
their eyes.” (These are the waters of Mer'ibah of Ka'desh in the wilderness
of Zin.) 15Moses said to the LORD, 16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits
of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17who shall go out before
them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in;
that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep which have no
shepherd.” 18And the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a
man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him; 19cause him to
stand before Elea'zar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall
commission him in their sight. 20You shall invest him with some of your
authority, that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey. 21And he
shall stand before Elea'zar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the
judgment of the U'rim before the LORD; at his word they shall go out, and at
his word they shall come in, both he and all the sons of Israel with him, the
whole congregation.” 22And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; he
took Joshua and caused him to stand before Elea'zar the priest and the
whole congregation, 23and he laid his hands upon him, and commissioned
him as the LORD directed through Moses.
Daily Offerings
28 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Command the sons of Israel, and say to
them, ‘My offering, my food for my offerings by fire, my pleasing odor,
you shall take heed to offer to me in its due season.’ 3And you shall say to
them, This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two
male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a continual offering.
4The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall
offer in the evening; 5also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a cereal
offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil. 6It is a continual burnt
offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing odor, an offering
by fire to the LORD. 7Its drink offering shall be a fourth of a hin for each
lamb; in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to
the LORD. 8The other lamb you shall offer in the evening; like the cereal
offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as an
offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD.
Sabbath Offerings
9 “On the sabbath day two male lambs a year old without blemish, and
two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a cereal offering, mixed with oil,
and its drink offering: 10this is the burnt offering of every sabbath, besides
the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.
Monthly Offerings
11 “At the beginnings of your months you shall offer a burnt offering to
the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without
blemish; 12also three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a cereal offering,
mixed with oil, for each bull; and two tenths of fine flour for a cereal
offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram; 13and a tenth of fine flour mixed
with oil as a cereal offering for every lamb; for a burnt offering of pleasing
odor, an offering by fire to the LORD. 14Their drink offerings shall be half a
hin of wine for a bull, a third of a hin for a ram, and a fourth of a hin for a
lamb; this is the burnt offering of each month throughout the months of the
year. 15Also one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD; it shall be offered
besides the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.
Offerings at Passover
16 “On the fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover.
17And on the fifteenth day of this month is a feast; seven days shall
unleavened bread be eaten. 18On the first day there shall be a holy
convocation: you shall do no laborious work, 19but offer an offering by fire,
a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male
lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; 20also their cereal
offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths of an ephah shall you offer
for a bull, and two tenths for a ram; 21a tenth shall you offer for each of the
seven lambs; 22also one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for
you. 23You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning,
which is for a continual burnt offering. 24In the same way you shall offer
daily, for seven days, the food of an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the
LORD; it shall be offered besides the continual burnt offering and its drink
offering. 25And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation; you
shall do no laborious work.
Offerings at the Feast of Weeks
26 “On the day of the first fruits, when you offer a cereal offering of new
grain to the LORD at your feast of weeks, you shall have a holy convocation;
you shall do no laborious work, 27but offer a burnt offering, a pleasing odor
to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28also
their cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah
for each bull, two tenths for one ram, 29a tenth for each of the seven lambs;
30with one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31Besides the continual
burnt offering and its cereal offering, you shall offer them and their drink
offering. See that they are without blemish.
Offerings at the Feast of Trumpets
29 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy
convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It is a day for you to blow the
trumpets, 2and you shall offer a burnt offering, a pleasing odor to the LORD:
one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish;
3also their cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an
ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4and one tenth for each of the
seven lambs; 5with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for
you; 6besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its cereal offering,
and the continual burnt offering and its cereal offering, and their drink
offering, according to the ordinance for them, a pleasing odor, an offering
by fire to the LORD.
Offerings on the Day of Atonement
7 “On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy
convocation, and afflict yourselves; you shall do no work, 8but you shall
offer a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing odor: one young bull, one ram,
seven male lambs a year old; they shall be to you without blemish; 9and
their cereal offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah
for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10a tenth for each of the seven
lambs: 11also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of
atonement, and the continual burnt offering and its cereal offering, and their
drink offerings.
Offerings at the Feast of Booths
12 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy
convocation; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall keep a feast to
the LORD seven days; 13and you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering by
fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD, thirteen young bulls, two rams, fourteen
male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish; 14and their cereal
offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the
thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15and a tenth for each of
the fourteen lambs; 16also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the
continual burnt offering, its cereal offering and its drink offering.
17 “On the second day twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs
a year old without blemish, 18with the cereal offering and the drink
offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by number,
according to the ordinance; 19also one male goat for a sin offering, besides
the continual burnt offering and its cereal offering, and their drink offerings.
20 “On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year
old without blemish, 21with the cereal offering and the drink offerings for
the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by number, according to the
ordinance; 22also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual
burnt offering and its cereal offering and its drink offering.
23 “On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old
without blemish, 24with the cereal offering and the drink offerings for the
bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by number, according to the
ordinance; 25also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual
burnt offering, its cereal offering and its drink offering.
26 “On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old
without blemish, 27with the cereal offering and the drink offerings for the
bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by number, according to the
ordinance; 28also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual
burnt offering and its cereal offering and its drink offering.
29 “On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old
without blemish, 30with the cereal offering and the drink offerings for the
bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by number, according to the
ordinance; 31also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual
burnt offering, its cereal offering, and its drink offerings.
32 “On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year
old without blemish, 33with the cereal offering and the drink offerings for
the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by number, according to the
ordinance; 34also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual
burnt offering, its cereal offering, and its drink offering.
35 “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly: you shall do no
laborious work, 36but you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a
pleasing odor to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old
without blemish, 37and the cereal offering and the drink offerings for the
bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by number, according to the ordinance;
38also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering
to your votive offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt
offerings, and for your cereal offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for
your peace offerings.”
40 y And Moses told the sons of Israel everything just as the LORD had
commanded Moses.
The Keeping of Vows
30 Moses said to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, “This is
what the LORD has commanded. 2When a man vows a vow to the LORD, or
swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word; he
shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. 3Or when a woman
vows a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by a pledge, while within her
father’s house, in her youth, 4and her father hears of her vow and of her
pledge by which she has bound herself, and says nothing to her; then all her
vows shall stand, and her every pledge by which she has bound herself shall
stand. 5But if her father expresses disapproval to her on the day that he
hears of it, no vow of hers, no pledge by which she has bound herself, shall
stand; and the LORD will forgive her, because her father opposed her. 6And
if she is married to a husband, while under her vows or any thoughtless
utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself, 7and her husband
hears of it, and says nothing to her on the day that he hears; then her vows
shall stand, and her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand.
8But if, on the day that her husband comes to hear of it, he expresses
disapproval, then he shall make void her vow which was on her, and the
thoughtless utterance of her lips, by which she bound herself; and the LORD
will forgive her. 9But any vow of a widow or of a divorced woman,
anything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her. 10And if
she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by a pledge with an
oath, 11and her husband heard of it, and said nothing to her, and did not
oppose her; then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she
bound herself shall stand. 12But if her husband makes them null and void on
the day that he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips
concerning her vows, or concerning her pledge of herself, shall not stand:
her husband has made them void, and the LORD will forgive her. 13Any vow
and any binding oath to afflict herself, her husband may establish, or her
husband may make void. 14But if her husband says nothing to her from day
to day, then he establishes all her vows, or all her pledges, that are upon her;
he has established them, because he said nothing to her on the day that he
heard of them. 15But if he makes them null and void after he has heard of
them, then he shall bear her iniquity.”
16 These are the statutes which the LORD commanded Moses, as between a
man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter, while in her youth,
within her father’s house.
War against Midian
31 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Avenge the sons of Israel on the
Mid'ianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” 3And Moses
said to the people, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go
against Mid'ian, to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian. 4You shall
send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war.” 5So there were
provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve
thousand armed for war. 6And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from
each tribe, together with Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest, with the
vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. 7They
warred against Mid'ian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and slew every
male. 8They slew the kings of Mid'ian with the rest of their slain, E'vi,
Re'kem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; and they also slew
Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. 9And the sons of Israel took captive
the women of Mid'ian and their little ones; and they took as booty all their
cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. 10All their cities in the places where
they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burned with fire, 11and took all
the spoil and all the booty, both of man and of beast. 12Then they brought
the captives and the booty and the spoil to Moses, and to Elea'zar the priest,
and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, at the camp on the plains of
Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
Return from the War
13 Moses, and Elea'zar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation,
went forth to meet them outside the camp. 14And Moses was angry with the
officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of
hundreds, who had come from service in the war. 16Moses said to them,
“Have you let all the women live? 16Behold, these caused the sons of Israel,
by the counsel of Balaam, to act treacherously against the LORD in the
matter of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the
LORD. 17Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every
woman who has known man by lying with him. 18But all the young girls
who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
19Encamp outside the camp seven days; whoever of you has killed any
person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your
captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20You shall purify every
garment, every article of skin, all work of goats’ hair, and every article of
wood.”
21 And Elea'zar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle:
“This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses:
22only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it
both of man and of beast, you and Elea'zar the priest and the heads of the
fathers’ houses of the congregation; 27and divide the booty into two parts,
between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation. 28And
levy for the LORD a tribute from the men of war who went out to battle, one
out of five hundred, of the persons and of the oxen and of the donkeys and
of the flocks; 29take it from their half, and give it to Elea'zar the priest as an
offering to the LORD. 30And from the sons of Israel’s half you shall take one
drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the oxen, of the donkeys, and of
the flocks, of all the cattle, and give them to the Levites who have charge of
the tabernacle of the LORD.” 31And Moses and Elea'zar the priest did as the
LORD commanded Moses.
32 Now the booty remaining of the spoil that the men of war took was: six
women who had not known man by lying with him. 36And the half, the
portion of those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and
thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 37and the LORD’s tribute of
sheep was six hundred and seventy-five. 38The cattle were thirty-six
thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was seventy-two. 39The donkeys
were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was sixty-
one. 40The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was
thirty-two persons. 41And Moses gave the tribute, which was the offering
for the LORD, to Elea'zar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.
42 From the sons of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from that of the
men who had gone to war—43now the congregation’s half was three
hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44thirty-six thousand
cattle, 45and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, 46and sixteen thousand
persons—47from the sons of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty,
both of persons and of beasts, and gave them to the Levites who had charge
of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
48 Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains
of thousands and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses, 49and said
to Moses, “Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our
command, and there is not a man missing from us. 50And we have brought
the LORD’s offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and
bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, to make atonement for ourselves
before the LORD.” 51And Moses and Elea'zar the priest received from them
the gold, all wrought articles. 52And all the gold of the offering that they
offered to the LORD, from the commanders of thousands and the
commanders of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty
shekels. 53(The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.) 54And
Moses and Elea'zar the priest received the gold from the commanders of
thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, as a
memorial for the sons of Israel before the LORD.
Conquest and Division of the Trans-Jordan Lands
32 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a very great
multitude of cattle; and they saw the land of Ja'zer and the land of Gilead,
and behold, the place was a place for cattle. 2So the sons of Gad and the
sons of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Elea'zar the priest and to the
leaders of the congregation, 3 “At'aroth, Di'bon, Ja'zer, Nimrah, Heshbon,
E''lea'leh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4the land which the LORD struck before
the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle; and your servants have
cattle.” 5And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land
be given to your servants for a possession; do not take us across the
Jordan.”
6 But Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben, “Shall
your brethren go to the war while you sit here? 7Why will you discourage
the heart of the sons of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD
has given them? 8Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Ka'desh-
bar'nea to see the land. 9For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol, and
saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the sons of Israel from going
into the land which the LORD had given them. 10And the LORD’s anger was
kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 11‘Surely none of the men who
came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land
which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have
not wholly followed me; 12none except Caleb the son of Jephun'neh the
Ken'izzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the
LORD.’ 13And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made
them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had
done evil in the sight of the LORD was consumed. 14And behold, you have
risen in your fathers’ stead, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the
fierce anger of the LORD against Israel! 15For if you turn away from
following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness; and you will
destroy all this people.”
16 Then they came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here
for our flocks, and cities for our little ones, 17but we will take up arms,
ready to go before the sons of Israel, until we have brought them to their
place; and our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the
inhabitants of the land. 18We will not return to our homes until the sons of
Israel have inherited each his inheritance. 19For we will not inherit with
them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond; because our inheritance
has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.” 20So Moses said to
them, “If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD
for the war, 21and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before
the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him 22and the
land is subdued before the LORD; then after that you shall return and be free
of obligation to the LORD and to Israel; and this land shall be your
possession before the LORD. 23But if you will not do so, behold, you have
sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24Build
cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do what you have
promised.” 25And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben said to Moses,
“Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26Our little ones, our wives,
our flocks, and all our cattle, shall remain there in the cities of Gilead; 27but
your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the
LORD to battle, as my lord orders.”
28 So Moses gave command concerning them to Elea'zar the priest, and to
Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes
of the sons of Israel. 29And Moses said to them, “If the sons of Gad and the
sons of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the LORD, will
pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you,
then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession; 30but if they
will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you
in the land of Canaan.” 31And the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben
answered, “As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do. 32We will
pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the
possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”
33 And Moses gave to them, to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben
and to the half-tribe of Manas'seh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Si'hon
king of the Am'orites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land and
its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country.
34And the sons of Gad built Di'bon, At'aroth, Aro'er, 35At'roth-sho'phan,
gave other names to the cities which they built. 39And the sons of Ma'chir
the son of Manas'seh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the
Am'orites who were in it. 40And Moses gave Gilead to Ma'chir the son of
Manas'seh, and he settled in it. 41And Ja'ir the son of Manas'seh went and
took their villages, and called them Hav'voth-ja'ir. z 42And No'bah went and
took Ke'nath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
The Stages of Israel’s Journey from Egypt
33 These are the stages of the sons of Israel, when they went forth out
of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the leadership of Moses and
Aaron. 2Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by
command of the LORD; and these are their stages according to their starting
places. 3They set out from Ram'eses in the first month, on the fifteenth day
of the first month; on the day after the Passover the sons of Israel went out
triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4while the Egyptians were
burying all their first-born, whom the LORD had struck down among them;
upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
5 So the sons of Israel set out from Ram'eses, and encamped at Succoth.
6And they set out from Succoth, and encamped at E'tham, which is on the
edge of the wilderness. 7And they set out from E'tham, and turned back to
Pi-hahi'roth, which is east of Ba'al-ze'phon; and they encamped before
Migdol. 8And they set out from before Hahi'roth, and passed through the
midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days’ journey in
the wilderness of E'tham, and encamped at Marah. 9And they set out from
Marah, and came to E'lim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and
seventy palm trees, and they encamped there. 10And they set out from
E'lim, and encamped by the Red Sea. 11And they set out from the Red Sea,
and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. 12And they set out from the
wilderness of Sin, and encamped at Dophkah. 13And they set out from
Dophkah, and encamped at A'lush. 14And they set out from A'lush, and
encamped at Reph'idim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
15And they set out from Reph'idim, and encamped in the wilderness of
Sinai. 16And they set out from the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped at
Kib'roth-hatta'avah. 17And they set out from Kib'roth-hatta'avah, and
encamped at Haze'roth. 18And they set out from Haze'roth, and encamped at
Rithmah. 19And they set out from Rithmah, and encamped at Rim'mon-
per'ez. 20And they set out from Rim'mon-per'ez, and encamped at Libnah.
21And they set out from Libnah, and encamped at Rissah. 22And they set
out from Rissah, and encamped at Kehela'thah. 23And they set out from
Kehela'thah, and encamped at Mount She'pher. 24And they set out from
Mount She'pher, and encamped at Hara'dah. 25And they set out from
Hara'dah, and encamped at Makhe'loth. 26And they set out from
Makhe'loth, and encamped at Ta'hath. 27And they set out from Ta'hath, and
encamped at Te'rah. 28And they set out from Te'rah, and encamped at
Mithkah. 29And they set out from Mithkah, and encamped at Hashmo'nah.
30And they set out from Hashmo'nah, and encamped at Mose'roth. 31And
they set out from Mose'roth, and encamped at Be'ne-ja'akan. 32And they set
out from Be'ne-ja'akan, and encamped at Hor-haggid'gad. 33And they set
out from Hor-haggid'gad, and encamped at Jot'bathah. 34And they set out
from Jot'bathah, and encamped at Abro'nah. 35And they set out from
Abro'nah, and encamped at E'zion-ge'ber. 36And they set out from E'zion-
ge'ber, and encamped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Ka'desh). 37And they
set out from Ka'desh, and encamped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land
of E'dom.
38 And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the LORD,
and died there, in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel had come out of
the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39And Aaron was a
hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.
40 And the Canaanite, the king of Ar'ad, who dwelt in the Neg'eb in the
they set out from Zalmo'nah, and encamped at Pu'non. 43And they set out
from Pu'non, and encamped at O'both. 44And they set out from O'both, and
encamped at I'ye-ab'arim, in the territory of Moab. 45And they set out from
I'yim, and encamped at Di'bon-gad. 46And they set out from Di'bon-gad,
and encamped at Al'mon-diblatha'im. 47And they set out from Al'mon-
diblatha'im, and encamped in the mountains of Ab'arim, before Nebo.
48And they set out from the mountains of Ab'arim, and encamped in the
plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; 49they encamped by the Jordan
from Beth-jesh'imoth as far as A'bel-shit'tim in the plains of Moab.
Instructions for the Conquest of Canaan
50 And the LORD said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at
Jericho, 51 “Say to the sons of Israel, When you pass over the Jordan into
the land of Canaan, 52then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land
from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their
molten images, and demolish all their high places; 53and you shall take
possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to
possess it. 54You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to a
large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall
give a small inheritance; wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his;
according to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. 55But if you do not
drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them
whom you let remain shall be as pricks in your eyes and thorns in your
sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. 56And I will
do to you as I thought to do to them.”
Boundaries of the Land of Canaan
34 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Command the sons of Israel, and say to
them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to
you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan in its full extent), 3your south
side shall be from the wilderness of Zin along the side of E'dom, and your
southern boundary shall be from the end of the Salt Sea on the east; 4and
your boundary shall turn south of the ascent of Akrab'bim, and cross to Zin,
and its end shall be south of Ka'desh-bar'nea; then it shall go on to Ha'zar-
ad'dar, and pass along to Azmon; 5and the boundary shall turn from Azmon
to the Brook of Egypt, and its termination shall be at the sea.
6 “For the western boundary, you shall have the Great Sea and its a coast;
mark out your line to Mount Hor; 8from Mount Hor you shall mark it out to
the entrance of Ha'math, and the end of the boundary shall be at Ze'dad;
9then the boundary shall extend to Ziphron, and its end shall be at Ha'zar-
you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine
tribes and to the half-tribe; 14for the tribe of the sons of Reuben by fathers’
houses and the tribe of the sons of Gad by their fathers’ houses have
received their inheritance, and also the half-tribe of Manas'seh; 15the two
tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at
Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”
Tribal Leaders
16 The LORD said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who shall
divide the land to you for inheritance: Elea'zar the priest and Joshua the son
of Nun. 18You shall take one leader of every tribe, to divide the land for
inheritance. 19These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb
the son of Jephun'neh. 20Of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shemu'el the
son of Ammi'hud. 21Of the tribe of Benjamin, Eli'dad the son of Chis'lon.
22Of the tribe of the sons of Dan a leader, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23Of the
sons of Joseph: of the tribe of the sons of Manas'seh a leader, Han'niel the
son of E'phod. 24And of the tribe of the sons of E'phraim a leader, Ke'muel
the son of Shiph'tan. 25Of the tribe of the sons of Zeb'ulun a leader,
Eliza'phan the son of Parnach. 26Of the tribe of the sons of Is'sachar a
leader, Pal'ti-el the son of Azzan. 27And of the tribe of the sons of Asher a
leader, Ahi'hud the son of Shelo'mi. 28Of the tribe of the sons of Naph'tali a
leader, Pedah'el the son of Ammi'hud. 29These are the men whom the LORD
commanded to divide the inheritance for the sons of Israel in the land of
Canaan.”
Cities for the Levites
35 The LORD said to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at
Jericho, 2 “Command the sons of Israel, that they give to the Levites, from
the inheritance of their possession, cities to dwell in; and you shall give to
the Levites pasture lands round about the cities. 3The cities shall be theirs to
dwell in, and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their
livestock and for all their beasts. 4The pasture lands of the cities, which you
shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a
thousand cubits all round. 5And you shall measure, outside the city, for the
east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits,
and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two
thousand cubits, the city being in the middle; this shall belong to them as
pasture land for their cities. 6The cities which you give to the Levites shall
be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and
in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7All the cities which you
give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasture lands. 8And as for
the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel,
from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you
shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance which it inherits, shall
give of its cities to the Levites.”
Cities of Refuge
9 And the LORD said to Moses, 10 “Say to the sons of Israel, When you
cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11then you shall select cities to be
cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without
intent may flee there. 12The cities shall be for you a refuge from the
avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the
congregation for judgment. 13And the cities which you give shall be your
six cities of refuge. 14You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and
three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15These six cities
shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger and for the
sojourner among them, that any one who kills any person without intent
may flee there.
Concerning Murder and Revenge
16 “But if he struck him down with an instrument of iron, so that he died,
him without lying in wait, 23or used a stone, by which a man may die, and
without seeing him cast it upon him, so that he died, though he was not his
enemy, and did not seek his harm; 24then the congregation shall judge
between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these
ordinances; 25and the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the
hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his
city of refuge, to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of
the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26But if the manslayer
shall at any time go beyond the bounds of his city of refuge to which he
fled, 27and the avenger of blood finds him outside the bounds of his city of
refuge, and the avenger of blood slays the manslayer, he shall not be guilty
of blood. 28For the man must remain in his city of refuge until the death of
the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may
return to the land of his possession.
29 “And these things shall be for a statute and ordinance to you throughout
your generations in all your dwellings. 30If any one kills a person, the
murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses; but no person
shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31Moreover you shall
accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death; but he
shall be put to death. 32And you shall accept no ransom for him who has
fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the
death of the high priest. 33You shall not thus pollute the land in which you
live; for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land,
for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
34You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I
dwell; for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel.”
Concerning Married Women’s Inheritance
36 The heads of the fathers’ houses of the families of the sons of Gilead
the son of Ma'chir, son of Manas'seh, of the fathers’ houses of the sons of
Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the
heads of the fathers’ houses of the sons of Israel; 2they said, “The LORD
commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the sons of
Israel; and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of
Zeloph'ehad our brother to his daughters. 3But if they are married to any of
the sons of the other tribes of the sons of Israel then their inheritance will be
taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and added to the inheritance of the
tribe to which they belong; so it will be taken away from the lot of our
inheritance. 4And when the jubilee of the sons of Israel comes, then their
inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they
belong; and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe
of our fathers.”
5 And Moses commanded the sons of Israel according to the word of the
LORD, saying, “The tribe of the sons of Joseph is right. 6This is what the
LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zeloph'ehad, ‘Let them marry
whom they think best; only, they shall marry within the family of the tribe
of their father. 7The inheritance of the sons of Israel shall not be transferred
from one tribe to another; for every one of the sons of Israel shall cling to
the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8And every daughter who
possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the sons of Israel shall be wife to
one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the sons of
Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9So no inheritance shall be
transferred from one tribe to another; for each of the tribes of the sons of
Israel shall cling to its own inheritance.’ ”
10 The daughters of Zeloph'ehad did as the LORD commanded Moses; 11for
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Deuteronomy
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34
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DEUTERONOMY
Events at Horeb Recalled
1 *These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan
in the wilderness, in the Ar'abah over against Suph, between Par'an and
To'phel, La'ban, Haze'roth, and Di'zahab. 2It is eleven days’ journey from
Horeb by the way of Mount Se'ir to Ka'desh-bar'nea. 3And in the fortieth
year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the sons of
Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to
them, 4after he had defeated Si'hon the king of the Am'orites, who lived in
Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ash'taroth and in Ed're-i.
5Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this
law, saying, 6 “The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed
long enough at this mountain; 7turn and take your journey, and go to the hill
country of the Am'orites, and to all their neighbors in the Ar'abah, in the hill
country and in the lowland, and in the Neg'eb, and by the seacoast, the land
of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river
Euphrates. 8Behold, I have set the land before you; go in and take
possession of the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham,
to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them.’
Appointment of Heads of the Tribes
9 “At that time I said to you, ‘I am not able alone to bear you; 10the LORD
your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as the stars of
heaven for multitude. 11May the LORD, the God of your fathers, make you a
thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he has promised you!
12How can I bear alone the weight and burden of you and your strife?
13Choose wise, understanding, and experienced men, according to your
tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads.’ 14And you answered me,
‘The thing that you have spoken is good for us to do.’ 15So I took the heads
of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you,
commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of
fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes. 16And I
charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren,
and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien that is
with him. 17You shall not be partial in judgment; you shall hear the small
and the great alike; you shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the
judgment is God’s; and the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to
me, and I will hear it.’ 18And I commanded you at that time all the things
that you should do.
Israel’s Refusal to Enter the Land
19 “And we set out from Horeb, and went through all that great and
terrible wilderness which you saw, on the way to the hill country of the
Am'orites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Ka'desh-
bar'nea. 20And I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the
Am'orites, which the LORD our God gives us. 21Behold, the LORD your God
has set the land before you; go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of
your fathers, has told you; do not fear or be dismayed.’ 22Then all of you
came near me, and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may explore
the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up
and the cities into which we shall come.’ 23The thing seemed good to me,
and I took twelve men of you, one man for each tribe; 24and they turned and
went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it
out. 25And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought
it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, ‘It is a good land which
the LORD our God gives us.’
26 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the
LORD your God; 27and you murmured in your tents, and said, ‘Because the
LORD hated us he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to give us
into the hand of the Am'orites, to destroy us. 28Where are we going up? Our
brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and
taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover
we have seen the sons of the An'akim there.” ’ 29Then I said to you, ‘Do not
be in dread or afraid of them. 30The LORD your God who goes before you
will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
31and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God bore
you, as a man bears his son, in all the way that you went until you came to
this place.’ 32Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your
God, 33who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch
your tents, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in
the cloud by day.
Punishment for Israel’s Rebellion
34 “And the LORD heard your words, and was angered, and he swore,
35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land
which I swore to give to your fathers, 36except Caleb the son of Jephun'neh;
he shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land upon
which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the LORD!’ 37The
LORD was angry with me also on your account, and said, ‘You also shall not
go in there; 38Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter;
encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it. 39Moreover your little
ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who this day
have no knowledge of good or evil, shall go in there, and to them I will give
it, and they shall possess it. 40But as for you, turn, and journey into the
wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.’
41 “Then you answered me, ‘We have sinned against the LORD; we will go
up and fight, just as the LORD our God commanded us.’ And every man of
you belted on his weapons of war, and thought it easy to go up into the hill
country. 42And the LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, Do not go up or fight, for
I am not in the midst of you; lest you be defeated before your enemies.’
43So I spoke to you, and you would not listen; but you rebelled against the
command of the LORD, and were presumptuous and went up into the hill
country. 44Then the Am'orites who lived in that hill country came out
against you and chased you as bees do and beat you down in Se'ir as far as
Hormah. 45And you returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD did
not listen to your voice or give ear to you. 46So you remained at Ka'desh
many days, the days that you remained there.
The Years in the Wilderness
2 “Then we turned, and journeyed into the wilderness in the direction of
the Red Sea, as the LORD told me; and for many days we went about Mount
Se'ir. 2Then the LORD said to me, 3 ‘You have been going about this
mountain country long enough; turn northward. 4And command the people,
You are about to pass through the territory of your brethren the sons of
Esau, who live in Se'ir; and they will be afraid of you. So take good heed;
5do not contend with them; for I will not give you any of their land, no, not
so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount
Se'ir to Esau as a possession. 6You shall purchase food from them for
money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water of them for money,
that you may drink. 7For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work
of your hands; he knows your going through this great wilderness; these
forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked
nothing.’ 8So we went on, away from our brethren the sons of Esau who
live in Se'ir, away from the Ar'abah road from E'lath and E'zion-ge'ber.
“And we turned and went in the direction of the wilderness of Moab. 9And
the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle,
for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have
given Ar to the sons of Lot for a possession.’ 10(The E'mim formerly lived
there, a people great and many, and tall as the An'akim; 11like the An'akim
they are also known as Reph'aim, but the Moabites call them E'mim. 12The
Horites also lived in Se'ir formerly, but the sons of Esau dispossessed them,
and destroyed them from before them, and settled in their stead; as Israel
did to the land of their possession, which the LORD gave to them.) 13 ‘Now
rise up, and go over the brook Ze'red.’ So we went over the brook Zered.
14And the time from our leaving Ka'desh-bar'nea until we crossed the brook
Ze'red was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of
war, had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. 15For
indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the
camp, until they had perished.
16 “So when all the men of war had perished and were dead from among
the people, 17the LORD said to me, 18 ‘This day you are to pass over the
boundary of Moab at Ar; 19and when you approach the frontier of the sons
of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you
any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given
it to the sons of Lot for a possession.’ 20(That also is known as a land of
Reph'aim; Rephaim formerly lived there, but the Am'monites call them
Zamzum'mim, 21a people great and many, and tall as the An'akim; but the
LORD destroyed them before them; and they dispossessed them, and settled
in their stead; 22as he did for the sons of Esau, who live in Se'ir, when he
destroyed the Horites before them, and they dispossessed them, and settled
in their stead even to this day. 23As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as
far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and
settled in their stead.) 24 ‘Rise up, take your journey, and go over the valley
of the Arnon; behold, I have given into your hand Si'hon the Am'orite, king
of Heshbon, and his land; begin to take possession, and contend with him in
battle. 25This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the
peoples that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you
and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’
The Defeat of Sihon the King of Heshbon
26 “So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Ked'emoth to Si'hon the
king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 27 ‘Let me pass through your
land; I will go only by the road, I will turn aside neither to the right nor to
the left. 28You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me
water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on foot, 29as the
sons of Esau who live in Se'ir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me,
until I go over the Jordan into the land which the LORD our God gives to
us.’ 30But Si'hon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him; for the
LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he
might give him into your hand, as at this day. 31And the LORD said to me,
‘Behold, I have begun to give Si'hon and his land over to you; begin to take
possession, that you may occupy his land.’ 32Then Si'hon came out against
us, he and all his people, to battle at Ja'haz. 33And the LORD our God gave
him over to us; and we defeated him and his sons and all his people. 34And
we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed every city, men,
women, and children; we left none remaining; 35only the cattle we took as
spoil for ourselves, with the booty of the cities which we captured. 36From
Aro'er, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and from the city
that is in the valley, as far as Gilead, there was not a city too high for us; the
LORD our God gave all into our hands. 37Only to the land of the sons of
Ammon you did not draw near, that is, to all the banks of the river Jabbok
and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the LORD our God forbade
us.
The Defeat of Og the King of Bashan
3 “Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan; and Og the king of
Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Ed're-i. 2But
the LORD said to me, ‘Do not fear him; for I have given him and all his
people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to
Si'hon the king of the Am'orites, who dwelt at Heshbon.’ 3So the LORD our
God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people; and
we struck him until no survivor was left to him. 4And we took all his cities
at that time—there was not a city which we did not take from them—sixty
cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5All these
were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many
unwalled villages. 6And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Si'hon the
king of Heshbon, destroying every city, men, women, and children. 7But all
the cattle and the spoil of the cities we took as our booty. 8So we took the
land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Am'orites who were
beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon 9(the
Sido'nians call Hermon Sir'ion, while the Am'orites call it Se'nir), 10all the
cities of the tableland and all Gilead and all Bashan, as far as Sal'ecah and
Ed're-i, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11(For only Og the king of
Bashan was left of the remnant of the Reph'aim; behold, his bedstead was a
bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbah of the Am'monites? Nine cubits was its
length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit. a )
12 “When we took possession of this land at that time, I gave to the
Reubenites and the Gadites the territory beginning at Aro'er, which is on the
edge of the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its
cities; 13the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is, all
the region of Argob, I gave to the half-tribe of Manas'seh. (The whole of
that Bashan is called the land of Reph'aim. 14Ja'ir the Manas'site took all the
region of Argob, that is, Bashan, as far as the border of the Gesh'urites and
the Ma-ac'athites, and called the villages after his own name, Hav'voth-ja'ir,
as it is to this day.) 15To Ma'chir I gave Gilead, 16and to the Reubenites and
the Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the valley of the
Arnon, with the middle of the valley as a boundary, as far over as the river
Jabbok, the boundary of the Am'monites; 17the Ar'abah also, with the
Jordan as the boundary, from Chin'nereth as far as the sea of the Arabah, the
Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah on the east.
18 “And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has
given you this land to possess; all your men of valor shall pass over armed
before your brethren the sons of Israel. 19But your wives, your little ones,
and your cattle (I know that you have many cattle) shall remain in the cities
which I have given you, 20until the LORD gives rest to your brethren, as to
you, and they also occupy the land which the LORD your God gives them
beyond the Jordan; then you shall return every man to his possession which
I have given you.’ 21And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have
seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so will the
LORD do to all the kingdoms into which you are going over. 22You shall not
fear them; for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.’
Moses Views Canaan from Pisgah
23 “And I begged the LORD at that time, saying, 24 ‘O Lord GOD, you have
only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand; for
what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty
acts as yours? 25Let me go over, I pray, and see the good land beyond the
Jordan, that excellent hill country, and Lebanon.’ 26But the LORD was angry
with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to
me, ‘Let it satisfy you; speak no more to me of this matter. 27Go up to the
top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward
and eastward, and behold it with your eyes; for you shall not go over this
Jordan. 28But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him; for he shall
go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the
land which you shall see.’ 29So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-
pe'or.
Moses Commands Obedience to God
4 “And now, O Israel, give heed to the statutes and the ordinances which
I teach you, and do them; that you may live, and go in and take possession
of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives you. 2You shall
not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it; that you may
keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
3Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Ba'al-pe'or; for the LORD your
God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Ba'al of Peor;
4but you who held fast to the LORD your God are all alive this day. 5Behold,
I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the LORD my God commanded
me, that you should do them in the land which you are entering to take
possession of it. 6Keep them and do them; for that will be your wisdom and
your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all
these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding
people.’ 7For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the
LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8And what great nation
is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I
set before you this day?
9 “Only take heed, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things
which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days
of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s
children—10how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at
Horeb, the LORD said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them
hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live
upon the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ 11And you came
near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with
fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. 12Then
the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of
words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13And he declared to you
his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the ten
commandments; b and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. 14And the
LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that
you might do them in the land which you are going over to possess.
15 “Therefore take good heed to yourselves. Since you saw no form on the
day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
16beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in
the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17the likeness of any
beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
18the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish
that is in the water under the earth. 19And beware lest you lift up your eyes
to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host
of heaven, you be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things
which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole
heaven. 20But the LORD has taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron
furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own possession, as at this day.
21Furthermore the LORD was angry with me on your account, and he swore
that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land
which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance. 22For I must die in
this land, I must not go over the Jordan; but you shall go over and take
possession of that good land. 23Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the
covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make a
graven image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has
forbidden you. 24For the LORD your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.
25 “When you beget children and children’s children, and have grown old
in the land, if you act corruptly by making a graven image in the form of
anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, so as
to provoke him to anger, 26I call heaven and earth to witness against you
this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you are going
over the Jordan to possess; you will not live long upon it, but will be utterly
destroyed. 27And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will
be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you.
28And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of men’s
hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29But from there you
will seek the LORD your God, and you will find him, if you search after him
with all your heart and with all your soul. 30When you are in tribulation,
and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the
LORD your God and obey his voice, 31for the LORD your God is a merciful
God; he will not fail you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your
fathers which he swore to them.
32 “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the
day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from one end of heaven
to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was
ever heard of. 33Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of
the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? 34Or has God ever
attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another
nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an
outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your
God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35To you it was shown, that you
might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. 36Out of
heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you; and on earth
he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the
fire. 37And because he loved your fathers and chose their descendants after
them, and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great
power, 38driving out before you nations greater and mightier than
yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as at
this day; 39know therefore this day, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is
God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
40Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I
command you this day, that it may go well with you, and with your children
after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD
your God gives you for ever.” *
Cities of Refuge East of the Jordan
41 * Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan, 42that
the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally,
without being at enmity with him in time past, and that by fleeing to one of
these cities he might save his life: 43Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland
for the Reubenites, and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in
Bashan for the Manas'sites.
Moses Sets Forth the Law
44 This is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel; 45these are
the decrees, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Moses spoke to the
children of Israel when they came out of Egypt, 46beyond the Jordan in the
valley opposite Beth-pe'or, in the land of Si'hon the king of the Am'orites,
who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated
when they came out of Egypt. 47And they took possession of his land and
the land of Og the king of Bashan, the two kings of the Am'orites, who
lived to the east beyond the Jordan; 48from Aro'er, which is on the edge of
the valley of the Arnon, as far as Mount Sir'ion c (that is, Hermon),
49together with all the Ar'abah on the east side of the Jordan as far as the
word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not
go up into the mountain. He said:
6 “ ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
12 “ ‘Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God
commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; 14but the
seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any
work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your manservant, or your
maidservant, or your ox, or your donkey, or any of your cattle, or the
sojourner who is within your gates, that your manservant and your
maidservant may rest as well as you. 15You shall remember that you were a
servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from
there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your
God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.
16 “ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God
commanded you; that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well
with you, in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
17 “ ‘You shall not kill.
18 “ ‘Neither shall you commit adultery.
19 “ ‘Neither shall you steal.
20 “ ‘Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 “ ‘Neither shall you covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire
your neighbor’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his
ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’
Moses the Mediator of God’s Will
22 “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out
of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice;
and he added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone, and
gave them to me. 23And when you heard the voice out of the midst of the
darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me,
all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; 24and you said, ‘Behold, the
LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his
voice out of the midst of the fire; we have this day seen God speak with
man and man still live. 25Now therefore why should we die? For this great
fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more,
we shall die. 26For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the
living God speaking out of the midst of fire, as we have, and has still lived?
27Go near, and hear all that the LORD our God will say; and speak to us all
that the LORD our God will speak to you; and we will hear and do it.’
28 “And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me; and the LORD
said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken
to you; they have rightly said all that they have spoken. 29Oh that they had
such a mind as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments,
that it might go well with them and with their children for ever! 30Go and
say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31But you, stand here by me, and I will
tell you all the commandment and the statutes and the ordinances which
you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them
to possess.’ 32You shall be careful to do therefore as the LORD your God has
commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded
you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may
live long in the land which you shall possess.
The Great Commandment
6 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the ordinances
which the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do
them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it; 2that you may
fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping
all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days
of your life; and that your days may be prolonged. 3Hear therefore, O Israel,
and be careful to do them; that it may go well with you, and that you may
multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in
a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 * “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; e 5and you shall love
the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your might. 6And these words which I command you this day shall be upon
your heart; 7and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall
talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8And you shall bind them as a
sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9And
you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Caution against Disobedience
10 “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land which he swore
to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, with great
and excellent cities, which you did not build, 11and houses full of all good
things, which you did not fill, and cisterns hewn out, which you did not
hew, and vineyards and olive trees, which you did not plant, and when you
eat and are full, 12then take heed lest you forget the LORD, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 13You shall fear the
LORD your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name. 14You shall
not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are round about you;
15for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; lest the anger
of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off
the face of the earth.
16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at
Massah. 17You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your
God, and his decrees, and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 18And
you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go
well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land
which the LORD swore to give to your fathers 19by thrusting out all your
enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised.
20 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the
decrees and the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD our God has
commanded you?’ 21then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s
slaves in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;
22and the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against
Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes; 23and he
brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land
which he swore to give to our fathers. 24And the LORD commanded us to do
all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he
might preserve us alive, as at this day. 25And it will be righteousness for us,
if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as
he has commanded us.’
A Chosen People
7 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you are
entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you,
the Hittites, the Gir'gashites, the Am'orites, the Canaanites, the Per'izzites,
the Hi'vites, and the Jeb'usites, seven nations greater and mightier than
yourselves, 2and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you
defeat them; then you must utterly destroy them; you shall make no
covenant with them, and show no mercy to them. 3You shall not make
marriages with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their
daughters for your sons. 4For they would turn away your sons from
following me, to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD would be
kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. 5But thus shall you
deal with them: you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their
pillars, and hew down their Ashe'rim, and burn their graven images with
fire.
6 “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God
has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples
that are on the face of the earth. 7It was not because you were more in
number than any other people that the LORD set his love upon you and
chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples; 8but it is because the
LORD loves you, and is keeping the oath which he swore to your fathers,
that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you
from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9Know
therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps
covenant and merciful love with those who love him and keep his
commandments, to a thousand generations, 10and repays to their face those
who hate him, by destroying them; he will not be slack with him who hates
him, he will repay him to his face. 11You shall therefore be careful to do the
commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you
this day.
Blessing for Obedience
12 “And because you listen to these ordinances, and keep and do them, the
LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the merciful love
which he swore to your fathers to keep; 13he will love you, bless you, and
multiply you; he will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your
ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle
and the young of your flock, in the land which he swore to your fathers to
give you. 14You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be male
or female barren among you, or among your cattle. 15And the LORD will
take away from you all sickness; and none of the evil diseases of Egypt,
which you knew, will he inflict upon you, but he will lay them upon all who
hate you. 16And you shall destroy all the peoples that the LORD your God
will give over to you, your eye shall not pity them; neither shall you serve
their gods, for that would be a snare to you.
17 “If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I
dispossess them?’ 18you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember
what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, 19the great trials
which your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the
outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out; so will the
LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20Moreover
the LORD your God will send hornets among them, until those who are left
and hide themselves from you are destroyed. 21You shall not be in dread of
them; for the LORD your God is in the midst of you, a great and terrible
God. 22The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little
by little; you may not make an end of them at once, f lest the wild beasts
grow too numerous for you. 23But the LORD your God will give them over
to you, and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. 24And
he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name
perish from under heaven; not a man shall be able to stand against you, until
you have destroyed them. 25The graven images of their gods you shall burn
with fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, or take it
for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it; for it is an abomination to the
LORD your God. 26And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your
house, and become accursed like it; you shall utterly detest and abhor it; for
it is an accursed thing.
A Warning Not to Forget God
8 “All the commandment which I command you this day you shall be
careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land
which the LORD swore to give to your fathers. 2And you shall remember all
the way which the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the
wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in
your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not. 3And he
humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did
not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that
man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that
proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. 4Your clothing did not wear out
upon you, and your foot did not swell, these forty years. 5Know then in
your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines
you. 6So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, by
walking in his ways and by fearing him. 7For the LORD your God is
bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and
springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, 8a land of wheat and barley, of
vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9a
land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack
nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig
copper. 10And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your
God for the good land he has given you.
11 “Take heed lest you forget the LORD your God, by not keeping his
commandments and his ordinances and his statutes, which I command you
this day: 12lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built excellent
houses and live in them, 13and when your herds and flocks multiply, and
your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14then
your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, 15who led you
through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and
scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you
water out of the flinty rock, 16who fed you in the wilderness with manna
which your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to
do you good in the end. 17Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and
the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18You shall remember
the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth; that he
may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as at this day.
19And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve
them and worship them, I solemnly warn you this day that you shall surely
perish. 20Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall
you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.
Consequences of Rebelling against God
9 “Hear, O Israel; you are to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to
dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves, cities great and
fortified up to heaven, 2a people great and tall, the sons of the An'akim,
whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, ‘Who can stand
before the sons of A'nak?’ 3Know therefore this day that he who goes over
before you as a devouring fire is the LORD your God; he will destroy them
and subdue them before you; so you shall drive them out, and make them
perish quickly, as the LORD has promised you.
4 “Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out
before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me
in to possess this land’; whereas it is because of the wickedness of these
nations that the LORD is driving them out before you. 5Not because of your
righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess
their land; but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your
God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word
which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
6 “Know therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good
provoked the LORD to wrath. 23And when the LORD sent you from Ka'desh-
bar'nea, saying, ‘Go up and take possession of the land which I have given
you,’ then you rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God,
and did not believe him or obey his voice. 24You have been rebellious
against the LORD from the day that I knew you.
25 “So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights,
because the LORD had said he would destroy you. 26And I prayed to the
LORD, ‘O Lord GOD, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom
you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of
Egypt with a mighty hand. 27Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob; do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness, or
their sin, 28lest the land from which you brought us say, “Because the LORD
was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and
because he hated them, he has brought them out to slay them in the
wilderness.” 29For they are your people and your heritage, whom you
brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’
The Second Pair of Stone Tables
10 “At that time the LORD said to me, ‘Hew two tables of stone like the
first, and come up to me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood. 2And I
will write on the tables the words that were on the first tables which you
broke, and you shall put them in the ark.’ 3So I made an ark of acacia wood,
and hewed two tables of stone like the first, and went up the mountain with
the two tables in my hand. 4And he wrote on the tables, as at the first
writing, the ten commandments g which the LORD had spoken to you on the
mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the
LORD gave them to me. 5Then I turned and came down from the mountain,
and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as the
LORD commanded me.
6 “(The sons of Israel journeyed from Be-er'oth Be'ne-ja'akan h to
Mose'rah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and his son Elea'zar
ministered as priest in his stead. 7From there they journeyed to Gud'godah,
and from Gudgodah to Jot'bathah, a land with brooks of water. 8At that time
the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the
LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name,
to this day. 9Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers;
the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God said to him.)
10 “I stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty
nights, and the LORD listened to me that time also; the LORD was unwilling
to destroy you. 11And the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go on your journey at the
head of the people, that they may go in and possess the land, which I swore
to their fathers to give them.’
The Essence of the Law
12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to
fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the
LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13and to keep the
commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I command you this day
for your good? 14Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the
heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it; 15yet the LORD set his
heart in love upon your fathers and chose their descendants after them, you
above all peoples, as at this day. 16Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your
heart, and be no longer stubborn. 17For the LORD your God is God of gods
and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who is not
partial and takes no bribe. 18He executes justice for the fatherless and the
widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19Love the
sojourner therefore; for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20You
shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him and cling to him, and by
his name you shall swear. 21He is your praise; he is your God, who has done
for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen. 22Your
fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons; and now the LORD your God
has made you as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Rewards for Obedience
11 “You shall therefore love the LORD your God, and keep his charge,
his statutes, his ordinances, and his commandments always. And consider
this day (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or
seen it), consider the discipline i of the LORD your God, his greatness, his
mighty hand and his outstretched arm, 3his signs and his deeds which he did
in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land; 4and what he did
to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots; how he made the
water of the Red Sea overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the
LORD has destroyed them to this day; 5and what he did to you in the
wilderness, until you came to this place; 6and what he did to Da'than and
Abi'ram the sons of Eli'ab, son of Reuben; how the earth opened its mouth
and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living
thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel; 7for your eyes have seen
all the great work of the LORD which he did.
8 “You shall therefore keep all the commandment which I command you
this day, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land
which you are going over to possess, 9and that you may live long in the
land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their
descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10For the land which you
are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from
which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your
feet, like a garden of vegetables; 11but the land which you are going over to
possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from
heaven, 12a land which the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD
your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of
the year.
13 “And if you will obey my commandments which I command you this
day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and
with all your soul, 14he j will give the rain for your land in its season, the
early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your
wine and your oil. 15And he j will give grass in your fields for your cattle,
and you shall eat and be full. 16Take heed lest your heart be deceived, and
you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, 17and the anger of
the LORD be kindled against you, and he shut up the heavens, so that there
be no rain, and the land yield no fruit, and you perish quickly off the good
land which the LORD gives you.
18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in
your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall
be as frontlets between your eyes. 19And you shall teach them to your
children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you
are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 20And
you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates,
21that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land
which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens
are above the earth. 22For if you will be careful to do all this commandment
which I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his
ways, and clinging to him, 23then the LORD will drive out all these nations
before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than
yourselves. 24Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be
yours; your territory shall be from the wilderness and Lebanon and from the
River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. 25No man shall be able to
stand against you; the LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread
of you upon all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.
26 “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing,
if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command
you this day, 28and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the
LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this
day, to go after other gods which you have not known. 29And when the
LORD your God brings you into the land which you are entering to take
possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Ger'izim and the curse
on Mount E'bal. 30Are they not beyond the Jordan, west of the road, toward
the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the
Ar'abah, over against Gilgal, beside the Oak k of Mo'reh? 31For you are to
pass over the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land which the LORD
your God gives you; and when you possess it and live in it, 32you shall be
careful to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you this
day.
Pagan Shrines to Be Destroyed
12 “These are the statutes and ordinances which you shall be careful to
do in the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to
possess, all the days that you live upon the earth. 2 * You shall surely
destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served
their gods, upon the high mountains and upon the hills and under every
green tree; 3you shall tear down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars,
and burn their Ashe'rim with fire; you shall hew down the graven images of
their gods, and destroy their name out of that place. 4You shall not do so to
the LORD your God. 5But you shall seek the place which the LORD your God
will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation
there; there you shall go, 6and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and
your sacrifices, your tithes and the offering that you present, your votive
offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your
flock; 7and there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall
rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the
LORD your God has blessed you. 8You shall not do according to all that we
are doing here this day, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes;
9for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the
LORD your God gives you. 10But when you go over the Jordan, and live in
the land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, and when he gives
you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you live in safety, 11then
to the place which the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell
there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and
your sacrifices, your tithes and the offering that you present, and all your
votive offerings which you vow to the LORD. 12And you shall rejoice before
the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your
menservants and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your
towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. 13Take heed that you
do not offer your burnt offerings at every place that you see; 14but at the
place which the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer
your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.
Concerning Eating
15 “However, you may slaughter and eat flesh within any of your towns, as
much as you desire, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which
he has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle
and as of the deer. 16Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out
upon the earth like water. 17You may not eat within your towns the tithe of
your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstlings of your herd or of
your flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill
offerings, or the offering that you present; 18but you shall eat them before
the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God will choose, you
and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant,
and the Levite who is within your towns; and you shall rejoice before the
LORD your God in all that you undertake. 19Take heed that you do not
forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.
20 “When the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised
you, and you say, ‘I will eat flesh,’ because you crave flesh, you may eat as
much flesh as you desire. 21If the place which the LORD your God will
choose to put his name there is too far from you, then you may kill any of
your herd or your flock, which the LORD has given you, as I have
commanded you; and you may eat within your towns as much as you
desire. 22Just as the gazelle or the deer is eaten, so you may eat of it; the
unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. 23Only be sure that you do not eat
the blood; for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the
flesh. 24You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out upon the earth like water.
25You shall not eat it; that all may go well with you and with your children
after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD. 26But the holy
things which are due from you, and your votive offerings, you shall take,
and you shall go to the place which the LORD will choose, 27and offer your
burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God;
the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD
your God, but the flesh you may eat. 28Be careful to heed all these words
which I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children
after you for ever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the
LORD your God.
Warning against Idolatry
29 “When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you
go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30take
heed that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been
destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying,
‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do likewise.’
31You shall not do so to the LORD your God; for every abominable thing
which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn
their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
32 l “Everything that I command you you shall be careful to do; you shall
or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices
you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you
nor your fathers have known, 7some of the gods of the peoples that are
round about you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of
the earth to the other, 8you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall
your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him; 9but
you shall kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death,
and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10You shall stone him to death
with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
11And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and never again do any such
to dwell there, 13that certain base fellows have gone out among you and
have drawn away the inhabitants of the city, saying, ‘Let us go and serve
other gods,’ which you have not known, 14then you shall inquire and make
search and ask diligently; and behold, if it be true and certain that such an
abominable thing has been done among you, 15you shall surely put the
inhabitants of that city to the sword, destroying it utterly, all who are in it
and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. 16You shall gather all its spoil into
the midst of its open square, and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a
whole burnt offering to the LORD your God; it shall be a heap for ever, it
shall not be built again. 17None of the devoted things shall cling to your
hand; that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and show
you mercy, and have compassion on you, and multiply you, as he swore to
your fathers, 18if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping all his
commandments which I command you this day, and doing what is right in
the sight of the LORD your God.
Pagan Practices Forbidden
14 “You are the sons of the LORD your God; you shall not cut
yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. 2For you
are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be
a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples that are on the face of
the earth.
3 “You shall not eat any abominable thing. 4These are the animals you
may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the
wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain-sheep. 6Every animal
that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two, and chews the cud,
among the animals, you may eat. 7Yet of those that chew the cud or have
the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: The camel, the hare, and the rock
badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for
you. 8And the swine, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is
unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall
not touch.
9 “Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: Whatever has fins and
scales you may eat. 10And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall
not eat; it is unclean for you.
11 “You may eat all clean birds. 12But these are the ones which you shall
not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, 13the buzzard, the kite, after their
kinds; 14every raven after its kind; 15the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull,
the hawk, after their kinds; 16the little owl and the great owl, the water hen
17and the pelican, the carrion vulture and the cormorant, 18the stork, the
heron, after their kinds; the hoopoe and the bat. 19And all winged insects
are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. 20All clean winged things you
may eat.
21 “You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the
alien who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a
foreigner; for you are a people holy to the LORD your God.
“You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
Regulations concerning Tithes
22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed, which comes forth from the
field year by year. 23And before the LORD your God, in the place which he
will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your
grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstlings of your herd and
flock; that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. 24And if the
way is too long for you, so that you are not able to bring the tithe, when the
LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which
the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, 25then you shall turn it
into money, and bind up the money in your hand, and go to the place which
the LORD your God chooses, 26and spend the money for whatever you
desire, oxen, or sheep, or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite
craves; and you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you
and your household. 27And you shall not forsake the Levite who is within
your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.
28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of
your produce in the same year, and lay it up within your towns; 29and the
Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the
sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall
come and eat and be filled; that the LORD your God may bless you in all the
work of your hands that you do.
Concerning the Sabbatical Year
15 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release. 2And this
is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to
his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the
LORD’s release has been proclaimed. 3Of a foreigner you may exact it; but
whatever of yours is with your brother your hand shall release. 4But there
will be no poor among you (for the LORD will bless you in the land which
the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess), 5if only you
will obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this
commandment which I command you this day. 6For the LORD your God will
bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you
shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not
rule over you.
7 “If there is among you a poor man, one of your brethren, in any of your
towns within your land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not
harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8but you
shall open your hand to him, and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever
it may be. 9Take heed lest there be a base thought in your heart, and you
say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye be hostile
to your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD
against you, and it be sin in you. 10You shall give to him freely, and your
heart shall not be grudging when you give to him; because for this the LORD
your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.
11For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you,
You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor,
in the land.
12 “If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he
shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free
from you. 13And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him
go empty-handed; 14you shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of
your threshing floor, and out of your wine press; as the LORD your God has
blessed you, you shall give to him. 15You shall remember that you were a
slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore
I command you this today. 16But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from
you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with
you, 17then you shall take an awl, and thrust it through his ear into the door,
and he shall be your bondman for ever. And to your bondwoman you shall
do likewise. 18It shall not seem hard to you, when you let him go free from
you; for at half the cost of a hired servant he has served you six years. So
the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do.
Regulations concerning Livestock
19 “All the firstling males that are born of your herd and flock you shall
consecrate to the LORD your God; you shall do no work with the firstling of
your herd, nor shear the firstling of your flock. 20You shall eat it, you and
your household, before the LORD your God year by year at the place which
the LORD will choose. 21But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind, or
has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD
your God. 22You shall eat it within your towns; the unclean and the clean
alike may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or a deer. 23Only you shall not
eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.
Keeping the Passover
16 “Observe the month of A'bib, and keep the Passover to the LORD
your God; for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of
Egypt by night. 2And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the LORD
your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place which the LORD will
choose, to make his name dwell there. 3You shall eat no leavened bread
with it; seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of
affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in hurried flight—that all
the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the
land of Egypt. 4No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for
seven days; nor shall any of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of
the first day remain all night until morning. 5You may not offer the Passover
sacrifice within any of your towns which the LORD your God gives you;
6but at the place which the LORD your God will choose, to make his name
dwell in it, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at the
going down of the sun, at the time you came out of Egypt. 7And you shall
boil it and eat it at the place which the LORD your God will choose; and in
the morning you shall turn and go to your tents. 8For six days you shall eat
unleavened bread; and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly
to the LORD your God; you shall do no work on it.
Keeping the Feast of Weeks
9 “You shall count seven weeks; begin to count the seven weeks from the
time you first put the sickle to the standing grain. 10Then you shall keep the
feast of weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering
from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you;
11and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and
your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant, the Levite who is
within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are
among you, at the place which the LORD your God will choose, to make his
name dwell there. 12You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and
you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
Keeping the Feast of Booths
13 “You shall keep the feast of booths seven days, when you make your
ingathering from your threshing floor and your wine press; 14you shall
rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant
and your maidservant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the
widow who are within your towns. 15For seven days you shall keep the
feast to the LORD your God at the place which the LORD will choose;
because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the
work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.
16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your
God at the place which he will choose: at the feast of unleavened bread, at
the feast of weeks, and at the feast of booths. They shall not appear before
the LORD empty-handed; 17every man shall give as he is able, according to
the blessing of the LORD your God which he has given you.
Appointing Judges and Officers
18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns which the LORD
your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the
people with righteous judgment. 19You shall not pervert justice; you shall
not show partiality; and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the
eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. 20Justice, and only
justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land which the
LORD your God gives you.
Forbidden Forms of Worship
21 “You shall not plant any tree as an Ashe'rah beside the altar of the LORD
your God which you shall make. 22And you shall not set up a pillar, which
the LORD your God hates.
17 “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in
which is a blemish, any defect whatever; for that is an abomination to the
LORD your God.
2 “If there is found among you, within any of your towns which the LORD
your God gives you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of
the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant, 3and has gone and served
other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of
heaven, which I have forbidden, 4and it is told you and you hear of it; then
you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an
abominable thing has been done in Israel, 5then you shall bring forth to your
gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone
that man or woman to death with stones. 6On the evidence of two witnesses
or of three witnesses he that is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not
be put to death on the evidence of one witness. 7The hand of the witnesses
shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all
the people. So you shall purge the evil from the midst of you.
Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges
8 “If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and
another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and
another, any case within your towns which is too difficult for you, then you
shall arise and go up to the place which the LORD your God will choose,
9and coming to the Levitical priests, and to the judge who is in office in
those days, you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the
decision. 10Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from
that place which the LORD will choose; and you shall be careful to do
according to all that they direct you; 11according to the instructions which
they give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you,
you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the verdict which they declare to
you, either to the right hand or to the left. 12The man who acts
presumptuously, by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there
before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die; so you shall
purge the evil from Israel. 13And all the people shall hear, and fear, and not
act presumptuously again.
Limitations of Royal Authority
14 “When you come to the land which the LORD your God gives you, and
you possess it and dwell in it, and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like
all the nations that are round about me’; 15you may indeed set as king over
you him whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your
brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not put a foreigner over
you, who is not your brother. 16Only he must not multiply horses for
himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to multiply horses,
since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’
17And he shall not multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor
himself in a book a copy of this law, from that which is in the charge of the
Levitical priests; 19and it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the
days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by keeping all
the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them; 20that his heart
may not be lifted up above his brethren, and that he may not turn aside from
the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left; so that he may
continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
Privileges of Priests and Levites
18 “The Levitical priests, that is, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no
portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings by fire to the
LORD, and his rightful dues. 2They shall have no inheritance among their
brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3And this shall
be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether
it be ox or sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two
cheeks and the stomach. 4The first fruits of your grain, of your wine and of
your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5For
the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand and
minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.
6 “And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where
he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place which the LORD
will choose, 7then he may minister in the name of the LORD his God, like all
his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD. 8They shall
have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his
patrimony. m
Abominable Practices Prohibited
9 “When you come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you
shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10There
shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as
an offering, n any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or
a sorcerer, 11or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12For whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD; and
because of these abominable practices the LORD your God is driving them
out before you. 13You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 14For
these nations, which you are about to dispossess, give heed to soothsayers
and to diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you so
to do.
15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from
among you, from your brethren—him you shall heed—16just as you desired
of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said,
‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, or see this great fire
any more, lest I die.’ 17And the LORD said to me, ‘They have rightly said all
that they have spoken. 18I will raise up for them a prophet * like you from
among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall
speak to them all that I command him. 19And whoever will not give heed to
my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
20But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name which I have
not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that
same prophet shall die.’ 21And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know
the word which the LORD has not spoken?’—22when a prophet speaks in the
name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a
word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it
presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him.
Cities of Refuge
19 “When the LORD your God cuts off the nations whose land the LORD
your God gives you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and
in their houses, 2you shall set apart three cities for you in the land which the
LORD your God gives you to possess. 3You shall prepare the roads, and
divide into three parts the area of the land which the LORD your God gives
you as a possession, so that any manslayer can flee to them.
4 “This is the provision for the manslayer, who by fleeing there may save
his life. If any one kills his neighbor unintentionally without having been at
enmity with him in time past—5as when a man goes into the forest with his
neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and
the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he
may flee to one of these cities and save his life; 6lest the avenger of blood in
hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long,
and wound him mortally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he
was not at enmity with his neighbor in time past. 7Therefore I command
you, You shall set apart three cities. 8And if the LORD your God enlarges
your border, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land
which he promised to give to your fathers—9provided you are careful to
keep all this commandment, which I command you this day, by loving the
LORD your God and by walking ever in his ways—then you shall add three
other cities to these three, 10lest innocent blood be shed in your land which
the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, and so the guilt of
bloodshed be upon you.
11 “But if any man hates his neighbor, and lies in wait for him, and attacks
him, and wounds him mortally so that he dies, and the man flees into one of
these cities, 12then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him from there,
and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die. 13Your eye
shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood o from
Israel, so that it may be well with you.
Concerning Landmarks
14 “In the inheritance which you will hold in the land that the LORD your
God gives you to possess, you shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark,
which the men of old have set.
Concerning Witnesses
15 “A single witness shall not prevail against a man for any crime or for
any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed; only on
the evidence of two witnesses, or of three witnesses, shall a charge be
sustained. 16If a malicious witness rises against any man to accuse him of
wrongdoing, 17then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD,
before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days; 18the
judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has
accused his brother falsely, 19then you shall do to him as he had meant to do
to his brother; so you shall purge the evil from the midst of you. 20And the
rest shall hear, and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among
you. 21Your eye shall not pity; it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Concerning Warfare
20 “When you go forth to war against your enemies, and see horses and
chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them;
for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of
Egypt. 2And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward
and speak to the people, 3and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you draw
near this day to battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint; do not
fear, or tremble, or be in dread of them; 4for the LORD your God is he that
goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the
victory.’ 5Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘What man is
there that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back
to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. 6And what
man is there that has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let
him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its
fruit. 7And what man is there that has betrothed a wife and has not taken
her? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man
take her.’ 8And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What
man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house,
lest the heart of his fellows melt as his heart.’ 9And when the officers have
made an end of speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed
at the head of the people.
10 “When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to
it. 11And if its answer to you is peace and it opens to you, then all the
people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you.
12But if it makes no peace with you, but makes war against you, then you
shall besiege it; 13and when the LORD your God gives it into your hand you
shall put all its males to the sword, 14but the women and the little ones, the
cattle, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty
for yourselves; and you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the
LORD your God has given you. 15Thus you shall do to all the cities which
are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here. 16But in the
cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance,
you shall save alive nothing that breathes, 17but you shall utterly destroy
them, the Hittites and the Am'orites, the Canaanites and the Per'izzites, the
Hi'vites and the Jeb'usites, as the LORD your God has commanded; 18that
they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices
which they have done in the service of their gods, and so to sin against the
LORD your God.
19 “When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in
order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against
them; for you may eat of them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the
trees in the field men that they should be besieged by you? 20Only the trees
which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down that
you may build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it
falls.
Concerning the Slain
21 “If in the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess, any
one is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed
him, 2then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall
measure the distance to the cities which are around him that is slain; 3and
the elders of the city which is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer
which has never been worked and which has not pulled in the yoke. 4And
the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running
water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck
there in the valley. 5And the priests the sons of Levi shall come forward, for
the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the
name of the LORD, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall
be settled. 6And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash
their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley; 7and they
shall testify, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, neither did our eyes see it
shed. 8Forgive, O LORD, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and
set not the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel; but let
the guilt of blood be forgiven them.’ 9So you shall purge the guilt of
innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of
the LORD.
Women Taken Captive
10 “When you go forth to war against your enemies, and the LORD your
God gives them into your hands, and you take them captive, 11and see
among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have desire for her and
would take her for yourself as wife, 12then you shall bring her home to your
house, and she shall shave her head and pare her nails. 13And she shall put
off her captive’s garb, and shall remain in your house and bewail her father
and her mother a full month; after that you may go in to her, and be her
husband, and she shall be your wife. 14Then, if you have no delight in her,
you shall let her go where she will; but you shall not sell her for money, you
shall not treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.
Right of the First-born Son
15 “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other disliked, and they
have borne him children, both the loved and the disliked, and if the first-
born son is hers that is disliked, 16then on the day when he assigns his
possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the
loved as the first-born in preference to the son of the disliked, who is the
first-born, 17but he shall acknowledge the first-born, the son of the disliked,
by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the first issue of
his strength; the right of the first-born is his.
Rebellious Sons
18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the
voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they chastise him,
will not give heed to them, 19then his father and his mother shall take hold
of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place
where he lives, 20and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is
stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a
drunkard.’ 21Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with
stones; so you shall purge the evil from your midst; and all Israel shall hear,
and fear.
Miscellaneous Laws
22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put
to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23his body shall not remain all night
upon the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is
accursed by God; you shall not defile your land which the LORD your God
gives you for an inheritance.
22 “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and
withhold your help p from them; you shall take them back to your brother.
2And if he is not near you, or if you do not know him, you shall bring it
home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks it;
then you shall restore it to him. 3And so you shall do with his donkey; so
you shall do with his garment; so you shall do with any lost thing of your
brother’s, which he loses and you find; you may not withhold your help.
4You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way,
and withhold your help p from them; you shall help him to lift them up
again.
5 “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a
with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting upon the young or upon the
eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; 7you shall let the
mother go, but the young you may take to yourself; that it may go well with
you, and that you may live long.
8 “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof,
that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if any one fall
from it.
9 “You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole
yield be forfeited to the sanctuary, q the crop which you have sown and the
yield of the vineyard. 10You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey
together. 11You shall not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together.
12 “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your cloak with
charges her with shameful conduct, and brings an evil name upon her,
saying, ‘I took this woman, and when I came near her, I did not find in her
the tokens of virginity,’ 15then the father of the young woman and her
mother shall take and bring out the tokens of her virginity to the elders of
the city in the gate; 16and the father of the young woman shall say to the
elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man to wife, and he spurns her; 17and
behold, he has made shameful charges against her, saying, “I did not find in
your daughter the tokens of virginity.” And yet these are the tokens of my
daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the garment before the elders of
the city. 18Then the elders of that city shall take the man and whip him;
19and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and give them to the
father of the young woman, because he has brought an evil name upon a
virgin of Israel; and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his
days. 20But if the thing is true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in
the young woman, 21then they shall bring out the young woman to the door
of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with
stones, because she has wrought folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her
father’s house; so you shall purge the evil from the midst of you.
22 “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them
shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall
purge the evil from Israel.
23 “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies
with her, 24then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and
you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she
did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he
violated his neighbor’s wife; so you shall purge the evil from the midst of
you.
25 “But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is
betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who
lay with her shall die. 26But to the young woman you shall do nothing; in
the young woman there is no offense punishable by death, for this case is
like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor; 27because he came
upon her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried
for help there was no one to rescue her.
28 “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies
with her, and they are found, 29then the man who lay with her shall give to
the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his
wife, because he has violated her; he may not put her away all his days.
30 r “A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor shall he uncover her who
is his father’s. s
Exclusion from the Assembly
23 “He whose testicles are crushed or whose male member is cut off
shall not enter the assembly of the LORD.
2 “No bastard shall enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth
generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD.
3 “No Am'monite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; even
to the tenth generation none belonging to them shall enter the assembly of
the LORD for ever; 4because they did not meet you with bread and with
water on the way, when you came forth out of Egypt, and because they
hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pe'thor of Mesopota'mia, to
curse you. 5Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam;
but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the
LORD your God loved you. 6You shall not seek their peace or their
prosperity all your days for ever.
7 “You shall not abhor an E'domite, for he is your brother; you shall not
abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. 8The children
of the third generation that are born to them may enter the assembly of the
LORD.
Sanitary, Ritual, and
Humanitarian Precepts
9 “When you go forth against your enemies and are in camp, then you
nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp, he shall not come
within the camp; 11but when evening comes on, he shall bathe himself in
water, and when the sun is down, he may come within the camp.
12 “You shall have a place outside the camp and you shall go out to it;
13and you shall have a stick with your weapons; and when you relieve
yourself outside, you shall dig a hole with it, and turn back and cover up
your excrement. 14Because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your
camp, to save you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your
camp must be holy, that he may not see anything indecent among you, and
turn away from you.
15 “You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his
master to you; 16he shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place which
he shall choose within one of your towns, where it pleases him best; you
shall not oppress him.
17 “There shall be no cult prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall
there be a cult prostitute of the sons of Israel. 18You shall not bring the hire
of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, t into the house of the LORD your God in
payment for any vow; for both of these are an abomination to the LORD
your God.
19 “You shall not lend upon interest to your brother, interest on money,
pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be
sin in you. 22But if you refrain from vowing, it shall be no sin in you. 23You
shall be careful to perform what has passed your lips, for you have
voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your
mouth.
24 “When you go into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of
grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your vessel.
25When you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears
with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing
grain.
Laws concerning Marriage and Divorce
24 * “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no
favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes
her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house,
and she departs out of his house, 2and if she goes and becomes another
man’s wife, 3and the latter husband dislikes her and writes her a bill of
divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter
husband dies, who took her to be his wife, 4then her former husband, who
sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been
defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring
guilt upon the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.
Various Laws
5 “When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be
charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, to be happy
with his wife whom he has taken.
6 “No man shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge; for he would
he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall
purge the evil from the midst of you.
8 “Take heed, in an attack of leprosy, to be very careful to do according to
all that the Levitical priests shall direct you; as I commanded them, so you
shall be careful to do. 9Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam
on the way as you came forth out of Egypt.
10 “When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into
his house to fetch his pledge. 11You shall stand outside, and the man to
whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. 12And if he is a
poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge; 13when the sun goes down, you
shall restore to him the pledge that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you;
and it shall be righteousness to you before the LORD your God.
14 “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether
he is one of your brethren or one of the sojourners who are in your land
within your towns; 15you shall give him his hire on the day he earns it,
before the sun goes down (for he is poor, and sets his heart upon it); lest he
cry against you to the LORD, and it be sin in you.
16 “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor shall the
children be put to death for the fathers; every man shall be put to death for
his own sin.
17 “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the
in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the sojourner, the
fatherless, and the widow; that the LORD your God may bless you in all the
work of your hands. 20When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over
the boughs again; it shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.
21When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it
afterward; it shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 22You
shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I
command you to do this.
25 “If there is a dispute between men, and they come into court, and the
judges decide between them, acquitting the innocent and condemning the
guilty, 2then if the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall cause
him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with a number of stripes in
proportion to his offense. 3Forty stripes may be given him, but not more;
lest, if one should go on to beat him with more stripes than these, your
brother be degraded in your sight.
4 “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.
wife of the dead shall not be married outside the family to a stranger; her
husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform
the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6And the first son whom she bears
shall succeed to the name of his brother who is dead, that his name may not
be blotted out of Israel. 7And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s
wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say,
‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he
will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ 8Then the elders of
his city shall call him, and speak to him: and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not
wish to take her,’ 9then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence
of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot, and spit in his face; and she
shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up
his brother’s house.’ 10And the name of his house u shall be called in Israel,
The house of him that had his sandal pulled off.
Various Commands
11 “When men fight with one another, and the wife of the one draws near
to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him, and puts
out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, 12then you shall cut off her
hand; your eye shall have no pity.
13 “You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a
small. 14You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large
and a small. 15A full and just weight you shall have, a full and just measure
you shall have; that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD
your God gives you. 16For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly,
are an abomination to the LORD your God.
1717 “Remember what Am'alek did to you on the way as you came out of
Egypt, 18how he attacked you on the way, when you were faint and weary,
and cut off at your rear all who lagged behind you; and he did not fear God.
19Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your
enemies round about, in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an
inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the remembrance of Am'alek from
under heaven; you shall not forget.
First Fruits and Tithes
26 “When you come into the land which the LORD your God gives you
for an inheritance, and have taken possession of it, and live in it, 2you shall
take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from
your land that the LORD your God gives you, and you shall put it in a
basket, and you shall go to the place which the LORD your God will choose,
to make his name to dwell there. 3And you shall go to the priest who is in
office at that time, and say to him, ‘I declare this day to the LORD your God
that I have come into the land which the LORD swore to our fathers to give
us.’ 4Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand, and set it down
before the altar of the LORD your God.
5 “And you shall make response before the LORD your God, ‘A wandering
Arame'an was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there,
few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
6And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us
hard bondage. 7Then we cried to the LORD the God of our fathers, and the
LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression;
8and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an
outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders; 9and he brought
us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O
LORD, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the LORD your
God, and worship before the LORD your God; 11and you shall rejoice in all
the good which the LORD your God has given to you and to your house,
you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.
12 “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the
third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner,
the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within your towns and be
filled, 13then you shall say before the LORD your God, ‘I have removed the
sacred portion out of my house, and moreover I have given it to the Levite,
the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your
commandment which you have commanded me; I have not transgressed
any of your commandments, neither have I forgotten them; 14I have not
eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was
unclean, or offered any of it to the dead; I have obeyed the voice of the
LORD my God, I have done according to all that you have commanded me.
15Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your
people Israel and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our
fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’
Concluding Exhortation
16 “This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and
ordinances; you shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and
with all your soul. 17You have declared this day concerning the LORD that
he is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes
and his commandments and his ordinances, and will obey his voice; 18and
the LORD has declared this day concerning you that you are a people for his
own possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his
commandments, 19that he will set you high above all nations that he has
made, in praise and in fame and in honor, and that you shall be a people
holy to the LORD your God, as he has spoken.”
The Inscribed Stones and Altar on Mount Ebal
27 Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying,
“Keep all the commandment which I command you this day. 2And on the
day you pass over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God gives
you, you shall set up large stones, and plaster them with plaster; 3and you
shall write upon them all the words of this law, when you pass over to enter
the land which the LORD your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and
honey, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you. 4And when
you have passed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning
which I command you this day, on Mount E'bal, and you shall plaster them
with plaster. 5And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an
altar of stones; you shall lift up no iron tool upon them. 6You shall build an
altar to the LORD your God of unhewn v stones; and you shall offer burnt
offerings on it to the LORD your God; 7and you shall sacrifice peace
offerings, and shall eat there; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your
God. 8And you shall write upon the stones all the words of this law very
plainly.”
9 And Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and
hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the LORD your God.
10You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping his
have passed over the Jordan, these shall stand upon Mount Ger'izim to bless
the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Is'sachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13And
these shall stand upon Mount E'bal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher,
Zeb'ulun, Dan, and Naph'tali. 14And the Levites shall declare to all the men
of Israel with a loud voice:
15 “ ‘Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image, an
fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20 “ ‘Cursed be he who lies with his father’s wife, because he has
uncovered her who is his father’s.’ w And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21 “ ‘Cursed be he who lies with any kind of beast.’ And all the people
father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23 “ ‘Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people
shall say, ‘Amen.’
24 “ ‘Cursed be he who slays his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people
before you; they shall come out against you one way, and flee before you
seven ways. 8The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns,
and in all that you undertake; and he will bless you in the land which the
LORD your God gives you. 9The LORD will establish you as a people holy to
himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the
LORD your God, and walk in his ways. 10And all the peoples of the earth
shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be
afraid of you. 11And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the
fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your
ground, within the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.
12The LORD will open to you his good treasury the heavens, to give the rain
of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you
shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13And the LORD will
make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall tend upward only, and not
downward; if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I
command you this day, being careful to do them, 14and if you do not turn
aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right
hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Warnings against Disobedience
15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful
to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day,
then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. 16Cursed shall
you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. 17Cursed shall be
your basket and your kneading-trough. 18Cursed shall be the fruit of your
body, and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your cattle, and the
young of your flock. 19Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed
shall you be when you go out.
20 “The LORD will send upon you curses, confusion, and frustration, in all
that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly, on
account of the evil of your doings, because you have forsaken me. 21The
LORD will make the pestilence cling to you until he has consumed you off
the land which you are entering to take possession of it. 22The LORD will
strike you with consumption, and with fever, inflammation, and fiery heat,
and with drought, x and with blasting, and with mildew; they shall pursue
you until you perish. 23And the heavens over your head shall be brass, and
the earth under you shall be iron. 24The LORD will make the rain of your
land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down upon you until you
are destroyed.
25 “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall
go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them; and you
shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26And your dead body
shall be food for all birds of the air, and for the beasts of the earth; and there
shall be no one to frighten them away. 27The LORD will strike you with the
boils of Egypt, and with the ulcers and the scurvy and the itch, of which you
cannot be healed. 28The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness
and confusion of mind; 29and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope
in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways; and you shall be only
oppressed and robbed continually, and there shall be no one to help you.
30You shall betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her; you shall
build a house, and you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, and
you shall not use the fruit of it. 31Your ox shall be slain before your eyes,
and you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away before
your face, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to
your enemies, and there shall be no one to help you. 32Your sons and your
daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail
with longing for them all the day; and it shall not be in the power of your
hand to prevent it. 33A nation which you have not known shall eat up the
fruit of your ground and of all your labors; and you shall be only oppressed
and crushed continually; 34so that you shall be driven mad by the sight
which your eyes shall see. 35The LORD will strike you on the knees and on
the legs with grievous boils of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of
your foot to the crown of your head.
36 “The LORD will bring you, and your king whom you set over you, to a
nation that neither you nor your fathers have known; and there you shall
serve other gods, of wood and stone. 37And you shall become a horror, a
proverb, and a byword, among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you
away. 38You shall carry much seed into the field, and shall gather little in;
for the locust shall consume it. 39You shall plant vineyards and dress them,
but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes; for the worm
shall eat them. 40You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but
you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off.
41You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they
shall go into captivity. 42All your trees and the fruit of your ground the
locust shall possess. 43The sojourner who is among you shall mount above
you higher and higher; and you shall come down lower and lower. 44He
shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and
you shall be the tail. 45All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you
and overtake you, till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice
of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he
commanded you. 46They shall be upon you as a sign and a wonder, and
upon your descendants for ever.
47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and
gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things, 48therefore you
shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger
and thirst, in nakedness, and in want of all things; and he will put a yoke of
iron upon your neck, until he has destroyed you. 49The LORD will bring a
nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle
flies, a nation whose language you do not understand, 50a nation of stern
countenance, who shall not regard the person of the old or show favor to the
young, 51and shall eat the offspring of your cattle and the fruit of your
ground, until you are destroyed; who also shall not leave you grain, wine, or
oil, the increase of your cattle or the young of your flock, until they have
caused you to perish. 52They shall besiege you in all your towns, until your
high and fortified walls, in which you trusted, come down throughout all
your land; and they shall besiege you in all your towns throughout all your
land, which the LORD your God has given you. 53And you shall eat the
offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the
LORD your God has given you, in the siege and in the distress with which
your enemies shall distress you. 54The man who is the most tender and
delicately bred among you will grudge food to his brother, to the wife of his
bosom, and to the last of the children who remain to him; 55so that he will
not give to any of them any of the flesh of his children whom he is eating,
because he has nothing left him, in the siege and in the distress with which
your enemy shall distress you in all your towns. 56The most tender and
delicately bred woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of
her foot upon the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will grudge
to the husband of her bosom, to her son and to her daughter, 57her afterbirth
that comes out from between her feet and her children whom she bears,
because she will eat them secretly, for want of all things, in the siege and in
the distress with which your enemy shall distress you in your towns.
58 “If you are not careful to do all the words of this law which are written
in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD
your God, 59then the LORD will bring on you and your offspring
extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses
grievous and lasting. 60And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of
Egypt, which you were afraid of; and they shall cling to you. 61Every
sickness also, and every affliction which is not recorded in the book of this
law, the LORD will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. 62Whereas you
were as the stars of heaven for multitude, you shall be left few in number;
because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God. 63And as the
LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will
take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you; and you shall be
plucked off the land which you are entering to take possession of it. 64And
the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to
the other; and there you shall serve other gods, of wood and stone, which
neither you nor your fathers have known. 65And among these nations you
shall find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot; but the
LORD will give you there a trembling heart, and failing eyes, and a
languishing soul; 66your life shall hang in doubt before you; night and day
you shall be in dread, and have no assurance of your life. 67In the morning
you shall say, ‘Would it were evening!’ and at evening you shall say,
‘Would it were morning!’ because of the dread which your heart shall fear,
and the sights which your eyes shall see. 68And the LORD will bring you
back in ships to Egypt, a journey which I promised that you should never
make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as
male and female slaves, but no man will buy you.”
The Covenant Renewed in Moab
29 y These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded
Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the
covenant which he had made with them at Horeb.
2 z And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all
that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to
all his servants and to all his land, 3the great trials which your eyes saw, the
signs, and those great wonders; 4but to this day the LORD has not given you
a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear. 5I have led you forty
years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out upon you, and your
sandals have not worn off your feet; 6you have not eaten bread, and you
have not drunk wine or strong drink; that you may know that I am the LORD
your God. 7And when you came to this place, Si'hon the king of Heshbon
and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated
them; 8we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites,
the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manas'sites. 9Therefore be careful to
do the words of this covenant, that you may prosper a in all that you do.
10 “You stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; the heads of
your tribes, b your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11your
little ones, your wives, and the sojourner who is in your camp, both he who
hews your wood and he who draws your water, 12that you may enter into
the sworn covenant of the LORD your God, which the LORD your God
makes with you this day; 13that he may establish you this day as his people,
and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your
fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 14Nor is it with you only that I
make this sworn covenant, 15but with him who is not here with us this day
as well as with him who stands here with us this day before the LORD our
God.
16 “You know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we came
through the midst of the nations through which you passed; 17and you have
seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and
gold, which were among them. 18Beware lest there be among you a man or
woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from the LORD
our God to go and serve the gods of those nations; lest there be among you
a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19one who, when he hears the
words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall
be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This would lead to
the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. 20The LORD would not pardon
him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy would smoke against
that man, and the curses written in this book would settle upon him, and the
LORD would blot out his name from under heaven. 21And the LORD would
single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with
all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the law. 22And the
generation to come, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner
who comes from a far land, would say, when they see the afflictions of that
land and the sicknesses with which the LORD has made it sick—23the whole
land brimstone and salt, and a burnt-out waste, unsown, and growing
nothing, where no grass can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and
Gomor'rah, Admah and Zeboi'im, which the LORD overthrew in his anger
and wrath—24yes, all the nations would say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus
to this land? What means the heat of this great anger?’ 25Then men would
say, ‘It is because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their
fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of
Egypt, 26and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom
they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them; 27therefore the
anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the
curses written in this book; 28and the LORD uprooted them from their land in
anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as at this
day.’
29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are
revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the
words of this law.
God’s Fidelity Assured
30 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the
curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the
nations where the LORD your God has driven you, 2and return to the LORD
your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command
you this day, with all your heart and with all your soul; 3then the LORD your
God will restore your fortunes, and have compassion upon you, and he will
gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has
scattered you. 4If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from
there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will fetch you;
5and the LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers
possessed, that you may possess it; and he will make you more prosperous
and numerous than your fathers. 6And the LORD your God will circumcise
your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD
your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7And
the LORD your God will put all these curses upon your foes and enemies
who persecuted you. 8And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD, and
keep all his commandments which I command you this day. 9The LORD
your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your
hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit
of your ground; for the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as
he took delight in your fathers, 10if you obey the voice of the LORD your
God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this
book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and
with all your soul.
Exhortation to Choose Life
11 “For this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard
for you, neither is it far off. 12It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who
will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do
it?’ 13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over
the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14But the
word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can
do it.
15 “See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. 16If
you obey the commandments of the LORD your God c which I command
you this day, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by
keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you
shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land
which you are entering to take possession of it. 17But if your heart turns
away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and
serve them, 18I declare to you this day, that you shall perish; you shall not
live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to enter and
possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that
you and your descendants may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying
his voice, and clinging to him; for that means life to you and length of days,
that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Joshua Becomes Moses’ Successor
31 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. 2And he said
to them, “I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I am no longer able
to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this
Jordan.’ 3The LORD your God himself will go over before you; he will
destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them; and
Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken. 4And the LORD
will do to them as he did to Si'hon and Og, the kings of the Am'orites, and
to their land, when he destroyed them. 5And the LORD will give them over
to you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I
have commanded you. 6Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in
dread of them: for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not
fail you or forsake you.”
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel,
“Be strong and of good courage; for you shall go with this people into the
land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall
put them in possession of it. 8It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be
with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed.”
Rereading of the Law Commanded
9 And Moses wrote this law, and gave it to the priests the sons of Levi,
who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of
Israel. 10And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at
the set time of the year of release, at the feast of booths, 11when all Israel
comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which he will
choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12Assemble
the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your
towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be
careful to do all the words of this law, 13and that their children, who have
not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you
live in the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
Moses and Joshua Receive God’s Charge
14 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you
must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I
may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented
themselves in the tent of meeting. 15And the LORD appeared in the tent in a
pillar of cloud; and the pillar of cloud stood by the door of the tent.
16 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to sleep with your
fathers; then this people will rise and play the harlot after the strange gods
of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake me and
break my covenant which I have made with them. 17Then my anger will be
kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face
from them, and they will be devoured; and many evils and troubles will
come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils
come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18And I will surely hide
my face in that day on account of all the evil which they have done, because
they have turned to other gods. 19Now therefore write this song, and teach it
to the sons of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness
for me against the sons of Israel. 20For when I have brought them into the
land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers,
and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods
and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. 21And when many
evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a
witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their descendants); for
I know the purposes which they are already forming, before I have brought
them into the land that I swore to give.” 22So Moses wrote this song the
same day, and taught it to the sons of Israel.
23 And the LORD commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be
strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into
the land which I swore to give them: I will be with you.”
24 When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, to the
very end, 25Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the
covenant of the LORD, 26 “Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of
the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a
witness against you. 27For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are;
behold, while I am yet alive with you, today you have been rebellious
against the LORD; how much more after my death! 28Assemble to me all the
elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their
ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29For I know that
after my death you will surely act corruptly, and turn aside from the way
which I have commanded you; and in the days to come evil will befall you,
because you will do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to
anger through the work of your hands.”
The Song of Moses
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30 Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in
the ears of all the assembly of Israel:
32 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;
and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
2May my teaching drop as the rain,
my speech distil as the dew,
as the gentle rain upon the tender grass,
and as the showers upon the herb.
3For I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Ascribe greatness to our God!
people, he and Joshua h the son of Nun. 45And when Moses had finished
speaking all these words to all Israel, 46he said to them, “Lay to heart all the
words which I enjoin upon you this day, that you may command them to
your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. 47For
it is no trifle for you, but it is your life, and thereby you shall live long in
the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
Moses’ Death Foretold
48 And the LORD said to Moses that very day, 49 “Ascend this mountain of
the Ab'arim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho;
and view the land of Canaan, which I give to the sons of Israel for a
possession; 50and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to
your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to
his people; 51because you broke faith with me in the midst of the sons of
Israel at the waters of Mer'ibath-ka'desh, in the wilderness of Zin; because
you did not revere me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. 52For you
shall see the land before you; but you shall not go there, into the land which
I give to the sons of Israel.”
Moses’ Final Blessing
33 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the
children of Israel before his death. 2He said,
“The LORD came from Sinai,
and dawned from Se'ir upon us; i
he shone forth from Mount Par'an,
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
with flaming fire j at his right hand.
3Yes, he loved his people; k
all those consecrated to him were in his x hand;
so they followed j in your steps,
receiving direction from you,
4when Moses commanded us a law,
to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see
it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5So Moses the servant of
the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD,
6and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-pe'or;
but no man knows the place of his burial to this day. 7Moses was a hundred
and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural
force abated. 8And the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab
thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses
had laid his hands upon him; so the sons of Israel obeyed him, and did as
the LORD had commanded Moses. 10And there has not arisen a prophet
since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11none like
him for all the signs and the wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the
land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12and
for all the mighty power and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses
wrought in the sight of all Israel.
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Joshua
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
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THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
God Commissions Joshua
1* After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to
Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, 2 “Moses my servant is dead; now
therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land
which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3Every place that the sole
of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses.
4From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river
Euphrates, all the land of th Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down
of the sun shall be your territory. 5No man shall be able to stand before you
all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will
not fail you or forsake you. 6Be strong and of good courage; for you shall
cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give
them. 7Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according
to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to
the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you
go. 8This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall
meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all
that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then
you shall have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your
God is with you wherever you go.”
Preparations for Taking Over the Land
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the
camp, and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions; for within three
days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land
which the LORD your God gives you to possess.’ ”
12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh
Joshua said, 13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is providing you a place of
rest, and will give you this land.’ 14Your wives, your little ones, and your
cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan;
but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your
brethren and shall help them, 15until the LORD gives rest to your brethren as
well as to you, and they also take possession of the land which the LORD
your God is giving them; then you shall return to the land of your
possession, and shall possess it, the land which Moses the servant of the
LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.” 16And they
answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and
wherever you send us we will go. 17Just as we obeyed Moses in all things,
so we will obey you; only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was
with Moses! 18Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys
your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be
strong and of good courage.”
Spies Sent to Jericho
2 And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as
spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went, and
came into the house of a harlot whose name was Ra'hab, and lodged there.
2And it was told the king of Jericho, “Behold, certain men of Israel have
come here tonight to search out the land.” 3Then the king of Jericho sent to
Ra'hab, saying, “Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered
your house; for they have come to search out all the land.” 4But the woman
had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, “True, men came to
me, but I did not know where they came from; 5and when the gate was to be
closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know;
pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” 6But she had brought
them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid
in order on the roof. 7So the men pursued after them on the way to the
Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate
was shut.
8 Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9and said to the
men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you
has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before
you. 10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea
before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings
of the Am'orites that were beyond the Jordan, to Si'hon and Og, whom you
utterly destroyed. 11And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there
was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the LORD your God is
he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12Now then, swear to
me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal
kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign, 13and save alive my
father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and
deliver our lives from death.” 14And the men said to her, “Our life for
yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and
faithfully with you when the LORD gives us the land.”
15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house
was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall. 16And she said to
them, “Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves
there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may
go your way.” 17The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to
this oath of yours which you have made us swear. 18Behold, when we come
into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which
you let us down; and you shall gather into your house your father and
mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. 19If any one goes out
of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head,
and we shall be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon any one who is with you
in the house, his blood shall be on our head. 20But if you tell this business
of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath which you have
made us swear.” 21And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then
she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet cord in the
window.
22 They departed, and went into the hills, and remained there three days,
until the pursuers returned; for the pursuers had made search all along the
way and found nothing. 23Then the two men came down again from the
hills, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him
all that had befallen them. 24And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has
given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the
land are fainthearted because of us.”
Israel Passes over the Jordan
3 Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim, with all the
sons of Israel; and they came to the Jordan, and lodged there before they
passed over. 2At the end of three days the officers went through the camp
3and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the
LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out
from your place and follow it, 4that you may know the way you shall go, for
you have not passed this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you
and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come near it.” 5And
Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will
do wonders among you.” 6And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark
of the covenant, and pass on before the people.” And they took up the ark of
the covenant, and went before the people.
7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the
sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be
with you. 8And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the
covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you
shall stand still in the Jordan.’ ” 9And Joshua said to the sons of Israel,
“Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” 10And Joshua said,
“Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will
without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the
Hi'vites, the Per'izzites, the Gir'gashites, the Am'orites, and the Jeb'usites.
11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is to pass over
before you into the Jordan. 12Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes
of Israel, from each tribe a man. 13And when the soles of the feet of the
priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in
the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be stopped from
flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”
14 So, when the people set out from their tents, to pass over the Jordan
with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15and
when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the
priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (the Jordan
overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16the waters coming
down from above stood and rose up in a heap far off, at Adam, the city that
is beside Zar'ethan, and those flowing down toward the sea of the Ar'abah,
the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over opposite
Jericho. 17And while all Israel were passing over on dry ground, the priests
who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the
midst of the Jordan, until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. *
Twelve Stones Set Up at Gilgal
4 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD
said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man,
3and command them, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the
Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood, and carry them
over with you, and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’ ”
4Then Joshua called the twelve men from the sons of Israel, whom he had
appointed, a man from each tribe; 5and Joshua said to them, “Pass on before
the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each
of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of
the sons of Israel, 6that this may be a sign among you, when your children
ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7Then you shall
tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the
covenant of the LORD; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the
Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the sons of Israel a memorial
for ever.”
8 And the men of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve
stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes
of the sons of Israel, as the LORD told Joshua; and they carried them over
with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9And
Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where
the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they
are there to this day. 10For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of
the Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua
to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.
The people passed over in haste; 11and when all the people had finished
passing over, the ark of the LORD and the priests passed over before the
people. 12The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of
Manas'seh passed over armed before the sons of Israel, as Moses had
bidden them; 13about forty thousand ready armed for war passed over
before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14On that day the LORD
exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as
they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And the LORD said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests who bear the ark
month, and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20And
those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in
Gilgal. 21And he said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their
fathers in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22then you shall let
your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23For
the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you
passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up
for us until we passed over, 24so that all the peoples of the earth may know
that the hand of the LORD is mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God
for ever.”
The Sons of Israel Are Circumcised
5 When all the kings of the Am'orites that were beyond the Jordan to the
west, and all the kings of the Canaanites that were by the sea, heard that the
LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the sons of Israel until they
had crossed over, their heart melted, and there was no longer any spirit in
them, because of the sons of Israel.
2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise
the sons of Israel again the second time.” 3So Joshua made flint knives, and
circumcised the sons of Israel at Gib'eath-haar'aloth. a 4And this is the
reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came
out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died on the way in the wilderness after
they had come out of Egypt. 5Though all the people who came out had been
circumcised, yet all the people that were born on the way in the wilderness
after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6For the sons of
Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, the men of
war that came forth out of Egypt, perished, because they did not listen to
the voice of the LORD; to them the LORD swore that he would not let them
see the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land
flowing with milk and honey. 7So it was their children, whom he raised up
in their stead, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised,
because they had not been circumcised on the way.
8 When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their
places in the camp till they were healed. 9And the LORD said to Joshua,
“This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the
name of that place is called Gilgal b to this day.
The Passover at Gilgal
10 While the sons of Israel were encamped in Gilgal they kept the
behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in his hand; and
Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our
adversaries?” 14And he said, “No; but as commander of the army of the
LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and
worshiped, and said to him, “What does my lord bid his servant?” 15And
the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Put off your shoes
from your feet; for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Jericho Taken and Destroyed
6* Now Jericho was shut up from within and from without because of
the sons of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2And the LORD said to
Joshua, “See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty
men of valor. 3You shall march around the city, all the men of war going
around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4And seven priests
shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; and on the seventh
day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the
trumpets. 5And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as
you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a
great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall
go up every man straight before him.” 6So Joshua the son of Nun called the
priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven
priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.”
7And he said to the people, “Go forward; march around the city, and let the
armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD.”
8 And as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the
seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the
trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them. 9And
the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear
guard came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. 10But Joshua
commanded the people, “You shall not shout or let your voice be heard,
neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout;
then you shall shout.” 11So he caused the ark of the LORD to compass the
city, going about it once; and they came into the camp, and spent the night
in the camp.
12 Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark
of the LORD. 13And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’
horns before the ark of the LORD passed on, blowing the trumpets
continually; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came
after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. 14And the
second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp.
So they did for six days.
15 On the seventh day they rose early at the dawn of day, and marched
around the city in the same manner seven times: it was only on that day that
they marched around the city seven times. 16And at the seventh time, when
the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout; for
the LORD has given you the city. 17And the city and all that is within it shall
be devoted to the LORD for destruction; * only Ra'hab the harlot and all who
are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we
sent. 18But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest
when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make
the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. 19But
all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the LORD;
they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.” 20So the people shouted, and
the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the
trumpet, the people raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that
the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they
took the city. 21Then they utterly destroyed all in the city, both men and
women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the
sword.
22 And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into
the harlot’s house, and bring out from it the woman, and all who belong to
her, as you swore to her.” 23So the young men who had been spies went in,
and brought out Ra'hab, and her father and mother and brothers and all who
belonged to her; and they brought all her kindred, and set them outside the
camp of Israel. 24And they burned the city with fire, and all within it; only
the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the
treasury of the house of the LORD. 25But Ra'hab the harlot, and her father’s
household, and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive; and she dwelt
in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to
spy out Jericho.
26 Joshua laid an oath upon them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the
LORD be the man that rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.
At the cost of his first-born shall he lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.”
27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.
Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went
up and spied out Ai. 3And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, “Let not
all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and
attack Ai; do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are but few.”
4So about three thousand went up there from the people; and they fled
before the men of Ai, 5and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six men of
them, and chased them before the gate as far as Sheb'arim, and slew them at
the descent. And the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before
the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they
put dust upon their heads. 7And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have
you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of
the Am'orites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell
beyond the Jordan! 8O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their
backs before their enemies! 9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of
the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the
earth; and what will you do for your great name?”
10 The LORD said to Joshua, “Arise, why have you thus fallen upon your
thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in the midst of
you, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies, until you take away
the devoted things from among you.” 14In the morning therefore you shall
be brought near by your tribes; and the tribe which the LORD takes shall
come near by families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come
near by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come
near man by man. 15And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be
burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the
covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a shameful thing in
Israel.’ ”
16 So Joshua rose early in the morning, and brought Israel near tribe by
tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken; 17and he brought near the families of
Judah, and the family of the Ze'rahites was taken; and he brought near the
family of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken; 18and he brought
near his household man by man, and A'chan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi,
son of Ze'rah of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19Then Joshua said to A'chan,
“My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and render praise to him;
and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20And
A'chan answered Joshua, “Of a truth I have sinned against the LORD God of
Israel, and this is what I did: 21when I saw among the spoil a beautiful
mantle from Shi'nar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold
weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them, and took them; and behold,
they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was
hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23And they took them out of
the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the sons of Israel; and they laid
them down before the LORD. 24And Joshua and all Israel with him took
A'chan the son of Ze'rah, and the silver and the mantle and the bar of gold,
and his sons and daughters, and his oxen and donkeys and sheep, and his
tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of A'chor.
25And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings
trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones; they burned
them with fire, and stoned them with stones. 26And they raised over him a
great heap of stones that remains to this day; then the LORD turned from his
burning anger. Therefore to this day the name of that place is called the
Valley of A'chor.c
Capture and Destruction of Ai
8 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear or be dismayed; take all the
fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your
hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land; 2and you shall do
to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; only its spoil and its
cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves; lay an ambush against the city,
behind it.”
3 So Joshua arose, and all the fighting men, to go up to Ai; and Joshua
chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them forth by night.
4And he commanded them, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the
city, behind it; do not go very far from the city, but hold yourselves all in
readiness; 5and I, and all the people who are with me, will approach the
city. And when they come out against us, as before, we shall flee before
them; 6and they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from
the city; for they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, as before.’ So we will
flee from them; 7then you shall rise up from the ambush, and seize the city;
for the LORD your God will give it into your hand. 8And when you have
taken the city, you shall set the city on fire, doing as the LORD has bidden;
see, I have commanded you.” 9So Joshua sent them forth; and they went to
the place of ambush, and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai; but
Joshua spent that night among the people.
10 And Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people, and
went up, with the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11And all the
fighting men who were with him went up, and drew near before the city,
and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai.
12And he took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between
Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13So they stationed the forces, the
main encampment which was north of the city and its rear guard west of the
city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. 14And when the king of Ai
saw this he and all his people, the men of the city, made haste and went out
early to the descent d toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did
not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15And
Joshua and all Israel made a pretense of being beaten before them, and fled
in the direction of the wilderness. 16So all the people who were in the city
were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were
drawn away from the city. 17There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, who
did not go out after Israel; they left the city open, and pursued Israel.
18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your
hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out
the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19And the ambush rose
quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they
ran and entered the city and took it; and they made haste to set the city on
fire. 20So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city
went up to heaven; and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the
people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. 21And
when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that
the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck the men of
Ai. 22And the others came forth from the city against them; so they were in
the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; and Israel
struck them, until there was left none that survived or escaped. 23But the
king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24 When Israel had finished slaughtering all the inhabitants of Ai in the
open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last
had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and struck it
with the edge of the sword. 25And all who fell that day, both men and
women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai. 26For Joshua did not
draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had
utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27Only the cattle and the spoil of
that city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of the LORD which
he commanded Joshua. 28So Joshua burned Ai, and made it for ever a heap
of ruins, as it is to this day. 29And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until
evening; and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they
took his body down from the tree, and cast it at the entrance of the gate of
the city, and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this
day.
Joshua Sacrifices and Reads the Law at Mount Ebal
30 Then Joshua built an altar on Mount E'bal to the LORD, the God of
Israel, 31as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of
Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, “an altar of unhewn
stones, upon which no man has lifted an iron tool”; and they offered on it
burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32And there, in
the presence of the sons of Israel, he wrote upon the stones a copy of the
law of Moses, which he had written. 33And all Israel, sojourner as well as
homeborn, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite
sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the
covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Ger'izim and half of
them in front of Mount E'bal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had
commanded at the first, that they should bless the sons of Israel. 34And
afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse,
according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35There was not a
word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua did not read before all the
assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners
who lived among them.
The Gibeonites’ Stratagem
9 When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country
and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the
Hittites, the Am'orites, the Canaanites, the Per'izzites, the Hi'vites, and the
Jeb'usites, heard of this, 2they gathered together with one accord to fight
Joshua and Israel.
3 But when the inhabitants of Gib'eon heard what Joshua had done to
Jericho and to Ai, 4they on their part acted with cunning, and went and
made ready provisions, and took worn-out sacks upon their donkeys, and
wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5with worn-out, patched sandals
on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry and
moldy. 6And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and
to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; so now make a
covenant with us.” 7But the men of Israel said to the Hi'vites, “Perhaps you
live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” 8They said to
Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you?
And where do you come from?” 9They said to him, “From a very far
country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your
God; for we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10and
all that he did to the two kings of the Am'orites who were beyond the
Jordan, Si'hon the king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt in
Ash'taroth. 11And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to
us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and
say to them, “We are your servants; come now, make a covenant with us.” ’
12Here is our bread; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as
our food for the journey, on the day we set forth to come to you, but now,
behold, it is dry and moldy; 13these wineskins were new when we filled
them, and behold, they are burst; and these garments and shoes of ours are
worn out from the very long journey.” 14So the men partook of their
provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD. 15And Joshua made
peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the
leaders of the congregation swore to them.
16 At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they
heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.
17And the sons of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day.
congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all
the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19But all the leaders said to
all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of
Israel, and now we may not touch them. 20This we will do to them, and let
them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we swore to
them.” 21And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became
hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the
leaders had said of them.
22 Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us,
saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? 23Now
therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, hewers of
wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24They answered
Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD
your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to
destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; so we feared greatly
for our lives because of you, and did this thing. 25And now, behold, we are
in your hand: do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us.” 26So
he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel; and
they did not kill them. 27But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood
and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to
continue to this day, in the place which he should choose.
The Sun Stands Still
10 When Ado'ni-ze'dek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken
Ai, and had utterly destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to
Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gib'eon had made peace
with Israel and were among them, 2he x feared greatly, because Gib'eon was
a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai,
and all its men were mighty. 3So Ado'ni-ze'dek king of Jerusalem sent to
Hoham king of He'bron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhi'a king of
La'chish, and to De'bir king of Eg'lon, saying, 4 “Come up to me, and help
me, and let us strike Gib'eon; for it has made peace with Joshua and with
the sons of Israel.” 5Then the five kings of the Am'orites, the king of
Jerusalem, the king of He'bron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of La'chish,
and the king of Eg'lon, gathered their forces, and went up with all their
armies and encamped against Gib'eon, and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gib'eon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying,
“Do not relax your hand from your servants; come up to us quickly, and
save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Am'orites that dwell in the hill
country are gathered against us.” 7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and
all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8And the
LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your
hands; there shall not a man of them stand before you.” 9So Joshua came
upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10And the
LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who slew them with a great
slaughter at Gib'eon, and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-
ho'ron, and struck them as far as Aze'kah and Makke'dah. 11And as they
fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-ho'ron,
the LORD threw down great stones from heaven upon them as far as
Aze'kah, and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones
than the men of Israel killed with the sword.
12 Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the
Am'orites over to the men of Israel; and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gib'eon,
and you Moon in the valley of Ai'jalon.”
13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed,
cave at Makke'dah.” 18And Joshua said, “Roll great stones against the
mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them; 19but do not stay there
yourselves, pursue your enemies, fall upon their rear, do not let them enter
their cities; for the LORD your God has given them into your hand.” 20When
Joshua and the men of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great
slaughter, until they were wiped out, and when the remnant which remained
of them had entered into the fortified cities, 21all the people returned safe to
Joshua in the camp at Makke'dah; not a man moved his tongue against any
of the sons of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring those five
kings out to me from the cave.” 23And they did so, and brought those five
kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of He'bron,
the king of Jarmuth, the king of La'chish, and the king of Eg'lon. 24And
when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men
of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him,
“Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings.” Then they came
near, and put their feet on their necks. 25And Joshua said to them, “Do not
be afraid or dismayed; be strong and of good courage; for thus the LORD
will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26And afterward
Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hung them on five trees.
And they hung upon the trees until evening; 27but at the time of the going
down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the
trees, and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and
they set great stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this
very day.
28 And Joshua took Makke'dah on that day, and struck it and its king with
the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in it, he left none
remaining; and he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king
of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua passed on from Makke'dah, and all Israel with him, to
Libnah, and fought against Libnah; 30and the LORD gave it also and its king
into the hand of Israel; and he struck it with the edge of the sword, and
every person in it; he left none remaining in it; and he did to its king as he
had done to the king of Jericho.
31 And Joshua passed on from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to La'chish,
and laid siege to it, and assaulted it: 32and the LORD gave La'chish into the
hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge
of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help La'chish; and Joshua struck
laid siege to it, and assaulted it; 35and they took it on that day, and struck it
with the edge of the sword; and every person in it he utterly destroyed that
day, as he had done to La'chish.
36 Then Joshua went up with all Israel from Eg'lon to He'bron; and they
assaulted it, 37and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its
king and its towns, and every person in it; he left none remaining, as he had
done to Eg'lon, and utterly destroyed it with every person in it.
38 Then Joshua, with all Israel, turned back to De'bir and assaulted it,
39and he took it with its king and all its towns; and they struck them with
the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person in it; he left none
remaining; as he had done to Heb'ron and to Libnah and its king, so he did
to De'bir and to its king.
40 So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill country and the Neg'eb and
the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but
utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.
41And Joshua defeated them from Ka'desh-bar'nea to Gaza, and all the
country of Go'shen, as far as Gib'eon. 42And Joshua took all these kings and
their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
43Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all those
kingdoms. 11And they put to the sword all who were in it, utterly destroying
them; there was none left that breathed, and he burned Ha'zor with fire.
12And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took, and
struck them with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them, as Moses
the servant of the LORD had commanded. 13But none of the cities that stood
on mounds did Israel burn, except Ha'zor only; that Joshua burned. 14And
all the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the sons of Israel took for their
booty; but every man they struck with the edge of the sword, until they had
destroyed them, and they did not leave any that breathed. 15As the LORD
had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so
Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded
Moses.
Summary of Joshua’s Conquests
16 So Joshua took all that land, the hill country and all the Neg'eb and all
the land of Go'shen and the lowland and the Ar'abah and the hill country of
Israel and its lowland 17from Mount Ha'lak, that rises toward Se'ir, as far as
Ba'al-gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. And he took all
their kings, and struck them, and put them to death. 18Joshua made war a
long time with all those kings. 19There was not a city that made peace with
the sons of Israel, except the Hi'vites, the inhabitants of Gib'eon; they took
all in battle. 20For it was the LORD’s doing to harden their hearts that they
should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be utterly
destroyed, and should receive no mercy but be exterminated, as the LORD
commanded Moses.
21 And Joshua came at that time, and wiped out the An'akim from the hill
country, from Heb'ron, from De'bir, from A'nab, and from all the hill
country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel; Joshua utterly
destroyed them with their cities. 22There was none of the An'akim left in the
land of the sons of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some
remain. 23So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had
spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according
to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.
The Kings Conquered by Moses
12 Now these are the kings of the land, whom the sons of Israel
defeated, and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the
sunrising, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the
Ar'abah eastward: 2Si'hon king of the Am'orites who dwelt at Heshbon, and
ruled from Aro'er, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and from
the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the
Am'monites, that is, half of Gilead, 3and the Ar'abah to the Sea of
Chin'neroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jesh'imoth, to the sea of
the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; 4and
Og e king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Reph'aim, who dwelt at
Ash'taroth and at Ed're-i 5and ruled over Mount Hermon and Sal'ecah and
all Bashan to the boundary of the Gesh'urites and the Ma-ac'athites, and
over half of Gilead to the boundary of Si'hon king of Heshbon. 6Moses, the
servant of the LORD, and the sons of Israel defeated them; and Moses the
servant of the LORD gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and
the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh.
The Kings Conquered by Joshua
7 And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the sons of Israel
defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Ba'al-gad in the valley of
Lebanon to Mount Ha'lak, that rises toward Se'ir (and Joshua gave their
land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments, 8in
the hill country, in the lowland, in the Ar'abah, in the slopes, in the
wilderness, and in the Neg'eb, the land of the Hittites, the Am'orites, the
Canaanites, the Per'izzites, the Hi'vites, and the Jeb'usites): 9the king of
Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; 10the king of
Jerusalem, one; the king of He'bron, one; 11the king of Jarmuth, one; the
king of La'chish, one; 12the king of Eg'lon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
13the king of De'bir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14the king of Hormah, one;
the king of Ar'ad, one; 15the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adul'lam, one;
16the king of Makke'dah, one; the king of Bethel, one; 17the king of Tap'pu-
ah, one; the king of He'pher, one; 18the king of A'phek, one; the king of
Lashar'on, one; 19the king of Madon, one; the king of Ha'zor, one; 20the
king of Shim'ron-me'ron, one; the king of Ach'shaph, one; 21the king of
Ta'anach, one; the king of Megid'do, one; 22the king of Ke'desh, one; the
king of Jok'ne-am in Carmel, one; 23the king of Dor in Na'phath-dor, one;
the king of Goi'im in Galilee, f one; 24the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-
one kings.
Still Unconquered Parts of Canaan
13 * Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the LORD said to
him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much
land to be possessed. 2This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the
Philis'tines, and all those of the Gesh'urites 3(from the Shi'hor, which is east
of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ek'ron, it is reckoned as Canaanite;
there are five rulers of the Philis'tines, those of Gaza, Ash'dod, Ash'kelon,
Gath, and Ek'ron), and those of the Avvim, 4in the south, all the land of the
Canaanites, and Me-ar'ah which belongs to the Sido'nians, to A'phek, to the
boundary of the Am'orites, 5and the land of the Geb'alites, and all Lebanon,
toward the sunrising, from Ba'al-gad below Mount Hermon to the entrance
of Ha'math, 6all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to
Mis'rephoth-ma'im, even all the Sido'nians. I will myself drive them out
from before the sons of Israel; only allot the land to Israel for an
inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7Now therefore divide this land for
an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manas'seh.”
8 With the other half of the tribe of Manas'seh g the Reubenites and the
Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the
Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them: 9from Aro'er,
which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the
middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Med'eba as far as Di'bon; 10and
all the cities of Si'hon king of the Am'orites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far
as the boundary of the Am'monites; 11and Gilead, and the region of the
Gesh'urites and Ma-ac'athites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to
Sal'ecah; 12all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ash'taroth and
in Ed're-i (he alone was left of the remnant of the Reph'aim); these Moses
had defeated and driven out. 13Yet the sons of Israel did not drive out the
Gesh'urites or the Ma-ac'athites; but Ge'shur and Ma'acath dwell in the
midst of Israel to this day.
14 To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance; the offerings by
fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him.
The Territory of Reuben
15 And Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the Reubenites according
to their families. 16So their territory was from Aro'er, which is on the edge
of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley,
and all the tableland by Med'eba; 17with Heshbon, and all its cities that are
in the tableland; Di'bon, and Ba'moth-ba'al, and Beth-ba'al-me'on, 18and
Ja'haz, and Ked'emoth, and Meph'a-ath, 19and Kir''iatha'im, and Sibmah,
and Ze'reth-sha'har on the hill of the valley, 20and Beth-pe'or, and the slopes
of Pisgah, and Beth-jesh'imoth, 21that is, all the cities of the tableland, and
all the kingdom of Si'hon king of the Am'orites, who reigned in Heshbon,
whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Mid'ian, E'vi and Re'kem and Zur
and Hur and Reba, the princes of Si'hon, who dwelt in the land. 22Balaam
also, the son of Beor, the soothsayer, the sons of Israel killed with the sword
among the rest of their slain. 23And the border of the people of Reuben was
the Jordan as a boundary. This was the inheritance of the Reubenites,
according to their families with their cities and villages.
The Territory of Gad
24 And Moses gave an inheritance also to the tribe of the Gadites,
according to their families. 25Their territory was Ja'zer, and all the cities of
Gilead, and half the land of the Am'monites, to Aro'er, which is east of
Rabbah, 26and from Heshbon to Ra'math-miz'peh and Bet'onim, and from
Ma''hana'im to the territory of De'bir, h 27and in the valley Beth-ha'ram,
Beth-nim'rah, Succoth, and Za'phon, the rest of the kingdom of Si'hon king
of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of
Chin'nereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. 28This is the inheritance of the
Gadites according to their families, with their cities and villages.
The Territory of the Half-tribe of Manasseh (East)
29 And Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manas'seh; it was
kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Ja'ir, which are in
Bashan, sixty cities, 31and half Gilead, and Ash'taroth, and Ed're-i, the cities
of the kingdom of Og in Bashan; these were allotted to the people of
Ma'chir the son of Manas'seh for the half of the Ma'chirites according to
their families.
32 These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of
Moab, beyond the Jordan east of Jericho. 33But to the tribe of Levi Moses
gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, as he said
to them.
The Distribution of Territory West of the Jordan
14 And these are the inheritances which the sons of Israel received in
the land of Canaan, which Elea'zar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun,
and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel
distributed to them. 2Their inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had
commanded Moses for the nine and one-half tribes. 3For Moses had given
an inheritance to the two and one-half tribes beyond the Jordan; but to the
Levites he gave no inheritance among them. 4For the people of Joseph were
two tribes, Manas'seh and E'phraim; and no portion was given to the
Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in, with their pasture lands for
their cattle and their substance. 5The sons of Israel did as the LORD
commanded Moses; they allotted the land.
Hebron Allotted to Caleb
6 Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal; and Caleb the son of
Jephun'neh the Ken'izzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to
Moses the man of God in Ka'desh-bar'nea concerning you and me. 7I was
forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Ka'desh-
bar'nea to spy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my
heart. 8But my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people
melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9And Moses swore on that
day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an
inheritance for you and your children for ever, because you have wholly
followed the LORD my God.’ 10And now, behold, the LORD has kept me
alive, as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke
this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness; and now, behold,
I am this day eighty-five years old. 11I am still as strong to this day as I was
in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then,
for war, and for going and coming. 12So now give me this hill country of
which the LORD spoke on that day; for you heard on that day how the
An'akim were there, with great fortified cities: it may be that the LORD will
be with me, and I shall drive them out as the LORD said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed him; and he gave He'bron to Caleb the son of
Jephun'neh for an inheritance. 14So He'bron became the inheritance of
Caleb the son of Jephun'neh the Ken'izzite to this day, because he wholly
followed the LORD, the God of Israel. 15Now the name of He'bron formerly
was Kir'iath-ar'ba;i this Arba was the greatest man among the An'akim. And
the land had rest from war.
The Territory of Judah
15 The lot for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their
families reached southward to the boundary of E'dom, to the wilderness of
Zin at the farthest south. 2And their south boundary ran from the end of the
Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward; 3it goes out southward of the
ascent of Akrab'bim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Ka'desh-
bar'nea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, turns about to Karka, 4passes along
to Azmon, goes out by the Brook of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea.
This shall be your south boundary. 5And the east boundary is the Salt Sea,
to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from
the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan; 6and the boundary goes up to
Beth-hog'lah, and passes along north of Beth-ar'abah; and the boundary
goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben; 7and the boundary goes
up to De'bir from the Valley of A'chor, and so northward, turning toward
Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adum'mim, which is on the south
side of the valley; and the boundary passes along to the waters of En-
she'mesh, and ends at En-ro'gel; 8then the boundary goes up by the valley of
the son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jeb'usite (that is,
Jerusalem); and the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies
over against the valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the
valley of Reph'aim; 9then the boundary extends from the top of the
mountain to the spring of the Waters of Nephto'ah, and from there to the
cities of Mount E'phron; then the boundary bends round to Ba'alah (that is,
Kir'iath-je'arim); 10and the boundary circles west of Ba'alah to Mount Se'ir,
passes along to the northern shoulder of Mount Je'arim (that is, Ches'alon),
and goes down to Beth-she'mesh, and passes along by Timnah; 11the
boundary goes out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ek'ron, then the
boundary bends round to Shik'keron, and passes along to Mount Ba'alah,
and goes out to Jab'neel; then the boundary comes to an end at the sea.
12And the west boundary was the Great Sea with its coast-line. This is the
boundary round about the people of Judah according to their families.
Caleb Occupies His Portion
13 According to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, he gave to
Caleb the son of Jephun'neh a portion among the people of Judah, Kir'iath-
ar'ba, that is, He'bron (Arba was the father of A'nak). 14And Caleb drove
out from there the three sons of A'nak, She'shai and Ahi'man and Talmai,
the descendants of Anak. 15And he went up from there against the
inhabitants of De'bir; now the name of Debir formerly was Kir'iath-se'pher.
16And Caleb said, “Whoever strikes Kir'iath-se'pher, and takes it, to him
will I give Ach'sah my daughter as wife.” 17And Oth'ni-el the son of Ke'naz,
the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Ach'sah his daughter as wife.
18When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field; and she
alighted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”
19She said to him, “Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of
the Neg'eb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper
springs and the lower springs.
The Towns of Judah
20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to
their families. 21The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in
the extreme South, toward the boundary of E'dom, were Kab'zeel, E'der,
Jagur, 22Kinah, Dimo'nah, Ada'dah, 23Ke'desh, Ha'zor, Ithnan, 24Ziph,
Telem, Be-a'loth, 25Ha'zor-hadat'tah, Ker'i-oth-hez'ron (that is, Ha'zor),
26A'mam, Shema, Mo'ladah, 27Ha'zar-gad'dah, Heshmon, Beth-pel'et,
28Ha'zar-shu'al, Be'er-she'ba, Biziothi'ah, 29Ba'alah, I'im, E'zem, 30Elto'lad,
the Brook of Egypt, and the Great Sea with its coast-line.
48 And in the hill country, Sha'mir, Jat'tir, Socoh, 49Dannah, Kir'iath-
san'nah (that is, De'bir), 50A'nab, Esh'temoh, A'nim, 51Goshen, Holon, and
Giloh: eleven cities with their villages.
52 A'rab, Du'mah, E'shan, 53Ja'nim, Beth-tap'pu-ah, Aphe'kah, 54Humtah,
Kir'iath-ar'ba (that is, He'bron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages.
55 Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56Jezre'el, Jok'de-am, Zano'ah, 57Kain,
villages.
61 In the wilderness, Beth-ar'abah, Middin, Seca'cah, 62Nibshan, the City
could not drive out; so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at
Jerusalem to this day.
The Territory of Ephraim
16 The allotment of the descendants of Joseph went from the Jordan by
Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from
Jericho into the hill country to Bethel; 2then going from Bethel to Luz, it
passes along to At'aroth, the territory of the Ar'chites; 3then it goes down
westward to the territory of the Japh'letites, as far as the territory of Lower
Beth-ho'ron, then to Gezer, and it ends at the sea.
4 The people of Joseph, Manas'seh and E'phraim, received their
inheritance.
5 The territory of the E'phraimites by their families was as follows: the
of Manas'seh, had no sons, but only daughters; and these are the names of
his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4They came
before Elea'zar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders, and
said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with
our brethren.” So according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them
an inheritance among the brethren of their father. 5Thus there fell to
Manas'seh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on
the other side of the Jordan; 6because the daughters of Manas'seh received
an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the
rest of the Manas'sites.
7 The territory of Manas'seh reached from Asher to Michme'thath, which
had not yet been apportioned. 3So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How
long will you be slack to go in and take possession of the land, which the
LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? 4Provide three men from
each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and
down the land, writing a description of it with a view to their inheritances,
and then come to me. 5They shall divide it into seven portions, Judah
continuing in his territory on the south, and the house of Joseph in their
territory on the north. 6And you shall describe the land in seven divisions
and bring the description here to me; and I will cast lots for you here before
the LORD our God. 7The Levites have no portion among you, for the
priesthood of the LORD is their heritage; and Gad and Reuben and half the
tribe of Manas'seh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan
eastward, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.”
8 So the men started on their way; and Joshua charged those who went to
write the description of the land, saying, “Go up and down and write a
description of the land, and come again to me; and I will cast lots for you
here before the LORD in Shiloh.” 9So the men went and passed up and down
in the land and set down in a book a description of it by towns in seven
divisions; then they came to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh, 10and Joshua cast
lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD; and there Joshua apportioned the
land to the sons of Israel, to each his portion.
The Territory of Benjamin
11 The lot of the tribe of Benjamin according to its families came up, and
the territory allotted to it fell between the tribe of Judah and the tribe of
Joseph. 12On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan; then the
boundary goes up to the shoulder north of Jericho, then up through the hill
country westward; and it ends at the wilderness of Beth-a'ven. 13From there
the boundary passes along southward in the direction of Luz, to the
shoulder of Luz (the same is Bethel), then the boundary goes down to
At'aroth-ad'dar, upon the mountain that lies south of Lower Beth-ho'ron.
14Then the boundary goes in another direction, turning on the western side
southward from the mountain that lies to the south, opposite Beth-ho'ron,
and it ends at Kir'iath-ba'al (that is, Kir'iath-je'arim), a city belonging to the
tribe of Judah. This forms the western side. 15And the southern side begins
at the outskirts of Kir'iath-je'arim; and the boundary goes from there to
E'phron, k to the spring of the Waters of Nephto'ah; 16then the boundary
goes down to the border of the mountain that overlooks the valley of the
son of Hinnom, which is at the north end of the valley of Reph'aim; and it
then goes down the valley of Hinnom, south of the shoulder of the
Jeb'usites, and downward to En-ro'gel; 17then it bends in a northerly
direction going on to En-she'mesh, and thence goes to Geli'loth, which is
opposite the ascent of Adum'mim; then it goes down to the stone of Bohan
the son of Reuben; 18and passing on to the north of the shoulder of Beth-
ar'abah l it goes down to the Ar'abah; 19then the boundary passes on to the
north of the shoulder of Beth-hog'lah; and the boundary ends at the northern
bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan: this is the southern
border. 20The Jordan forms its boundary on the eastern side. This is the
inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin, according to its families, boundary by
boundary round about.
21 Now the cities of the tribe of Benjamin according to their families were
And the territory of its inheritance reached as far as Sa'rid; 11then its
boundary goes up westward, and on to Mar'eal, and touches Dab'besheth,
then the brook which is east of Jok'ne-am; 12from Sa'rid it goes in the other
direction eastward toward the sunrise to the boundary of Chis'loth-ta'bor;
thence it goes to Dab'erath, then up to Japhi'a; 13from there it passes along
on the east toward the sunrise to Gath-he'pher, to Eth-ka'zin, and going on
to Rimmon it bends toward Ne'ah; 14then on the north the boundary turns
about to Hanna'thon, and it ends at the valley of Iph'tahel; 15and Kattath,
Nahal'al, Shimron, I'dalah, and Bethlehem—twelve cities with their
villages. 16This is the inheritance of the tribe of Zeb'ulun, according to its
families—these cities with their villages.
The Territory of Issachar
17 The fourth lot came out for Is'sachar, for the tribe of Issachar, according
Naphtali, according to its families. 33And its boundary ran from He'leph,
from the oak in Za-anan'nim, and Ad'ami-nek'eb, and Jab'neel, as far as
Lakkum; and it ended at the Jordan; 34then the boundary turns westward to
Az'noth-ta'bor, and goes from there to Hukkok, touching Zeb'ulun at the
south, and Asher on the west, and Judah on the east at the Jordan. 35The
fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chin'nereth,
36Ad'amah, Ra'mah, Ha'zor, 37Ke'desh, Ed're-i, En-ha'zor, 38Yi'ron, Mig'dal-
of Nun and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the sons of Israel
distributed by lot at Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tent of
meeting. So they finished dividing the land.
The City of Refuge
20 Then the LORD said to Joshua, 2 “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘Appoint
the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3that the
manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee
there; they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4He shall
flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the
city, and explain his case to the elders of that city; then they shall take him
into the city, and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. 5And if
the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the slayer into his
hand; because he killed his neighbor unwittingly, having had no enmity
against him in times past. 6And he shall remain in that city until he has
stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is
high priest at the time: then the slayer may go again to his own town and his
own home, to the town from which he fled.’ ”
7 So they set apart Ke'desh in Galilee in the hill country of Naph'tali, and
who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of
Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities.
5 And the rest of the Ko'hathites received by lot from the families of the
tribe of E'phraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manas'seh, ten
cities.
6 The Ger'shonites received by lot from the families of the tribe of
Is'sachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naph'tali, and from the
half-tribe of Manas'seh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
7 The Merar'ites according to their families received from the tribe of
Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zeb'ulun, twelve cities.
8 These cities and their pasture lands the sons of Israel gave by lot to the
of refuge for the slayer, with its pasture lands, Libnah with its pasture lands,
14Jat'tir with its pasture lands, Eshtemo'a with its pasture lands, 15Ho'lon
with its pasture lands, De'bir with its pasture lands, 16A'in with its pasture
lands, Juttah with its pasture lands, Beth-she'mesh with its pasture lands—
nine cities out of these two tribes; 17then out of the tribe of Benjamin,
Gib'eon with its pasture lands, Ge'ba with its pasture lands, 18An'athoth
with its pasture lands, and Al'mon with its pasture lands—four cities. 19The
cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities
with their pasture lands.
20 As to the rest of the Ko'hathites belonging to the Kohathite families of
the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of E'phraim.
21To them were given She'chem, the city of refuge for the slayer, with its
pasture lands in the hill country of E'phraim, Gezer with its pasture lands,
22Kib'za-im with its pasture lands, Beth-ho'ron with its pasture lands—four
cities; 23and out of the tribe of Dan, El'teke with its pasture lands,
Gib'bethon with its pasture lands, 24Ai'jalon with its pasture lands, Gath-
rim'mon with its pasture lands—four cities; 25and out of the half-tribe of
Manas'seh, Ta'anach with its pasture lands, and Gath-rim'mon with its
pasture lands—two cities. 26The cities of the families of the rest of the
Ko'hathites were ten in all with their pasture lands.
27 And to the Ger'shonites, one of the families of the Levites, were given
out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands,
the city of refuge for the slayer, and Be-eshte'rah with its pasture lands—
two cities; 28and out of the tribe of Is'sachar, Kish'ion with its pasture lands,
Dab'erath with its pasture lands, 29Jarmuth with its pasture lands, En-
gan'nim with its pasture lands—four cities; 30and out of the tribe of Asher,
Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 31Helkath with
its pasture lands, and Re'hob with its pasture lands—four cities; 32and out of
the tribe of Naph'tali, Ke'desh in Galilee with its pasture lands, the city of
refuge for the slayer, Ham'moth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with
its pasture lands—three cities. 33The cities of the several families of the
Ger'shonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasture lands.
34 And to the rest of the Levites, the Merar'ite families, were given out of
the tribe of Zeb'ulun, Jok'ne-am with its pasture lands, Kartah with its
pasture lands, 35Dimnah with its pasture lands, Nahal'al with its pasture
lands—four cities; 36and out of the tribe of Reuben, Be'zer with its pasture
lands, Ja'haz with its pasture lands, 37Ked'emoth with its pasture lands, and
Meph'a-ath with its pasture lands—four cities; 38and out of the tribe of Gad,
Ra'moth in Gilead with its pasture lands, the city of refuge for the slayer,
Ma''hana'im with its pasture lands, 39Heshbon with its pasture lands, Ja'zer
with its pasture lands—four cities in all. 40As for the cities of the several
Merar'ite families, that is, the remainder of the families of the Levites, those
allotted to them were in all twelve cities.
41 The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the sons of
Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasture lands. 42These cities
had each its pasture lands round about it; so it was with all these cities.
43 Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their
fathers; and having taken possession of it, they settled there. 44And the
LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers; not
one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all
their enemies into their hands. 45Not one of all the good promises which the
LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
The Eastern Tribes Return
22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the
half-tribe of Manas'seh, 2and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses
the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all
that I have commanded you; 3you have not forsaken your brethren these
many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of
the LORD your God. 4And now the LORD your God has given rest to your
brethren, as he promised them; therefore turn and go to your home in the
land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave
you on the other side of the Jordan. 5Take good care to observe the
commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways,
and to keep his commandments, and to cling to him, and to serve him with
all your heart and with all your soul.” 6So Joshua blessed them, and sent
them away; and they went to their homes.
7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manas'seh Moses had given a
possession in Bashan; but to the other half Joshua had given a possession
beside their brethren in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent
them away to their homes and blessed them, 8he said to them, “Go back to
your homes with much wealth, and with very many cattle, with silver, gold,
bronze, and iron, and with much clothing; divide the spoil of your enemies
with your brethren.” 9So the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe
of Manas'seh returned home, parting from the sons of Israel at Shiloh,
which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of
which they had possessed themselves by command of the LORD through
Moses.
An Altar of Witness by the Jordan
10 And when they came to the region about the Jordan, that lies in the land
of Canaan, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manas'seh
built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of great size. 11And the sons of
Israel heard say, “Behold, the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe
of Manas'seh have built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the
region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the sons of Israel.”
12And when the sons of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the sons of
Manas'seh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16“Thus says the
whole congregation of the LORD, ‘What is this treachery which you have
committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from
following the LORD, by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion
against the LORD? 17Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which
even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague
upon the congregation of the LORD, 18that you must turn away this day from
following the LORD? And if you rebel against the LORD today he will be
angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. 19But now, if your
land is unclean, pass over into the LORD’s land where the LORD’s
tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us; only do
not rebel against the LORD, or make us as rebels by building yourselves an
altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. 20Did not A'chan the son of
Ze'rah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon
all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his
iniquity.’ ”
21 Then the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh said
in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, God,
the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself
know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith toward the LORD, spare us
not today 23for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if
we did so to offer burnt offerings or cereal offerings or peace offerings on
it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. 24No, but we did it from fear that
in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to
do with the LORD, the God of Israel? 25For the LORD has made the Jordan a
boundary between us and you, you Reubenites and Gadites; you have no
portion in the LORD.’ So your children might make our children cease to
worship the LORD. 26Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for
burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27but to be a witness between us and you,
and between the generations after us, that we do perform the service of the
LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace
offerings; lest your children say to our children in time to come, “You have
no portion in the LORD.” ’ 28And we thought, If this should be said to us or
to our descendants in time to come, we should say, ‘Behold the copy of the
altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for
sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.’ 29Far be it from us that
we should rebel against the LORD, and turn away this day from following
the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, cereal offering, or sacrifice,
other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!”
30 When Phin'ehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads
of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the
Reubenites and the Gadites and the Manas'sites spoke, it pleased them well.
31And Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest said to the Reubenites and the
Gadites and the Manas'sites, “Today we know that the LORD is in the midst
of us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD; now
you have saved the sons of Israel from the hand of the LORD.”
32 Then Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest, and the chiefs, returned
from the Reubenites and the Gadites in the land of Gilead to the land of
Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33And the
report pleased the sons of Israel; and the sons of Israel blessed God and
spoke no more of making war against them, to destroy the land where the
Reubenites and the Gadites were settled. 34The Reubenites and the Gadites
called the altar Witness; “For,” said they, “it is a witness between us that the
LORD is God.”
Joshua Exhorts the People
23 A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from
all their enemies round about, and Joshua was old and well advanced in
years, 2Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and
officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years; 3and
you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for
your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. 4Behold, I
have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that
remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the
Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. 5The LORD your God will push them
back before you, and drive them out of your sight; and you shall possess
their land, as the LORD your God promised you. 6Therefore be very
steadfast to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses,
turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7that you may
not be mixed with these nations left here among you, or make mention of
the names of their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or bow down
yourselves to them, 8but cling to the LORD your God as you have done to
this day. 9For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations;
and as for you, no man has been able to withstand you to this day. 10One
man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who
fights for you, as he promised you. 11Take good heed to yourselves,
therefore, to love the LORD your God. 12For if you turn back, and join the
remnant of these nations left here among you, and make marriages with
them, so that you marry their women and they yours, 13know assuredly that
the LORD your God will not continue to drive out these nations before you;
but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a scourge on your sides, and
thorns in your eyes, till you perish from off this good land which the LORD
your God has given you.
14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in
your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good
things which the LORD your God promised concerning you; all have come
to pass for you, not one of them has failed. 15But just as all the good things
which the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for
you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has
destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given
you, 16if you transgress the covenant of 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 be kindled against you, and you shall perish
quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.”
The Tribes Renew the Covenant
24 * Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to She'chem, and
summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and
they presented themselves before God. 2And Joshua said to all the people,
“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Your fathers lived of old beyond
the Euphrates, Te'rah, the father of Abraham and of Na'hor; and they served
other gods. 3Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and
led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave
him Isaac; 4and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill
country of Se'ir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
5And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the
midst of it; and afterwards I brought you out. 6Then I brought your fathers
out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your
fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7And when they cried to
the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea
come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt;
and you lived in the wilderness a long time. 8Then I brought you to the land
of the Am'orites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with
you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land,
and I destroyed them before you. 9Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of
Moab, arose and fought against Israel; and he sent and invited Balaam the
son of Beor to curse you, 10but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he
blessed you; so I delivered you out of his hand. 11And you went over the
Jordan and came to Jericho, and the men of Jericho fought against you, and
also the Am'orites, the Per'izzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the
Gir'gashites, the Hi'vites, and the Jeb'usites; and I gave them into your hand.
12And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the
two kings of the Am'orites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. 13I
gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not
built, and you dwell therein; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards
which you did not plant.’
14 “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in
faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River,
and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15And if you be unwilling to serve the
LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers
served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Am'orites in whose
land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the
LORD, to serve other gods; 17for it is the LORD our God who brought us and
our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and who
did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we
went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18and the LORD
drove out before us all the peoples, the Am'orites who lived in the land;
therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”
19 But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the LORD; for he is a
Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you
have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.”
23He said, “Then put away the foreign gods which are among you, and
incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.” 24And the people said to
Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”
25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes
and ordinances for them at She'chem. 26And Joshua wrote these words in
the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there
under the oak in the sanctuary of the LORD. 27And Joshua said to all the
people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all
the words of the LORD which he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness
against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.” 28So Joshua sent the
people away, every man to his inheritance.
The Death of Joshua and Eleazar
29 After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died,
being a hundred and ten years old. 30And they buried him in his own
inheritance at Tim'nath-se'rah, which is in the hill country of E'phraim,
north of the mountain of Ga'ash.
31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of
the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work which the LORD
did for Israel.
32 The bones of Joseph which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt
were buried at She'chem, in the portion of ground which Jacob bought from
the sons of Ha'mor the father of She'chem for a hundred pieces of money;q
it became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.
33 And Elea'zar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gib'e-ah, the
town of Phin'ehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of
E'phraim.
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Judges
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
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JUDGES
Israel’s Failure to Complete the Conquest
1 * After the death of Joshua the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD,
“Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”
2The LORD said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his
hand.” 3And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the
territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I
likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went
with him. 4Then Judah went up and the LORD gave the Canaanites and the
Per'izzites into their hand; and they defeated ten thousand of them at
Be'zek. 5They came upon Ado'ni-be'zek at Be'zek, and fought against him,
and defeated the Canaanites and the Per'izzites. 6Ado'ni-be'zek fled; but
they pursued him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
7And Ado'ni-be'zek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their great
toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God
has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and struck it
with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. 9And afterward the men
of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the hill
country, in the Neg'eb, and in the lowland. 10And Judah went against the
Canaanites who dwelt in He'bron (now the name of Hebron was formerly
Kir'iath-ar'ba); and they defeated Sheshai and Ahi'man and Talmai.
11 From there they went against the inhabitants of De'bir. The name of
Debir was formerly Kir'iath-se'pher. 12And Caleb said, “He who attacks
Kir'iath-se'pher and takes it, I will give him Ach'sah my daughter as wife.”
13And Oth'ni-el the son of Ke'naz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; and he
gave him Ach'sah his daughter as wife. 14When she came to him, she urged
him to ask her father for a field; and she alighted from her donkey, and
Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?” 15She said to him, “Give me a
present; since you have set me in the land of the Neg'eb, give me also
springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower
springs.
16 And the descendants of the Ken'ite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with
the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah,
which lies in the Negeb near Ar'ad; and they went and settled with the
people. 17And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the
Canaanites who inhabited Ze'phath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of
the city was called Hormah. 18Judah also took Gaza with its territory, and
Ash'kelon with its territory, and Ek'ron with its territory. 19And the LORD
was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not
drive out the inhabitants of the plain, because they had chariots of iron.
20And He'bron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said; and he drove out
from it the three sons of A'nak. 21But the people of Benjamin did not drive
out the Jeb'usites who dwelt in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have dwelt with
the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel; and the LORD was
with them. 23And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (Now the
name of the city was formerly Luz.) 24And the spies saw a man coming out
of the city, and they said to him, “Please, show us the way into the city, and
we will deal kindly with you.” 25And he showed them the way into the city;
and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and
all his family go. 26And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a
city, and called its name Luz; that is its name to this day.
27 Manas'seh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-she'an and its
villages, or Ta'anach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its
villages, or the inhabitants of Ib'leam and its villages, or the inhabitants of
Megid'do and its villages, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that
land. 28When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor,
but did not utterly drive them out.
29 And E'phraim did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but
the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30 Zeb'ulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants
of Nahal'ol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became subject to
forced labor.
31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Ac'co, or the inhabitants of
did not allow them to come down to the plain; 35the Am'orites persisted in
dwelling in Har-he'res, in Ai'jalon, and in Sha-al'bim, but the hand of the
house of Joseph rested heavily upon them, and they became subject to
forced labor. 36And the border of the Am'orites ran from the ascent of
Akrab'bim, from Se'la and upward.
Israel’s Disobedience
2 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he
said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land which I
swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with
you, 2and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you
shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command.
What is this you have done? 3So now I say, I will not drive them out before
you; but they shall become adversaries a to you, and their gods shall be a
snare to you.” 4When the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the
sons of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5And they called
the name of that place Bochim; b and they sacrificed there to the LORD.
Death of Joshua
6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went each to his
inheritance to take possession of the land. 7And the people served the LORD
all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua,
who had seen all the great work which the LORD had done for Israel. 8And
Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one
hundred and ten years. 9And they buried him within the bounds of his
inheritance in Tim'nath-he'res, in the hill country of E'phraim, north of the
mountain of Ga'ash. 10And all that generation also were gathered to their
fathers; and there arose another generation after them, who did not know
the LORD or the work which he had done for Israel.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness
11 And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and
served the Ba'als; 12and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers,
who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they went after other gods,
from among the gods of the peoples who were round about them, and
bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. 13They forsook
the LORD, and served the Ba'als and the Ash'taroth. 14So the anger of the
LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who
plundered them; and he sold them into the power of their enemies round
about, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15Whenever
they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the
LORD had warned, and as the LORD had sworn to them; and they were in
great distress.
16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the power of
those who plundered them. 17And yet they did not listen to their judges; for
they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them; they soon
turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had
obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so.
18Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the
judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the
judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those
who afflicted and oppressed them. 19But whenever the judge died, they
turned back and behaved worse than their fathers, going after other gods,
serving them and bowing down to them; they did not drop any of their
practices or their stubborn ways.* 20So the anger of the LORD was kindled
against Israel; and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my
covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not obeyed my voice,
21from now on I will not drive out before them any of the nations that
Joshua left when he died, 22that by them I may test Israel, whether they will
take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not.” 23So
the LORD left those nations, not driving them out at once, and he did not
give them into the power of Joshua.
Nations Remaining in the Land
3 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them,
that is, all in Israel who had no experience of any war in Canaan; 2it was
only that the generations of the sons of Israel might know war, that he
might teach war to such at least as had not known it before. 3These are the
nations: the five lords of the Philis'tines, and all the Canaanites, and the
Sido'nians, and the Hi'vites who dwelt on Mount Lebanon, from Mount
Ba'al-her'mon as far as the entrance of Ha'math. 4They were for the testing
of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the
LORD, which he commanded their fathers by Moses. 5So the sons of Israel
dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Am'orites, the Per'izzites, the
Hi'vites, and the Jeb'usites; 6and they took their daughters to themselves for
wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons; and they served
their gods.
Othni-el
7 And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD,
forgetting the LORD their God, and serving the Ba'als and the Ashe'roth.
8Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold
and the LORD strengthened Eg'lon the king of Moab against Israel, because
they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 13He gathered to
himself the Am'monites and the Amal'ekites, and went and defeated Israel;
and they took possession of the city of palms. 14And the sons of Israel
served Eg'lon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up for
and he girded it on his right thigh under his clothes. 17And he presented the
tribute to Eg'lon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18And when
E'hud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people that
carried the tribute. 19But he himself turned back at the sculptured stones
near Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he
commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence.
20And E'hud came to him, as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber.
And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from
his seat. 21And E'hud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his
right thigh, and thrust it into his belly; 22and the hilt also went in after the
blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out
of his belly; and the dirt came out. 23Then E'hud went out into the
vestibule, c and closed the doors of the roof chamber upon him, and locked
them.
24 When he had gone, the servants came; and when they saw that the doors
of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “He is only relieving
himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” 25And they waited till they were
utterly at a loss; but when he still did not open the doors of the roof
chamber, they took the key and opened them; and there lay their lord dead
on the floor.
26 E'hud escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the sculptured
of Ho'bab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far away
as the oak in Za-anan'nim, which is near Ke'desh.
12 When Sis'era was told that Barak the son of Abin'o-am had gone up to
Mount Ta'bor, 13Sis'era called out all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of
iron, and all the men who were with him, from Haro'sheth-ha-goi'im to the
river Ki'shon. 14And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in
which the LORD has given Sis'era into your hand. Does not the LORD go out
before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Ta'bor with ten thousand
men following him. 15And the LORD routed Sis'era and all his chariots and
all his army before Barak at the edge of the sword; and Sisera alighted from
his chariot and fled away on foot. 16And Barak pursued the chariots and the
army to Haro'sheth-ha-goi'im, and all the army of Sis'era fell by the edge of
the sword; not a man was left.
Jael Kills Sisera
17 But Sis'era fled away on foot to the tent of Ja'el, the wife of He'ber the
Kenite; for there was peace between Ja'bin the king of Ha'zor and the house
of Heber the Kenite. 18And Ja'el came out to meet Sis'era, and said to him,
“Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear.” So he turned aside to
her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19And he said to her,
“Please, give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” So she opened a
skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. 20And he said to her,
“Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is any
one here?’ say, No.” 21But Ja'el the wife of He'ber took a tent peg, and took
a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his
temple, till it went down into the ground, as he was lying fast asleep from
weariness. So he died. 22And behold, as Barak pursued Sis'era, Ja'el went
out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man
whom you are seeking.” So he went in to her tent; and there lay Sisera dead,
with the tent peg in his temple.
23 So on that day God subdued Ja'bin the king of Canaan before the sons
of Israel. 24And the hand of the sons of Israel bore harder and harder on
Ja'bin the king of Canaan, until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
The Song of Deborah
5 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abin'o-am on that day: *
2“That the leaders took the lead in Israel,
the people of the LORD marched down for him f against the mighty.
14From E'phraim they set out there x into the valley, g
says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt, and brought you
out of the house of bondage; 9and I delivered you from the hand of the
Egyptians, and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out
before you, and gave you their land; 10and I said to you, ‘I am the LORD
your God; you shall not pay reverence to the gods of the Am'orites, in
whose land you dwell.’ But you have not given heed to my voice.”
The Call of Gideon
11 Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak at Oph'rah,
which belonged to Jo'ash the Abiez'rite, as his son Gideon was beating out
wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Mid'ianites. 12And the angel of
the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you
mighty man of valor.” 13And Gideon said to him, “Please, sir, if the LORD is
with us, why then has all this befallen us? And where are all his wonderful
deeds which our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us
up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has cast us off, and given us into the
hand of Mid'ian.” 14And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might
of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Mid'ian; do not I send you?”
15And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my
cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he
put in a pot, and brought them to him under the oak and presented them.
20And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened
cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did
so. 21Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in
his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and there sprang
up fire from the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and
the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. 22Then Gideon perceived
that he was the angel of the LORD; and Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD!
For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” 23But the LORD
said to him, “Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24Then
Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it, The LORD is peace. To
this day it still stands at Oph'rah, which belongs to the Abiez'rites.
25 That night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull, the second
bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Ba'al which your father has,
and cut down the Ashe'rah that is beside it; 26and build an altar to the LORD
your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order;
then take the second bull, and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of
the Ashe'rah which you shall cut down.” 27So Gideon took ten men of his
servants, and did as the LORD had told him; but because he was too afraid of
his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.
Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal
28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar
of Ba'al was broken down, and the Ashe'rah beside it was cut down, and the
second bull was offered upon the altar which had been built. 29And they
said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had made
search and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Jo'ash has done this
thing.” 30Then the men of the town said to Jo'ash, “Bring out your son, that
he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Ba'al and cut down the
Ashe'rah beside it.” 31But Jo'ash said to all who were arrayed against him,
“Will you contend for Ba'al? Or will you defend his cause? Whoever
contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him
contend for himself, because his altar has been pulled down.” 32Therefore
on that day he was called Jerubba'al, that is to say, “Let Ba'al contend
against him,” because he pulled down his altar.
33 Then all the Mid'ianites and the Amal'ekites and the people of the East
came together, and crossing the Jordan they encamped in the Valley of
Jezre'el. 34But the Spirit of the LORD took possession of Gideon; and he
sounded the trumpet, and the Abiez'rites were called out to follow him.
35And he sent messengers throughout all Manas'seh; and they too were
called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zeb'ulun, and
Naph'tali; and they went up to meet them.
The Sign of the Fleece
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you
give the Mid'ianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me,
saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.’ 3Now therefore proclaim in the
ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return
home.’ ” And Gideon tested them; i twenty-two thousand returned, and ten
thousand remained.
4 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; take them
down to the water and I will test them for you there; and he of whom I say
to you, ‘This man shall go with you,’ shall go with you; and any of whom I
say to you, ‘This man shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” 5So he brought
the people down to the water; and the LORD said to Gideon, “Every one that
laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself;
likewise every one that kneels down to drink.” 6And the number of those
that lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was three hundred men; but
all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. 7And the LORD said to
Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will deliver you and
give the Mid'ianites into your hand; and let all the others go every man to
his home.” 8So he took the jars of the people from their hands,j and their
trumpets; and he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained
the three hundred men; and the camp of Mid'ian was below him in the
valley.
Gideon Routs the Midianites
9 That same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the
camp; for I have given it into your hand. 10But if you fear to go down, go
down to the camp with Pu'rah your servant; 11and you shall hear what they
say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the
camp.” Then he went down with Pu'rah his servant to the outposts of the
armed men that were in the camp. 12And the Mid'ianites and the
Amal'ekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts
for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is
upon the seashore for multitude. 13When Gideon came, behold, a man was
telling a dream to his comrade; and he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream;
and a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Mid'ian, and came to
the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the
tent lay flat.” 14And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword
of Gideon the son of Jo'ash, a man of Israel; into his hand God has given
Mid'ian and all the host.”
15 When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he
worshiped; and he returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise; for the
LORD has given the host of Mid'ian into your hand.” 16And he divided the
three hundred men into three companies, and put trumpets into the hands of
all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17And he said to
them, “Look at me, and do likewise; when I come to the outskirts of the
camp, do as I do. 18When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me,
then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and shout, ‘For
the LORD and for Gideon.’ ”
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the
outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had
just set the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that
were in their hands. 20And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke
the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the
trumpets to blow; and they cried, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
21They stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the army
ran; they cried out and fled. 22When they blew the three hundred trumpets,
the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow and against all the army;
and the army fled as far as Beth-shit'tah toward Zer'erah, k as far as the
border of Abel-meho'lah, by Tabbath. 23And the men of Israel were called
out from Naph'tali and from Asher and from all Manas'seh, and they
pursued after Mid'ian.
24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of
E'phraim, saying, “Come down against the Mid'ianites and seize the waters
against them, as far as Beth-bar'ah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of
Ephraim were called out, and they seized the waters as far as Beth-barah,
and also the Jordan. 25And they took the two princes of Mid'ian, Or'eb and
Ze'eb; they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the wine
press of Zeeb, as they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb
and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
Gideon’s Triumph
8 And the men of E'phraim said to him, “What is this that you have done
to us, not to call us when you went to fight with Mid'ian?” And they
upbraided him violently. 2And he said to them, “What have I done now in
comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of E'phraim better
than the vintage of Abie'zer? 3God has given into your hands the princes of
Mid'ian, Or'eb and Ze'eb; what have I been able to do in comparison with
you?” Then their anger against him was abated, when he had said this.
4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three
hundred men who were with him, faint yet pursuing. 5So he said to the men
of Succoth, “Please, give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for
they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmun'na, the kings of
Mid'ian.” 6And the officials of Succoth said, “Are Zebah and Zalmun'na
already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” 7And
Gideon said, “Well then, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmun'na
into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and
with briers.” 8And from there he went up to Penu'el, and spoke to them in
the same way; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth
had answered. 9And he said to the men of Penu'el, “When I come again in
peace, I will break down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmun'na were in Karkor with their army, about
fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the
East; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the
sword. 11And Gideon went up by the caravan route east of No'bah and
Jog'behah, and attacked the army; for the army was off its guard. 12And
Zebah and Zalmun'na fled; and he pursued them and took the two kings of
Mid'ian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic.
13 Then Gideon the son of Jo'ash returned from the battle by the ascent of
He'res. 14And he caught a young man of Succoth, and questioned him; and
he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven
men. 15And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, “Behold Zebah and
Zalmun'na, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmunna
already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are
faint?’ ” 16And he took the elders of the city and he took thorns of the
wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth. 17And he
broke down the tower of Penu'el, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmun'na, “Where are the men whom you
slew at Ta'bor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they, every one of
them; they resembled the sons of a king.” 19And he said, “They were my
brothers, the sons of my mother; as the LORD lives, if you had saved them
alive, I would not slay you.” 20And he said to Je'ther his first-born, “Rise,
and slay them.” But the youth did not draw his sword; for he was afraid,
because he was still a youth. 21Then Zebah and Zalmun'na said, “Rise
yourself, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon
arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna; and he took the crescents that were on
the necks of their camels.
Gideon’s Ephod Becomes a Snare
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son
and your grandson also; for you have delivered us out of the hand of
Mid'ian.” 23Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will
not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” * 24And Gideon said to
them, “Let me make a request of you; give me every man of you the
earrings of his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were
Ish'maelites.) 25And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And
they spread a garment, and every man cast in it the earrings of his spoil.
26And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand
seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the crescents and the pendants and
the purple garments worn by the kings of Mid'ian, and besides the collars
that were about the necks of their camels. 27And Gideon made an ephod of
it and put it in his city, in Oph'rah; and all Israel played the harlot after it
there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 28So Mid'ian was
subdued before the sons of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more.
And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.
The Death of Gideon
29 Jerubba'al the son of Jo'ash went and dwelt in his own house. 30Now
Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31And
his concubine who was in She'chem also bore him a son, and he called his
name Abim'elech. 32And Gideon the son of Jo'ash died in a good old age,
and was buried in the tomb of Jo'ash his father, at Oph'rah of the
Abiez'rites.
33 As soon as Gideon died, the sons of Israel turned again and played the
harlot after the Ba'als, and made Ba'al-be'rith their god. 34And the sons of
Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from
the hand of all their enemies on every side; 35and they did not show
kindness to the family of Jerubba'al (that is, Gideon) in return for all the
good that he had done to Israel.
Abimelech Tries to Establish a Monarchy
9 Now Abim'elech the son of Jerubba'al went to She'chem to his
mother’s kinsmen and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s
family, 2 “Say in the ears of all the citizens of She'chem, ‘Which is better
for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubba'al rule over you, or that one
rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” 3And
his mother’s kinsmen spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all
the men of She'chem; and their hearts inclined to follow Abim'elech, for
they said, “He is our brother.” 4And they gave him seventy pieces of silver
out of the house of Ba'al-be'rith with which Abim'elech hired worthless and
reckless fellows, who followed him. 5And he went to his father’s house at
Oph'rah, and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubba'al, seventy men, upon
one stone; but Jo'tham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid
himself. 6And all the citizens of She'chem came together, and all Beth-
mil'lo, and they went and made Abim'elech king, by the oak of the pillar at
Shechem.
Jotham’s Parable of the Trees, Vine, and Bramble
7 When it was told to Jo'tham, he went and stood on the top of Mount
Ger'izim, and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you men of
She'chem, that God may listen to you. 8The trees once went forth to anoint
a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 9But the
olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness, by which gods and men
are honored, and go to sway over the trees?’ 10And the trees said to the fig
tree, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ 11But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I
leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over the trees?’
12And the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ 13But the
vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine which cheers gods and men, and
go to sway over the trees?’ 14Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come
you, and reign over us.’ 15And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good
faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my
shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of
Lebanon.’
16 “Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and honor when you made
Abim'elech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubba'al and his house,
and have done to him as his deeds deserved—17for my father fought for
you, and risked his life, and rescued you from the hand of Mid'ian; 18and
you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his
sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abim'elech, the son of his
maidservant, king over the citizens of She'chem, because he is your
kinsman—19if you then have acted in good faith and honor with Jerubba'al
and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abim'elech, and let him also
rejoice in you; 20but if not, let fire come out from Abim'elech, and devour
the citizens of She'chem, and Beth-mil'lo; and let fire come out from the
citizens of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and devour Abimelech.” 21And
Jo'tham ran away and fled, and went to Be'er and dwelt there, for fear of
Abim'elech his brother.
The Downfall of Abimelech
22 Abim'elech ruled over Israel three years. 23And God sent an evil spirit
between Abim'elech and the men of She'chem; and the men of Shechem
dealt treacherously with Abimelech; 24that the violence done to the seventy
sons of Jerubba'al might come and their blood be laid upon Abim'elech their
brother, who slew them, and upon the men of She'chem, who strengthened
his hands to slay his brothers. 25And the men of She'chem put men in
ambush against him on the mountain tops, and they robbed all who passed
by them along that way; and it was told Abim'elech.
26 And Ga'al the son of E'bed moved into She'chem with his kinsmen; and
the men of Shechem put confidence in him. 27And they went out into the
field, and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and held
festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and reviled
Abim'elech. 28And Ga'al the son of E'bed said, “Who is Abim'elech, and
who are we of She'chem, that we should serve him? Did not the son of
Jerubba'al and Ze'bul his officer serve the men of Ha'mor the father of
Shechem? Why then should we serve him? 29Would that this people were
under my hand! then I would remove Abim'elech. I would say l to
Abimelech, ‘Increase your army, and come out.’ ”
30 When Ze'bul the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga'al the son of
E'bed, his anger was kindled. 31And he sent messengers to Abim'elech at
Aru'mah, m saying, “Behold, Ga'al the son of E'bed and his kinsmen have
come to She'chem, and they are stirring up n the city against you. 32Now
therefore, go by night, you and the men that are with you, and lie in wait in
the fields. 33Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and
rush upon the city; and when he and the men that are with him come out
against you, you may do to them as occasion offers.”
34 And Abim'elech and all the men that were with him rose up by night,
and laid wait against She'chem in four companies. 35And Ga'al the son of
E'bed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and
Abim'elech and the men that were with him rose from the ambush. 36And
when Ga'al saw the men, he said to Ze'bul, “Look, men are coming down
from the mountain tops!” And Zebul said to him, “You see the shadow of
the mountains as if they were men.” 37Ga'al spoke again and said, “Look,
men are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is
coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.” 38Then Ze'bul said to him,
“Where is your mouth now, you who said, ‘Who is Abim'elech, that we
should serve him?’ Are not these the men whom you despised? Go out now
and fight with them.” 39And Ga'al went out at the head of the men of
She'chem, and fought with Abim'elech. 40And Abim'elech chased him, and
he fled before him; and many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate.
41And Abim'elech dwelt at Aru'mah; and Ze'bul drove out Ga'al and his
was told. 43He took his men and divided them into three companies, and
laid wait in the fields; and he looked and saw the men coming out of the
city, and he rose against them and slew them. 44Abim'elech and the
company o that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of
the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in
the fields and slew them. 45And Abim'elech fought against the city all that
day; he took the city, and killed the people that were in it; and he razed the
city and sowed it with salt.
46 When all the people of the Tower of She'chem heard of it, they entered
the stronghold of the house of El-be'rith. 47Abim'elech was told that all the
people of the Tower of She'chem were gathered together. 48And Abim'elech
went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the men that were with him; and
Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bundle of brushwood,
and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men that were
with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste to do, as I have done.”
49So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abim'elech
put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them,
so that all the people of the Tower of She'chem also died, about a thousand
men and women.
50 Then Abim'elech went to The'bez, and encamped against Thebez, and
took it. 51But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the people of
the city fled to it, all the men and women, and shut themselves in; and they
went to the roof of the tower. 52And Abim'elech came to the tower, and
fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53And a certain woman threw an upper millstone upon Abim'elech’s head,
and crushed his skull. 54Then he called hastily to the young man his armor-
bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me,
‘A woman killed him.’ ” And his young man thrust him through, and he
died. 55And when the men of Israel saw that Abim'elech was dead, they
departed every man to his home. 56Thus God repaid the crime of
Abim'elech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy
brothers; 57and God also made all the wickedness of the men of She'chem
fall back upon their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jo'tham the son
of Jerubba'al.
Tola and Jair
10 After Abim'elech there arose to deliver Israel Tola the son of Puah,
son of Dodo, a man of Is'sachar; and he lived at Sha'mir in the hill country
of E'phraim. 2And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died, and
was buried at Sha'mir.
3 After him arose Ja'ir the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years.
4And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; and they had thirty
cities, called Hav'voth-ja'ir to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
5And Ja'ir died, and was buried in Kamon.
against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the
Ba'als.” 11And the LORD said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not deliver you
from the Egyptians and from the Am'orites, from the Am'monites and from
the Philis'tines? 12The Sido'nians also, and the Amal'ekites, and the
Ma'onites, oppressed you; and you cried to me, and I delivered you out of
their hand. 13Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I
will deliver you no more. 14Go and cry to the gods whom you have chosen;
let them deliver you in the time of your distress.” 15And the sons of Israel
said to the LORD, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you;
only deliver us, we beg you, this day.” 16So they put away the foreign gods
from among them and served the LORD; and he became indignant over the
misery of Israel.
17 Then the Am'monites were called to arms, and they encamped in
Gilead; and the sons of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah.
18And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, “Who is the
man that will begin to fight against the Am'monites? He shall be head over
all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Jephthah
11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son
of a harlot. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2And Gilead’s wife also bore
him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out, and
said to him, “You shall not inherit in our father’s house; for you are the son
of another woman.” 3Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the
land of Tob; and worthless fellows collected round Jephthah, and went
raiding with him.
4 After a time the Am'monites made war against Israel. 5And when the
Am'monites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring
Jephthah from the land of Tob; 6and they said to Jephthah, “Come and be
our leader, that we may fight with the Am'monites.” 7But Jephthah said to
the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and drive me out of my father’s
house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?” 8And the
elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned to you now,
that you may go with us and fight with the Am'monites, and be our head
over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead,
“If you bring me home again to fight with the Am'monites, and the LORD
gives them over to me, I will be your head.” 10And the elders of Gilead said
to Jephthah, “The LORD will be witness between us; we will surely do as
you say.” 11So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people
made him head and leader over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words
before the LORD at Mizpah.
12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Am'monites and said,
“What have you against me, that you have come to me to fight against my
land?” 13And the king of the Am'monites answered the messengers of
Jephthah, “Because Israel on coming from Egypt took away my land, from
the Arnon to the Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it
peaceably.” 14And Jephthah sent messengers again to the king of the
Am'monites 15and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: Israel did not take
away the land of Moab or the land of the Am'monites, 16but when they
came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness to the Red Sea and
came to Ka'desh. 17Israel then sent messengers to the king of E'dom, saying,
‘Let us pass, we beg, through your land’; but the king of Edom would not
listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So
Israel remained at Ka'desh. 18Then they journeyed through the wilderness,
and went around the land of E'dom and the land of Moab, and arrived on
the east side of the land of Moab, and camped on the other side of the
Arnon; but they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the
boundary of Moab. 19Israel then sent messengers to Si'hon king of the
Am'orites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, ‘Let us pass, we beg,
through your land to our country.’ 20But Si'hon did not trust Israel to pass
through his territory; so Sihon gathered all his people together, and
encamped at Ja'haz, and fought with Israel. 21And the LORD, the God of
Israel, gave Si'hon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they
defeated them; so Israel took possession of all the land of the Am'orites,
who inhabited that country. 22And they took possession of all the territory
of the Am'orites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to
the Jordan. 23So then the LORD, the God of Israel, dispossessed the
Am'orites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of
them? 24Will you not possess what Che'mosh your god gives you to
possess? And all that the LORD our God has dispossessed before us, we will
possess. 25Now are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of
Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them?
26While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, and in Aro'er and its
villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, three
hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? 27I therefore
have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me;
the LORD, the Judge, decide this day between the sons of Israel and the
people of Ammon.” 28But the king of the Am'monites did not heed the
message of Jephthah which he sent to him.
Jephthah’s Vow
29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through
return victorious from the Am'monites, shall be the LORD’s, and I will
offer him up for a burnt offering.” 32So Jephthah crossed over to the
Am'monites to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand.
33And he struck them from Aro'er to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty
came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; she was his only
child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. 35And when he saw her,
he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very
low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me; for I have
opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot take back my vow.” 36And she
said to him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the LORD, do to
me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, now that the LORD
has avenged you on your enemies, on the Am'monites.” 37And she said to
her father, “Let this thing be done for me; let me alone two months, that I
may go and wander p on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my
companions.” 38And he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months;
and she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon
the mountains. 39And at the end of two months, she returned to her father,
who did with her according to his vow which he had made. * She had never
known a man. And it became a custom in Israel 40that the daughters of
Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite
four days in the year.
Intertribal Fighting
12 The men of E'phraim were called to arms, and they crossed to
Za'phon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the
Am'monites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house
over you with fire.” 2And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a
great feud with the Am'monites; and when I called you, you did not deliver
me from their hand. 3And when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took
my life in my hand, and crossed over against the Am'monites, and the LORD
gave them into my hand; why then have you come up to me this day, to
fight against me?” 4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and
fought with E'phraim; and the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they
said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim
and Manas'seh.” 5And the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the
E'phraimites. And when any of the fugitives of E'phraim said, “Let me go
over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he
said, “No,” 6they said to him, “Then say Shib'boleth,” and he said,
“Sib'boleth,” for he could not pronounce it right; then they seized him and
slew him at the fords of the Jordan. And there fell at that time forty-two
thousand of the E'phraimites.
7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and
years. 12Then E'lon the Zeb'ulunite died, and was buried at Ai'jalon in the
land of Zeb'ulun.
13 After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pir'athonite judged Israel. 14He
had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys; and he
judged Israel eight years. 15Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pir'athonite
died, and was buried at Pir'athon in the land of E'phraim, in the hill country
of the Amal'ekites.
The Birth of Samson
13 * And the sons of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the
LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philis'tines for forty
years.
2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Da'nites, whose
name was Mano'ah; and his wife was barren and had no children. 3And the
angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are
barren and have no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4Therefore beware, and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing
unclean, 5for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall
come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Naz'irite to God from birth; and
he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philis'tines.” 6Then the
woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his
countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; I
did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name; 7but he
said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son; so then drink no
wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy shall be a
Naz'irite to God from birth to the day of his death.’ ”
8 Then Mano'ah entreated the LORD, and said, “O, LORD, I beg you, let the
man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we are to
do with the boy that will be born.” 9And God listened to the voice of
Mano'ah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the
field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10And the woman ran in
haste and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day
has appeared to me.” 11And Mano'ah arose and went after his wife, and
came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to this
woman?” And he said, “I am.” 12And Mano'ah said, “Now when your
words come true, what is to be the boy’s manner of life, and what is he to
do?” 13And the angel of the LORD said to Mano'ah, “Of all that I said to the
woman let her beware. 14She may not eat of anything that comes from the
vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing; all
that I commanded her let her observe.”
15 Mano'ah said to the angel of the LORD, “Please, let us detain you, and
prepare a kid for you.” 16And the angel of the LORD said to Mano'ah, “If
you detain me, I will not eat of your food; but if you make ready a burnt
offering, then offer it to the LORD.” (For Manoah did not know that he was
the angel of the LORD.) 17And Mano'ah said to the angel of the LORD, “What
is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?”
18And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing
it is wonderful?” 19So Mano'ah took the kid with the cereal offering, and
offered it upon the rock to the LORD, to him who works r wonders.s 20And
when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the LORD
ascended in the flame of the altar while Mano'ah and his wife looked on;
and they fell on their faces to the ground.
21 The angel of the LORD appeared no more to Mano'ah and to his wife.
Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD. 22And Mano'ah said
to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” 23But his wife said
to him, “If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a
burnt offering and a cereal offering at our hands, or shown us all these
things, or now announced to us such things as these.” 24And the woman
bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the boy grew, and the LORD
blessed him. 25And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Ma'haneh-
dan, between Zorah and Esh'ta-ol.
Samson’s Marriage at Timnah
14 Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the
daughters of the Philis'tines. 2Then he came up, and told his father and
mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philis'tines at Timnah; now get
her for me as my wife.” 3But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not
a woman among the daughters of your kinsmen, or among all our people,
that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philis'tines?” But
Samson said to his father, “Get her for me; for she pleases me well.”
4 His father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD; for he
was seeking an occasion against the Philis'tines. At that time the Philistines
had dominion over Israel.
5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and he
came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion roared against
him; 6and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the
lion asunder as one tears a kid; and he had nothing in his hand. But he did
not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7Then he went down and
talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8And after a while he
returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and
behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9He
scraped it out into his hands, and went on, eating as he went; and he came
to his father and mother, and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did
not tell them that he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion.
10 And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast
there; for so the young men used to do. 11And when the people saw him,
they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12And Samson said to them,
“Let me now put a riddle to you; if you can tell me what it is, within the
seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen
garments and thirty festal garments; 13but if you cannot tell me what it is,
then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty festal garments.”
And they said to him, “Put your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14And he said
to them,
“Out of the eater came something to eat.
Out of the strong came something sweet.”
And they could not in three days tell what the riddle was.
15 On the fourth t day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to
tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire.
Have you invited us here to impoverish us?” 16And Samson’s wife wept
before him, and said, “You only hate me, you do not love me; you have put
a riddle to my countrymen, and you have not told me what it is.” And he
said to her, “Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I
tell you?” 17She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted; and
on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told
the riddle to her countrymen. 18And the men of the city said to him on the
seventh day before the sun went down,
“What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?”
And he said to them,
“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
you would not have found out my riddle.”
19And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down
to Ash'kelon and killed thirty men of the town, and took their spoil and gave
the festal garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went
back to his father’s house. 20And Samson’s wife was given to his
companion, who had been his best man.
Samson Defeats the Philistines
15 After a while, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his
wife with a kid; and he said, “I will go in to my wife in the chamber.” But
her father would not allow him to go in. 2And her father said, “I really
thought that you utterly hated her; so I gave her to your companion. Is not
her younger sister fairer than she? Please take her instead.” 3And Samson
said to them, “This time I shall be blameless in regard to the Philis'tines,
when I do them mischief.” 4So Samson went and caught three hundred
foxes, and took torches; and he turned them tail to tail, and put a torch
between each pair of tails. 5And when he had set fire to the torches, he let
the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philis'tines, and burned up the
shocks and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards. 6Then the
Philis'tines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-
law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his
companion.” And the Philistines came up, and burned her and her father
with fire. 7And Samson said to them, “If this is what you do, I swear I will
be avenged upon you, and after that I will quit.” 8And he struck them hip
and thigh with great slaughter; and he went down and stayed in the cleft of
the rock of E'tam.
9 Then the Philis'tines came up and encamped in Judah, and made a raid
on Lehi. 10And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against
us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did
to us.” 11Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the
rock of E'tam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philis'tines
are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” And he said
to them, “As they did to me, so have I done to them.” 12And they said to
him, “We have come down to bind you, that we may give you into the
hands of the Philis'tines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you
will not fall upon me yourselves.” 13They said to him, “No; we will only
bind you and give you into their hands; we will not kill you.” So they bound
him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
14 When he came to Lehi, the Philis'tines came shouting to meet him; and
the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the ropes which were
on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his
hands. 15And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand
and seized it, and with it he slew a thousand men. 16And Samson said,
“With the jawbone of a donkey,
heaps upon heaps,
with the jawbone of a donkey
have I slain a thousand men.”
17When he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his
granted this great deliverance by the hand of your servant; and shall I now
die of thirst, and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19And God split
open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and there came water from it; and
when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it
was called En-hakkor'e; v it is at Lehi to this day. 20And he judged Israel in
the days of the Philis'tines twenty years.
Samson and Delilah
16 Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a harlot, and he went in to
her. 2The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here,” and they surrounded
the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept
quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we
will kill him.” 3But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and
took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled
them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the
top of the hill that is before He'bron.
4 After this he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was
Deli'lah. 5And the lords of the Philis'tines came to her and said to her,
“Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we
may overpower him, that we may bind him to subdue him; and we will each
give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” 6And Deli'lah said to Samson,
“Please tell me wherein your great strength lies, and how you might be
bound, that one could subdue you.” 7And Samson said to her, “If they bind
me with seven fresh bowstrings which have not been dried, then I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.” 8Then the lords of the
Philis'tines brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried,
and she bound him with them. 9Now she had men lying in wait in an inner
chamber. And she said to him, “The Philis'tines are upon you, Samson!”
But he snapped the bowstrings, as a tow line snaps when it touches the fire.
So the secret of his strength was not known.
10 And Deli'lah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told
me lies; please tell me how you might be bound.” 11And he said to her, “If
they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become
weak, and be like any other man.” 12So Deli'lah took new ropes and bound
him with them, and said to him, “The Philis'tines are upon you, Samson!”
And the men lying in wait were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the
ropes off his arms like a thread.
13 And Deli'lah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me, and told
me lies; tell me how you might be bound.” And he said to her, “If you
weave the seven locks of my head with the web and make it tight with the
pin, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” 14So while he
slept, Deli'lah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the
web. w And she made them tight with the pin, and said to him, “The
Philis'tines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and
pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web.
15 And she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is
not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told
me wherein your great strength lies.” 16And when she pressed him hard
with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.
17And he told her all his mind, and said to her, “A razor has never come
upon my head; for I have been a Naz'irite to God from my mother’s womb.
If I be shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak,
and be like any other man.”
18 When Deli'lah saw that he had told her all his mind, she sent and called
the lords of the Philis'tines, saying, “Come up this once, for he has told me
all his mind.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought
the money in their hands. 19She made him sleep upon her knees; and she
called a man, and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she
began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20And she said, “The
Philis'tines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep, and said,
“I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” And he did not
know that the LORD had left him. 21And the Philis'tines seized him and
gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with
bronze fetters; and he ground at the mill in the prison. 22But the hair of his
head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
Samson’s Death
23 Now the lords of the Philis'tines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to
Da'gon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has given Samson
our enemy into our hand.” 24And when the people saw him, they praised
their god; for they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the
ravager of our country, who has slain many of us.” 25And when their hearts
were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may make sport for us.” So
they called Samson out of the prison, and he made sport before them. They
made him stand between the pillars; 26and Samson said to the lad who held
him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I
may lean against them.” 27Now the house was full of men and women; all
the lords of the Philis'tines were there, and on the roof there were about
three thousand men and women, who looked on while Samson made sport.
28 Then Samson called to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, remember
me, I beg you, and strengthen me, I beg you, only this once, O God, that I
may be avenged upon the Philis'tines for one of my two eyes.” 29And
Samson grasped the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and he
leaned his weight upon them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on
the other. 30And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philis'tines.” Then he
bowed with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the
people that were in it. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more
than those whom he had slain during his life. 31Then his brothers and all his
family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him
between Zorah and Esh'ta-ol in the tomb of Mano'ah his father. He had
judged Israel twenty years.
Micah and the Levite
17 * There was a man of the hill country of E'phraim, whose name was
Micah. 2And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver
which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also
spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother
said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD.” 3And he restored the eleven
hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, “I consecrate
the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image
and a molten image; now therefore I will restore it to you.” 4So when he
restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of
silver, and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a graven image and a
molten image; and it was in the house of Micah. 5And the man Micah had a
shrine, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and installed one of his sons,
who became his priest. 6In those days there was no king in Israel; every
man did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of
Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there. 8And the man departed
from the town of Bethlehem in Judah, to live where he could find a place;
and as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of E'phraim to the house of
Micah. 9And Micah said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said
to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn
where I may find a place.” 10And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be
to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year,
and a suit of apparel, and your living.” w2 11And the Levite was content to
dwell with the man; and the young man became to him like one of his sons.
12And Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and
was in the house of Micah. 13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD
will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”
Micah and the Migration of Dan
18 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe
of the Da'nites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in; for until
then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. 2So the
Da'nites sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from
Zorah and from Esh'ta-ol, to spy out the land and to explore it; and they said
to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came to the hill country of
E'phraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3When they were by the
house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; and they
turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing
in this place? What is your business here?” 4And he said to them, “Thus and
thus has Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his
priest.” 5And they said to him, “Inquire of God, we beg you, that we may
know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” 6And
the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under
the eye of the LORD.”
7 Then the five men departed, and came to La'ish, and saw the people who
were there, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sido'nians,
quiet and unsuspecting, lacking x nothing that is in the earth, and possessing
wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with
any one. 8And when they came to their brethren at Zorah and Esh'ta-ol,
their brethren said to them, “What do you report?” 9They said, “Arise, and
let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very
fertile. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, and enter in and
possess the land. 10When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people.
The land is broad; yes, God has given it into your hands, a place where
there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
11 And six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war,
set forth from Zorah and Esh'ta-ol, 12and went up and encamped at Kir'iath-
je'arim in Judah. On this account that place is called Ma'haneh-dan y to this
day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13And they passed on from there to
the hill country of E'phraim, and came to the house of Micah.
14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of La'ish said to
their brethren, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod,
teraphim, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider
what you will do.” 15And they turned aside there, and came to the house of
the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.
16Now the six hundred men of the Da'nites, armed with their weapons of
war, stood by the entrance of the gate; 17and the five men who had gone to
spy out the land went up, and entered and took the graven image, the ephod,
the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance
of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war. 18And
when these went into Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod,
the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you
doing?” 19And they said to him, “Keep quiet, put your hand upon your
mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for
you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and family
in Israel?” 20And the priest’s heart was glad; he took the ephod, and the
teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the cattle and
the goods in front of them. 22When they were a good way from the home of
Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out,
and they overtook the Da'nites. 23And they shouted to the Da'nites, who
turned round and said to Micah, “What ails you that you come with such a
company?” 24And he said, “You take my gods which I made, and the priest,
and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What ails
you?’ ” 25And the Da'nites said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard
among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the
lives of your household.” 26Then the Da'nites went their way; and when
Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his
home.
The Danites Settle in Laish
27 And taking what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him,
the Da'nites came to La'ish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck
them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire. 28And there
was no deliverer because it was far from Si'don, and they had no dealings
with any one. It was in the valley which belongs to Beth-re'hob. And they
rebuilt the city, and dwelt in it. 29And they named the city Dan, after the
name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city
was La'ish at the first. 30And the Da'nites set up the graven image for
themselves; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, z and his sons
were priests to the tribe of the Da'nites until the day of the captivity of the
land. 31So they set up Micah’s graven image which he made, as long as the
house of God was at Shiloh.
The Levite’s Concubine
19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was
sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of E'phraim, who took to
himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2And his concubine became
angry with a him, and she went away from him to her father’s house at
Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. 3Then her husband
arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had
with him his servant and a couple of donkeys. And he came b to her father’s
house; and when the girl’s father saw him, he came with joy to meet him.
4And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, made him stay, and he remained
with him three days; so they ate and drank, and lodged there. 5And on the
fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he prepared to go; but the
girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of
bread, and after that you may go.” 6So the two men sat and ate and drank
together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Be pleased to spend the
night, and let your heart be merry.” 7And when the man rose up to go, his
father-in-law urged him, till he lodged there again. 8And on the fifth day he
arose early in the morning to depart; and the girl’s father said, “Strengthen
your heart, and tarry until the day declines.” So they ate, both of them. 9And
when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his
father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold, now the day has waned
toward evening; please tarry all night. Behold, the day draws to its close;
lodge here and let your heart be merry; and tomorrow you shall arise early
in the morning for your journey, and go home.”
10 But the man would not spend the night; he rose up and departed, and
arrived opposite Je'bus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a couple of
saddled donkeys, and his concubine was with him. 11When they were near
Je'bus, the day was far spent, and the servant said to his master, “Come
now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jeb'usites, and spend the night in it.”
12And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into the city of
foreigners, who do not belong to the sons of Israel; but we will pass on to
Gib'e-ah.” 13And he said to his servant, “Come and let us draw near to one
of these places, and spend the night at Gib'e-ah or at Ra'mah.” 14So they
passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gib'e-
ah, which belongs to Benjamin, 15and they turned aside there, to go in and
spend the night at Gib'e-ah. And he went in and sat down in the open square
of the city; for no man took them into his house to spend the night.
16 And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at
evening; the man was from the hill country of E'phraim, and he was
sojourning in Gib'e-ah; the men of the place were Benjaminites. 17And he
lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfarer in the open square of the city; and
the old man said, “Where are you going? and from where do you come?”
18And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the
remote parts of the hill country of E'phraim, from which I come. I went to
Bethlehem in Judah; and I am going to my home; c and nobody takes me
into his house. 19We have straw and food for our donkeys, with bread and
wine for me and your maidservant and the young man with your servants;
there is no lack of anything.” 20And the old man said, “Peace be to you; I
will care for all your wants; only, do not spend the night in the square.”
21So he brought him into his house, and fed the donkeys; and they washed
base fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door; and they said to
the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out the man who came into
your house, that we may know him.” 23And the man, the master of the
house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren, do not act so
wickedly; seeing that this man has come into my house, do not do this vile
thing. 24Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine; let me
bring them out now. Ravish them and do with them what seems good to
you; but against this man do not do so vile a thing.” 25But the men would
not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine, and put her out to them;
and they knew her, and abused her all night until the morning. And as the
dawn began to break, they let her go. 26And as morning appeared, the
woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master
was, till it was light.
27 And her master rose up in the morning, and when he opened the doors
of the house and went out to go on his way, behold, there was his concubine
lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28He said to
her, “Get up, let us be going.” But there was no answer. Then he put her
upon the donkey; and the man rose up and went away to his home. 29And
when he entered his house, he took a knife, and laying hold of his
concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her
throughout all the territory of Israel. 30And all who saw it said, “Such a
thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the sons of Israel
came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel,
and speak.”
The Tribes of Israel Attack the Benjaminites
20 Then all the sons of Israel came out, from Dan to Be'er-she'ba,
including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to
the LORD at Mizpah. 2And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of
Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four
hundred thousand men on foot that drew the sword. 3(Now the
Benjaminites heard that the sons of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the
sons of Israel said, “Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?”
4And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered
tent, and none of us will return to his house. 9But now this is what we will
do to Gib'e-ah: we will go up against it by lot, 10and we will take ten men of
a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand,
and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that
when they come they may repay Gib'e-ah of Benjamin, for all the wanton
crime which they have committed in Israel.” 11So all the men of Israel
gathered against the city, united as one man.
12 And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin,
saying, “What wickedness is this that has taken place among you? 13Now
therefore give up the men, the base fellows in Gib'e-ah, that we may put
them to death, and put away evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would
not listen to the voice of their brethren, the sons of Israel. 14And the
Benjaminites came together out of the cities to Gib'e-ah, to go out to battle
against the sons of Israel. 15And the Benjaminites mustered out of their
cities on that day twenty-six thousand men that drew the sword, besides the
inhabitants of Gib'e-ah, who mustered seven hundred picked men. 16Among
all these were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed; every one
could sling a stone at a hair, and not miss. 17And the men of Israel, apart
from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all
these were men of war.
18 The sons of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God,
Gib'e-ah. 20And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and
the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gib'e-ah. 21The
Benjaminites came out of Gib'e-ah, and struck down on that day twenty-two
thousand men of the Israelites. 22But the people, the men of Israel, took
courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had
formed it on the first day. 23And the sons of Israel went up and wept before
the LORD until the evening; and they inquired of the LORD, “Shall we again
draw near to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites?” And the LORD
said, “Go up against them.”
24 So the sons of Israel came near against the Benjaminites the second day.
25And Benjamin went against them out of Gib'e-ah the second day, and
struck down eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel; all these were men
who drew the sword. 26Then all the sons of Israel, the whole army, went up
and came to Bethel and wept; they sat there before the LORD, and fasted that
day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before
the LORD. 27And the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the
covenant of God was there in those days, 28and Phin'ehas the son of
Elea'zar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we
yet again go out to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites, or shall we
cease?” And the LORD said, “Go up; for tomorrow I will give them into
your hand.”
29 So Israel set men in ambush round about Gib'e-ah. 30And the sons of
Israel went up against the Benjaminites on the third day, and set themselves
in array against Gib'e-ah, as at other times. 31And the Benjaminites went out
against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and as at other
times they began to strike and kill some of the people, in the highways, one
of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gib'e-ah, and in the open
country, about thirty men of Israel. 32And the Benjaminites said, “They are
routed before us, as at the first.” But the men of Israel said, “Let us flee, and
draw them away from the city to the highways.” 33And all the men of Israel
rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Ba'al-ta'mar; and
the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place west d of
Ge'ba. 34And there came against Gib'e-ah ten thousand picked men out of
all Israel, and the battle was hard; but the Benjaminites did not know that
disaster was close upon them. 35And the LORD defeated Benjamin before
Israel; and the men of Israel destroyed twenty-five thousand one hundred
men of Benjamin that day; all these were men who drew the sword. 36So
the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated.
The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted to the
men in ambush whom they had set against Gib'e-ah. 37And the men in
ambush made haste and rushed upon Gib'e-ah; the men in ambush moved
out and struck the whole city with the edge of the sword. 38Now the
appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that
when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city 39the men of
Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill
about thirty men of Israel; they said, “Surely they are struck down before
us, as in the first battle.” 40But when the signal began to rise out of the city
in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them; and behold,
the whole city went up in smoke to heaven. 41Then the men of Israel turned,
and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was
close upon them. 42Therefore they turned their backs before the men of
Israel in the direction of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them, and
those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them.
43Cutting down e the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down
them with the edge of the sword, men and beasts and all that they found.
And all the towns which they found they set on fire.
The Benjaminites Saved from Extinction
21 Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give
his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” 2And the people came to Bethel, and
sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept
bitterly. 3And they said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this come to
pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?” 4And
the next day the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt
offerings and peace offerings. 5And the sons of Israel said, “Which of all
the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the LORD?” For they
had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the LORD to
Mizpah, saying, “He shall be put to death.” 6And the sons of Israel had
compassion for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from
Israel this day. 7What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we
have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them any of our daughters for
wives?”
8 And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come
up to the LORD to Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from
Ja'besh-gil'ead, to the assembly. 9For when the people were mustered,
behold, not one of the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead was there. 10So the
congregation sent twelve thousand of their bravest men there, and
commanded them, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead with the
edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones. 11This is what you
shall do; every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall
utterly destroy.” 12And they found among the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead
four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and
they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.
13 Then the whole congregation sent word to the Benjaminites who were
for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?”
17And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of
Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel. 18Yet we cannot give
them wives of our daughters.” For the sons of Israel had sworn, “Cursed be
he who gives a wife to Benjamin.” 19So they said, “Behold, there is the
yearly feast of the LORD at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of
the highway that goes up from Bethel to She'chem, and south of Lebo'nah.”
20And they commanded the Benjaminites, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the
vineyards, 21and watch; if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the
dances, then come out of the vineyards and seize each man his wife from
the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22And when their
fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant
them graciously to us; because we did not take for each man of them his
wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be
guilty.’ ” 23And the Benjaminites did so, and took their wives, according to
their number, from the dancers whom they carried off; then they went and
returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the towns, and dwelt in them.
24And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his
tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right
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Ruth
Chapters
1234
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THE BOOK OF RUTH
Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab
1* In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and
a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of
Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2The name of the man was
Elim'elech and the name of his wife Na'omi, and the names of his two sons
were Mahlon and Chil'ion; they were Eph'rathites from Bethlehem in Judah.
They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3But Elim'elech,
the husband of Na'omi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4These
took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the
other Ruth. They lived there about ten years; 5and both Mahlon and Chil'ion
died, so that the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband.
Naomi and Her Moabite Daughters-in-law
6 Then she started with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of
Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited
his people and given them food. 7So she set out from the place where she
was, with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to
the land of Judah. 8But Na'omi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return
each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as
you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9The LORD grant that you may
find a home, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed
them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10And they said to her, “No,
we will return with you to your people.” 11But Na'omi said, “Turn back, my
daughters, why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they
may become your husbands? 12Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I
am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should
have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13would you therefore wait
till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my
daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of
the LORD has gone forth against me.” 14Then they lifted up their voices and
wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and
to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16But Ruth said, “Entreat me
not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go,
and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your
God my God; 17where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the
LORD do so to me and more also if even death parts me from you.” 18And
when Na'omi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when
they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and
the women said, “Is this Na'omi?” 20She said to them, “Do not call me
Na'omi, a call me Mara, b for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me
Na'omi, when the LORD has afflicted c me and the Almighty has brought
calamity upon me?”
22 So Na'omi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with
her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem
at the beginning of barley harvest.
Ruth Meets Boaz
2 Now Na'omi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a man of wealth, of the
family of Elim'elech, whose name was Boaz. 2And Ruth the Moabitess said
to Na'omi, “Let me go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after
him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my
daughter.” 3So she set forth and went and gleaned in the field after the
reapers; and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to
Boaz, who was of the family of Elim'elech. 4And behold, Boaz came from
Bethlehem; and he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they
answered, “The LORD bless you.” 5Then Boaz said to his servant who was
in charge of the reapers, “Whose maiden is this?” 6And the servant who was
in charge of the reapers answered, “It is the Moabite maiden, who came
back with Na'omi from the country of Moab. 7She said, ‘Please, let me
glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she
has continued from early morning until now, without resting even for a
moment.” d
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in
another field or leave this one, but keep close to my maidens. 9Let your
eyes be upon the field which they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not
charged the young men not to molest you? And when you are thirsty, go to
the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” 10Then she fell on
her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in
your eyes, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?” 11But
Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since
the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your
father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did
not know before. 12The LORD recompense you for what you have done, and
a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose
wings you have come to take refuge!” 13Then she said, “You are most
gracious to me, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to
your maidservant, though I am not one of your maidservants.”
14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and
dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to
her parched grain; and she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left
over. 15When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying,
“Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16And also
pull out some from the bundles for her, and leave it for her to glean, and do
not rebuke her.”
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening; then she beat out what she had
gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18And she took it up and went
into the city; she showed her mother-in-law what she had gleaned, and she
also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being
satisfied. 19And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today?
And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.”
So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The
name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20And Na'omi said to
her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he by the LORD, whose kindness has not
forsaken the living or the dead!” Na'omi also said to her, “The man is a
relative of ours, one of our nearest kin.” 21And Ruth the Moabitess said,
“Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my servants, till they have
finished all my harvest.’ ” 22And Na'omi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law,
“It is well, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, lest in another
field you be molested.” 23So she kept close to the maidens of Boaz,
gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests; and she lived with
her mother-in-law.
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
3 Then Na'omi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I
not seek a home for you, that it may be well with you? 2Now is not Boaz
our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? See, he is winnowing barley
tonight at the threshing floor. 3Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put
on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make
yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4But
when he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover
his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” 5And she replied,
“All that you say I will do.”
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-
law had told her. 7And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was
merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came
softly, and uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8At midnight the man was
startled, and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9He said,
“Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant; spread
your garment over your maidservant, for you are next of kin.” 10And he
said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter; you have made this
last kindness greater than the first, in that you have not gone after young
men, whether poor or rich. 11And now, my daughter, do not fear, I will do
for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a
woman of worth. 12And now it is true that I am a near kinsman, yet there is
a kinsman nearer than I. 13Remain this night, and in the morning, if he will
do the part of the next of kin for you, well; let him do it; but if he is not
willing to do the part of the next of kin for you, then, as the LORD lives, I
will do the part of the next of kin for you. Lie down until the morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could
recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came
to the threshing floor.” 15And he said, “Bring the mantle you are wearing
and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley,
and laid it upon her; then she went into the city. 16And when she came to
her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she
told her all that the man had done for her, 17saying, “These six measures of
barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to
your mother-in-law.’ ” 18She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn
how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter
today.”
The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth
4 And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the next
of kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside,
friend; sit down here”; and he turned aside and sat down. 2And he took ten
men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here”; so they sat down.
3Then he said to the next of kin, “Na'omi, who has come back from the
country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land which belonged to our
kinsman Elim'elech. 4So I thought I would tell you of it, and say, Buy it in
the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my
people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, that I
may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after
you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5Then Boaz said, “The day you buy
the field from the hand of Na'omi, you are also buying Ruth e the
Moabitess, the widow of the dead, in order to restore the name of the dead
to his inheritance.” 6Then the next of kin said, “I cannot redeem it for
myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption
yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming
and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and
gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8So when
the next of kin said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.
9Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this
day that I have bought from the hand of Na'omi all that belonged to
Elim'elech and all that belonged to Chil'ion and to Mahlon. 10Also Ruth the
Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to
perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead
may not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his native
place; you are witnesses this day.” 11Then all the people who were at the
gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the
woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together
built up the house of Israel. May you prosper in Eph'rathah and be
renowned in Bethlehem; 12and may your house be like the house of Per'ez,
whom Ta'mar bore to Judah, because of the children that the LORD will give
you by this young woman.”
The Genealogy of David
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and
the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14Then the women said
to Na'omi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next
of kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15He shall be to you a
restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law
who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16Then
Na'omi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse.
17And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son
has been born to Na'omi.” They named him O'bed; he was the father of
Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the descendants of Per'ez: Perez was the father of
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1 Samuel
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
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THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL
Samuel’s Birth and Dedication
1* There was a certain man of Ramatha'im-zo'phim of the hill country
of E'phraim, whose name was Elka'nah the son of Jero'ham, son of Eli'hu,
son of To'hu, son of Zuph, an E'phraimite. 2He had two wives; the name of
the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Penin'nah. And Peninnah
had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to
sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, * where the two sons of Eli,
Hoph'ni and Phin'ehas, were priests of the LORD. 4On the day when
Elka'nah sacrificed, he would give portions to Penin'nah his wife and to all
her sons and daughters; 5and, although a he loved Hannah, he would give
Hannah only one portion, because the LORD had closed her womb. 6And her
rival used to provoke her sorely, to irritate her, because the LORD had closed
her womb. 7So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house
of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would
not eat. 8And Elka'nah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you
weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more
to you than ten sons?”
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the
priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
10She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly.
11And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look
on the affliction of your maidservant, and remember me, and not forget
your maidservant, but will give to your maidservant a son, then I will give
him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.
13Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was
not heard; therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14And Eli said to
her, “How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you.” 15But
Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman sorely troubled; I have
drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul
before the LORD. 16Do not regard your maidservant as a base woman, for all
along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17Then
Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which
you have made to him.” 18And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in
your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance
was no longer sad.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then
they went back to their house at Ra'mah. And Elka'nah knew Hannah his
wife, and the LORD remembered her; 20and in due time Hannah conceived
and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked
him of the LORD.”
21 And the man Elka'nah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the
yearly sacrifice, and to pay his vow. 22But Hannah did not go up, for she
said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, that
he may appear in the presence of the LORD, and abide there for ever.”
23Elka'nah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you, wait until
you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.” So the
woman remained and nursed her son, until she weaned him. 24And when
she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old
bull, b an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine; and she brought him to the
house of the LORD at Shiloh; and the child was young. 25Then they slew the
bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26And she said, “Oh, my lord! As
you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence,
praying to the LORD. 27For this child I prayed; and the LORD has granted me
my petition which I made to him. 28Therefore I have lent him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.”
And they x worshiped the LORD there.
Hannah’s Prayer
2 Hannah also prayed and said, *
“My heart exults in the LORD;
my strength is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “There is none holy like the LORD,
there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
3Talk no more so very proudly,
LORD. 13The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man
offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was
boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14and he would thrust it into
the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest
would take for himself. c So they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came
there. 15Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would
come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to
roast; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.” 16And if the
man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you
wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by
force.” 17Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the
LORD; for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt.
The Boy Samuel
18 Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy girded with a linen
ephod. * 19And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to
him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly
sacrifice. 20Then Eli would bless Elka'nah and his wife, and say, “The LORD
give you children by this woman for the loan which she lent to d the
LORD”; so then they would return to their home.
21 And the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons
and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD.
Eli Tries to Correct His Sons
22 Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all
Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the
tent of meeting. 23And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I
hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24No, my sons; it is no good
report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. 25If a man sins
against a man, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the
LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of
their father; for it was the will of the LORD to slay them.
Samuel’s Virtues
26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor
has said, ‘I revealed e myself to the house of your father when they were in
Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh. 28And I chose him out of all the
tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear
an ephod before me; and I gave to the house of your father all my offerings
by fire from the sons of Israel. 29Why then look with greedy eye at f my
sacrifices and my offerings which I commanded, and honor your sons above
me by fattening yourselves upon the choicest parts of every offering of my
people Israel?’ 30Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: ‘I promised
that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me
for ever’; but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me; for those who
honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31Behold, the days are coming, when I will cut off your strength and the
strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your
house. 32Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the
prosperity which shall be bestowed upon Israel; and there shall not be an
old man in your house for ever. 33The man of you whom I shall not cut off
from my altar shall be spared to weep out his g eyes and grieve his g heart;
and all the increase of your house shall die by the sword of men. h 34And
this which shall befall your two sons, Hoph'ni and Phin'ehas, shall be the
sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. 35And I will raise up for
myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and
in my mind; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out
before my anointed for ever. 36And every one who is left in your house
shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, and shall
say, “Put me, I beg you, in one of the priest’s places, that I may eat a morsel
of bread.” ’ ”
The Lord Calls Samuel
3 * Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli.
And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent
vision.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could
not see, was lying down in his own place; 3the lamp of God had not yet
gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where
the ark of God was. 4Then the LORD called, “Samuel! Samuel!” i and he
said, “Here I am!” 5and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6And the LORD called again, “Samuel!” And Samuel arose and went to Eli,
and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my
son; lie down again.” 7Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the
word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8And the LORD called
Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I
am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the
boy. 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you
shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay
down in his place.
10 And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, “Samuel!
Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11Then the
LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel, at which
the two ears of every one that hears it will tingle. 12On that day I will fulfil
against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to
end. 13And I tell him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the
iniquity which he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, j and he
did not restrain them. 14Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the
iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for
ever.”
15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the
LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16But Eli called
Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17And Eli
said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so
to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.”
18So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said,
fall to the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Be'er-she'ba knew that
Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD. 21And the LORD appeared
again at Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh
4 by the word of the LORD. 1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
* Now Israel went out to battle against the Philis'tines; they encamped at
Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at A'phek. 2The Philis'tines drew up
in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the
Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3And
when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the
LORD put us to rout today before the Philis'tines? Let us bring the ark of the
covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that he may come among us and
save us from the power of our enemies.” 4So the people sent to Shiloh, and
brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is
enthroned on the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hoph'ni and Phin'ehas,
were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 When the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel
gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6And when the Philis'tines
heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in
the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the
LORD had come to the camp, 7the Philis'tines were afraid; for they said, “A
god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like
this has happened before. 8Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power
of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with
every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9Take courage, and acquit yourselves
like men, O Philis'tines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have
been to you; acquit yourselves like men and fight.”
10 So the Philis'tines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every
man to his home; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of
Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11And the ark of God was captured; and
the two sons of Eli, Hoph'ni and Phin'ehas, were slain.
Death of Eli
12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line, and came to Shiloh the
same day, with his clothes torn and with earth upon his head. 13When he
arrived, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the road watching, for his heart
trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told
the news, all the city cried out. 14When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he
said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hastened and came and told Eli.
15Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set, so that he could
not see. 16And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I
fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” 17He
who brought the tidings answered and said, “Israel has fled before the
Philis'tines, and there has also been a great slaughter among the people;
your two sons also, Hoph'ni and Phin'ehas, are dead, and the ark of God has
been captured.” 18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over
backward from his seat by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and
he died, for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phin'ehas, was with child, about to
give birth. And when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was
captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed
and gave birth; for her pains came upon her. 20And about the time of her
death the women attending her said to her, “Fear not, for you have borne a
son.” But she did not answer or give heed. 21And she named the child
Ich'abod, * saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of
God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has
been captured.”
The Philistines and the Ark
5 When the Philis'tines captured the ark of God, they carried it from
Ebenezer to Ash'dod; 2then the Philis'tines took the ark of God and brought
it into the house of Da'gon and set it up beside Dagon. 3And when the
people of Ash'dod rose early the next day, behold, Da'gon had fallen face
downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon
and put him back in his place. 4But when they rose early on the next
morning, behold, Da'gon had fallen face downward on the ground before
the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying
cut off upon the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5This is
why the priests of Da'gon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread
on the threshold of Dagon in Ash'dod to this day.
6 The hand of the LORD was heavy upon the people of Ash'dod, and he
terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7And
when the men of Ash'dod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the
God of Israel must not remain with us; for his hand is heavy upon us and
upon Da'gon our god.” 8So they sent and gathered together all the lords of
the Philis'tines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of
Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around
to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. 9But after they
had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a
very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so
that tumors broke out upon them. 10So they sent the ark of God to Ek'ron.
But when the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out,
“They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to slay us and
our people.” 11They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the
Philis'tines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it
return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people.” For there
was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very
heavy there; 12the men who did not die were stricken with tumors, and the
cry of the city went up to heaven.
The Ark Returned to Israel
6 The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philis'tines seven
months. 2And the Philis'tines called for the priests and the diviners and said,
“What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall
send it to its place.” 3They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of
Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering.
Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not
turn away from you.” 4And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we
shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden
mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philis'tines; for the same
plague was upon all of you and upon your lords. 5So you must make images
of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory
to the God of Israel; perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your
gods and your land. 6Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians
and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had made sport of them, did
not they let the people go, and they departed? 7Now then, take and prepare a
new cart and two milch cows upon which there has never come a yoke, and
yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them.
8And take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart, and put in a box at its
side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering.
Then send it off, and let it go its way. 9And watch; if it goes up on the way
to its own land, to Beth-she'mesh, then it is he who has done us this great
harm; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us, it
happened to us by chance.”
10 The men did so, and took two milch cows and yoked them to the cart,
and shut up their calves at home. 11And they put the ark of the LORD on the
cart, and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors.
12And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-she'mesh along one
highway, lowing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the
left, and the lords of the Philis'tines went after them as far as the border of
Beth-shemesh. 13Now the people of Beth-she'mesh were reaping their
wheat harvest in the valley; and when they lifted up their eyes and saw the
ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-
she'mesh, and stopped there. A great stone was there; and they split up the
wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.
15And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was
beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great
stone; and the men of Beth-she'mesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed
sacrifices on that day to the LORD. 16And when the five lords of the
Philis'tines saw it, they returned that day to Ek'ron.
17 These are the golden tumors, which the Philis'tines returned as a guilt
offering to the LORD: one for Ash'dod, one for Gaza, one for Ash'kelon, one
for Gath, one for Ek'ron; 18also the golden mice, according to the number of
all the cities of the Philis'tines belonging to the five lords, both fortified
cities and unwalled villages. The great stone, beside which they set down
the ark of the LORD, is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-
she'mesh.
The Ark at Kiriath-jearim
19 And he slew some of the men of Beth-she'mesh, because they looked
into the ark of the LORD; he slew seventy men of them, k and the people
mourned because the LORD had made a great slaughter among the people.
20Then the men of Beth-she'mesh said, “Who is able to stand before the
LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21So
they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kir'iath-je'arim, saying, “The
Philis'tines have returned the ark of the
7 LORD. Come down and take it up to you.” 1And the men of Kir'iath-
je'arim came and took up the ark of the LORD, and brought it to the house of
Abin'adab on the hill; and they consecrated his son, Elea'zar, to have charge
of the ark of the LORD. 2From the day that the ark was lodged at Kir'iath-
je'arim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel
lamented after the LORD. *
Samuel as Judge of Israel
3 Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the
LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ash'taroth
from among you, and direct your heart to the LORD, and serve him only, and
he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philis'tines.” 4So Israel put away
the Ba'als and the Ash'taroth, and they served the LORD only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the
Lord for you.” 6So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it
out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned
against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah. 7Now
when the Philis'tines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at Mizpah,
the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of
Israel heard of it they were afraid of the Philistines. 8And the sons of Israel
said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that he may
save us from the hand of the Philis'tines.” 9So Samuel took a suckling lamb
and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried to the
Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10As Samuel was offering up
the burnt offering, the Philis'tines drew near to attack Israel; but the Lord
thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw
them into confusion; and they were routed before Israel. 11And the men of
Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philis'tines, and struck them, as
far as below Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jesha'nah, l
and called its name Ebenezer; m for he said, “Hitherto the LORD has helped
us.” 13So the Philis'tines were subdued and did not again enter the territory
of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days
of Samuel. 14The cities which the Philis'tines had taken from Israel were
restored to Israel, from Ek'ron to Gath; and Israel rescued their territory
from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and
the Am'orites.
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16And he went on a circuit
year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all these
places. 17Then he would come back to Ra'mah, for his home was there, and
there also he administered justice to Israel. And he built there an altar to the
LORD.
Israel Asks for a King
8 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2The
name of his first-born son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abi'jah;
they were judges in Be'er-she'ba. 3Yet his sons did not walk in his ways, but
turned aside after gain; they took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at
Ra'mah, 5and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk
in your ways; now appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations.”
6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern
us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7And the LORD said to Samuel,
“Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have
not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
8According to all the deeds which they have done to me, n from the day I
brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving
other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9Now then, listen to their voice;
only, you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king
who shall reign over them.”
10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were
asking a king from him. * 11He said, “These will be the ways of the king
who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his
chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; 12and he
will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of
fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his
implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13He will take your
daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14He will take the best of
your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.
15He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to
his officers and to his servants. 16He will take your menservants and
maidservants, and the best of your cattle o and your donkeys, and put them
to his work. 17He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his
slaves. 18And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you
have chosen for yourselves; but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
Israel’s Demand Granted
19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said,
“No! but we will have a king over us, 20that we also may be like all the
nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our
battles.” 21And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he
repeated them in the ears of the LORD. 22And the LORD said to Samuel,
“Listen to their voice, and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men
of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
Saul Chosen to Be King
9 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of
Abi'el, son of Ze'ror, son of Beco'rath, son of Aphi'ah, a Benjaminite, a man
of wealth; 2and he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young
man. There was not a man among the sons of Israel more handsome than
he; from his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul
his son, “Take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the
donkeys.” 4And they p passed through the hill country of E'phraim and
passed through the land of Shal'ishah, but they did not find them. And they
passed through the land of Sha'alim, but they were not there. Then they
passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was
with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the
donkeys and become anxious about us.” 6But he said to him, “Behold, there
is a man of God in this city, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he
says comes true. Let us go there; perhaps he can tell us about the journey on
which we have set out.” 7Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what
can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no
present to bring to the man of God. What have we?” 8The servant answered
Saul again, “Here, I have with me the fourth part of a shekel of silver, and I
will give it to the man of God, to tell us our way.” 9(Formerly in Israel,
when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer”;
for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) 10And Saul
said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city
where the man of God was.
11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young maidens coming out
to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12They answered, “He
is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Make haste; he has come just now to the
city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. 13As soon
as you enter the city, you will find him, before he goes up to the high
place * to eat; for the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless
the sacrifice; afterward those eat who are invited. Now go up, for you will
meet him immediately.” 14So they went up to the city. As they were
entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up
to the high place.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel:
16“Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of
Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He
shall save my people from the hand of the Philis'tines; for I have seen the
affliction of q my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17When
Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to
you! He it is who shall rule over my people.” 18Then Saul approached
Samuel in the gate, and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?”
19Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer; go up before me to the high place,
for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and
will tell you all that is on your mind. 20As for your donkeys that were lost
three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found.
And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all
your father’s house?” 21Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the
least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the humblest of all the
families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this
way?”
22 Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall
and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were
about thirty persons. 23And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I
gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’ ” 24So the cook took up the
leg and the upper portion r and set them before Saul; and Samuel said, “See,
what was kept is set before you. Eat; because it was kept for you until the
hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.” s
So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25And when they came down from the
high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul t upon the roof, and he lay
down to sleep. 26Then at the break of dawn u Samuel called to Saul upon the
roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he
and Samuel went out into the street.
Samuel Anoints Saul
27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to
Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on stop
here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”
10 Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed
him and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his people
Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the LORD and you will save
them from the hand of their enemies round about. And this shall be the sign
to you that the LORD has anointed you to be prince w over his heritage.
2When you depart from me today you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb
in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The
donkeys which you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased
to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I
do about my son?” ’ 3Then you shall go on from there further and come to
the oak of Ta'bor; three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there,
one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another
carrying a skin of wine. 4And they will greet you and give you two loaves
of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. 5After that you shall come
to Gib'eath-elo'him, x where there is a garrison of the Philis'tines; and there,
as you come to the city, you will meet a band of prophets* coming down
from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them,
prophesying. 6Then the spirit of the LORD will come mightily upon you, and
you shall prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7Now when
these signs meet you, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with
you. 8And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I am coming
to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days
you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.”
Saul Prophesies
9 When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart;
and all these signs came to pass that day. 10When they came to Gib'e-ah, z
behold, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came mightily
upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11And when all who knew him
before saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one
another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the
prophets?” 12And a man of the place answered, “And who is their father?”
Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13When
he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And
he said, “To seek the donkeys; and when we saw they were not to be found,
we went to Samuel.” 15And Saul’s uncle said, “Please, tell me what Samuel
said to you.” 16And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the
donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, of which
Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.
Saul Proclaimed King
17 Now Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah; 18and he
said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I brought
up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians
and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19But you
have this day rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities
and your distresses; and you have said, ‘No! but set a king over us.’ Now
therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your
thousands.”
20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of
Benjamin was taken by lot. 21He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its
families, and the family of the Ma'trites was taken by lot; finally he brought
the family of the Matrites near man by man, a and Saul the son of Kish was
taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22So they
inquired again of the LORD, “Did the man come here?” b and the LORD said,
“Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23Then they ran and
fetched him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller
than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24And Samuel said to all
the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? There is none
like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the
king!”
25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship; and
he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent
all the people away, each one to his home. 26Saul also went to his home at
Gib'e-ah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched.
27But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they
despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
Saul Defeats the Ammonites
11 Then Na'hash the Am'monite went up and besieged Ja'besh-gil'ead;
and all the men of Ja'besh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we
will serve you.” 2But Na'hash the Am'monite said to them, “On this
condition I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes,
and thus put disgrace upon all Israel.” 3The elders of Ja'besh said to him,
“Give us seven days respite that we may send messengers through all the
territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves
up to you.” 4When the messengers came to Gib'e-ah of Saul, they reported
the matter in the hearing of the people; and all the people wept aloud.
5 Now Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen; and Saul said,
“What ails the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the tidings
of the men of Ja'besh. 6And the spirit of God came mightily upon Saul
when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7He took a
yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the
territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not
come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the
dread of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.
8When he mustered them at Be'zek, the men of Israel were three hundred
thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.* 9And they said to the
messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Ja'besh-
gil'ead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.’ ”
When the messengers came and told the men of Ja'besh, they were glad.
10Therefore the men of Ja'besh said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up
to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11And the next
day Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of
the camp in the morning watch, and cut down the Am'monites until the heat
of the day; and those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them
were left together.
12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign
over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13But Saul said,
“Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has wrought
deliverance in Israel.” 14Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go
to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15So all the people went to Gilgal,
and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. There they
sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there Saul and all the men
of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Samuel’s Farewell Address
12 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice
in all that you have said to me, and have made a king over you. 2And now,
behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray, and behold, my
sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my youth until this
day. 3Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed.
Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I
defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a
bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me c and I will restore it to
you.” 4They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken
anything from any man’s hand.” 5And he said to them, “The LORD is
witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not
found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
6 And Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is witness, d who appointed
Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the LORD
concerning all the saving deeds of the LORD which he performed for you
and for your fathers. 8When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians
oppressed them, e then your fathers cried to the LORD and the LORD sent
Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made
them dwell in this place. 9But they forgot the LORD their God; and he sold
them into the hand of Sis'era, commander of the army of Ja'bin king of f
Ha'zor, and into the hand of the Philis'tines, and into the hand of the king of
Moab; and they fought against them. 10And they cried to the LORD, and
said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served
the Ba'als and the Ash'taroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our
enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11And the LORD sent Jerubba'al * and
Barak, g and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of
your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. 12And when you saw
that Na'hash the king of the Am'monites came against you, you said to me,
‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your
king. 13And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you
have asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you. 14If you will fear the
LORD and serve him and listen to his voice and not rebel against the
commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over
you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well; 15but if you will not
listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the
LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king. h 16Now
therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before
your eyes. 17Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that he
may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your
wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in
asking for yourselves a king.” 18So Samuel called upon the LORD, and the
LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the
LORD and Samuel.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD
your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to
ask for ourselves a king.” 20And Samuel said to the people, “Fear not; you
have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but
serve the LORD with all your heart; 21and do not turn aside after i vain things
which cannot profit or save, for they are vain. 22For the LORD will not cast
away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD
to make you a people for himself. 23Moreover as for me, far be it from me
that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I will
instruct you in the good and the right way. 24Only fear the LORD, and serve
him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has
done for you. 25But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both
you and your king.” *
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice
13 Saul was . . . j years old when he began to reign; and he
reigned . . . and two k * years over Israel.
2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel; two thousand were with Saul in
Mich'mash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with
Jonathan in Gib'e-ah of Benjamin; the rest of the people he sent home,
every man to his tent. 3Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philis'tines
which was at Ge'ba; and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the
trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4And all
Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philis'tines,
and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines. And the people
were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 And the Philis'tines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand
chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the
seashore in multitude; they came up and encamped in Mich'mash, to the
east of Beth-a'ven. 6When the men of Israel saw that they were in straits
(for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and
in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7or crossed the fords of
the Jordan l to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all
the people followed him trembling.
8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not
come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9So Saul said,
“Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he
offered the burnt offering. 10As soon as he had finished offering the burnt
offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and salute
him. 11Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw
that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within
the days appointed, and that the Philis'tines had mustered at Mich'mash, 12I
said, ‘Now the Philis'tines will come down upon me at Gilgal and I have
not entreated the favor of the LORD’; so I forced myself, and offered the
burnt offering.” 13And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly; you
have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he
commanded you; for now the LORD would have established your kingdom
over Israel for ever. 14But now your kingdom shall not continue; the LORD
has sought out a man after his own heart; and the LORD has appointed him
to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD
commanded you.” 15And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gib'e-
ah of Benjamin.
And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six
hundred men. 16And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were
present with them, stayed in Ge'ba of Benjamin; but the Philis'tines
encamped in Mich'mash. 17And raiders came out of the camp of the
Philis'tines in three companies; one company turned toward Oph'rah, to the
land of Shual, 18another company turned toward Beth-ho'ron, and another
company turned toward the border that looks down upon the valley of
Zebo'im toward the wilderness.
Preparations for Battle
19 Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel;
for the Philis'tines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or
spears”; 20but every one of the Israelites went down to the Philis'tines to
sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle; m 21and the charge
was a pim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel
for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. n 22So on the day of the
battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the
people with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.
23And the garrison of the Philis'tines went out to the pass of Mich'mash.
go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will
work for us; for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by
few.” 7And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that your mind inclines
to; p behold, I am with you, as is your mind so is mine.” q 8Then said
Jonathan, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show
ourselves to them. 9If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we
will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10But if they say,
‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up; for the LORD has given them into our
hand. And this shall be the sign to us.” 11So both of them showed
themselves to the garrison of the Philis'tines; and the Philistines said,
“Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hid
themselves.” 12And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-
bearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And
Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me; for the LORD has
given them into the hand of Israel.” 13Then Jonathan climbed up on his
hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before
Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him; 14and that first
slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, was of about twenty
men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre r of land. 15And there
was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison
and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked; and it became a very great
panic.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gib'e-ah of Benjamin looked; and behold,
the multitude was surging here and there. s 17Then Saul said to the people
who were with him, “Number and see who has gone from us.” And when
they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.
18And Saul said to Ahi'jah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God
went at that time with the sons of Israel. 19And while Saul was talking to
the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philis'tines increased more and
more; and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20Then Saul and
all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle; and
behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great
confusion. 21Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philis'tines before
that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also
turned to be with t the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill
country of E'phraim heard that the Philis'tines were fleeing, they too
followed hard after them in the battle. 23So the LORD delivered Israel that
day; and the battle passed beyond Beth-a'ven.
Saul’s Rash Oath
24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul laid an oath on
the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and
I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. 25And all
the people u came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground. 26And
when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no
man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath. 27But
Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; so he put
forth the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in the
honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes became bright.
28Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with
an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’ ” And the
people were faint. 29Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land;
see how my eyes have become bright, because I tasted a little of this honey.
30How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their
enemies which they found; for now the slaughter among the Philis'tines has
not been great.”
31 They struck down the Philis'tines that day from Mich'mash to Ai'jalon.
And the people were very faint; 32the people flew upon the spoil, and took
sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate
them with the blood. 33Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning
against the LORD, by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt
treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.” v 34And Saul said, “Disperse
yourselves among the people, and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox
or his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and do not sin against the LORD
by eating with the blood.’ ” So every one of the people brought his ox with
him that night, and slew them there. 35And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it
was the first altar that he built to the LORD.
The People Ransom Jonathan
36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philis'tines by night and
despoil them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And
they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But the priest said, “Let us
draw near here to God.” 37And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after
the Philis'tines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not
answer him that day. 38And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the
people; and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39For as the LORD
lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.”
But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. 40Then he
said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will
be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to
you.” 41Therefore Saul said, “O LORD God of Israel, why have you not
answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son,
O LORD, God of Israel, give U'rim; but if this guilt is in your people Israel, w
give Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people
escaped. 42Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.”
And Jonathan was taken. *
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And
Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in
my hand; here I am, I will die.” 44And Saul said, “God do so to me and
more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45Then the people said to Saul,
“Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great victory in Israel? Far from
it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground;
for he has wrought with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan,
that he did not die. 46Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philis'tines; and
the Philistines went to their own place.
Saul’s Continuing Wars
47 When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his
names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born was
Merab, and the name of the younger Michal; 50and the name of Saul’s wife
was Ahin'o-am the daughter of Ahim'a-az. And the name of the commander
of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle; 51Kish was the father of
Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abi'el.
52 There was hard fighting against the Philis'tines all the days of Saul; and
when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to
himself.
Saul Defeats the Amalekites but Disobeys
15 And Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king
over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the LORD. 2Thus
says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will punish what Am'alek did to Israel in
opposing them on the way, when they came up out of Egypt. 3Now go and
strike Am'alek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but
kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and
donkey.’ ”
4 So Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Tela'im, two
hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5And Saul
came to the city of Am'alek, and lay in wait in the valley. 6And Saul said to
the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amal'ekites, lest I
destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the people of Israel
when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the
Amalekites. 7And Saul defeated the Amal'ekites, from Hav'ilah as far as
Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8And he took A'gag the king of the
Amal'ekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the
sword. 9But Saul and the people spared A'gag, and the best of the sheep and
of the oxen and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and
would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they
utterly destroyed.
The Lord Rejects Saul for His Disobedience
10 The word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 “I repent that I have made
Saul king; for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed
my commandments.” And Samuel was angry; and he cried to the LORD all
night. 12And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told
Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for
himself and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.” 13And
Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the LORD; I
have performed the commandment of the LORD.” 14And Samuel said,
“What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the
oxen which I hear?” 15Saul said, “They have brought them from the
Amal'ekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to
sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me
the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.
18And the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, utterly destroy the
sinners, the Amal'ekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
19Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop
on the spoil, and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?” 20And Saul
said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, I have gone on the
mission on which the LORD sent me, I have brought A'gag the king of
Am'alek, and I have utterly destroyed the Amal'ekites. 21But the people
took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to
destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” 22And Samuel
said,
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and
obeyed their voice. 25Now therefore, I beg, pardon my sin, and return with
me, that I may worship the LORD.” 26And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not
return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD
has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27As Samuel turned to go
away, Saul laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28And Samuel
said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day,
and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29And also
the Glory of Israel will not lie or repent; for he is not a man, that he should
repent.” 30Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders
of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the
LORD your God.” 31So Samuel turned back after Saul; and Saul worshiped
the LORD.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me A'gag the king of the
Amal'ekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the
bitterness of death is past.” 33And Samuel said, “As your sword has made
women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And
Samuel hewed A'gag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ra'mah; and Saul went up to his house in Gib'e-ah
of Saul. 35And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but
Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD repented that he had made Saul
king over Israel.
David Anointed as King
16 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul,
seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with
oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided
for myself a king among his sons.” 2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If
Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you,
and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3And invite Jesse to the
sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for
me him whom I name to you.” 4Samuel did what the LORD commanded,
and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling,
and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5And he said, “Peaceably; I have
come to sacrifice to the LORD; consecrate yourselves, and come with me to
the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to
the sacrifice.
6 When they came, he looked on Eli'ab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s
anointed is before him.” 7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his
appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for
the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but
the LORD looks on the heart.” 8Then Jesse called Abin'adab, and made him
pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD
chosen this one.” 10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel.
And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11And Samuel
said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the
youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12And he
sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and
was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his
brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that
day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ra'mah.
David Plays the Lyre for Saul
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from
the LORD tormented him. 15And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now,
an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord now command
your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is skilful in
playing the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play
it, and you will be well.” 17So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a
man who can play well, and bring him to me.” 18One of the young men
answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is
skilful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a
man of good presence; and the LORD is with him.” 19Therefore Saul sent
messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the
sheep.” 20And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a skin of wine and
a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21And David came to Saul,
and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his
armor-bearer. 22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my
service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23And whenever the evil spirit
from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand;
so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
David and Goliath
17 Now the Philis'tines gathered their armies for battle; and they were
gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh
and Aze'kah, in E'phes-dam'mim. 2And Saul and the men of Israel were
gathered, and encamped in the valley of E'lah, and drew up in line of battle
against the Philis'tines. 3And the Philis'tines stood on the mountain on the
one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley
between them. 4And there came out from the camp of the Philis'tines a
champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of
mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6And
he had greaves of bronze upon his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung
between his shoulders. 7And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s
beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his
shield-bearer went before him. 8He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel,
“Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philis'tine, and
are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him
come down to me. 9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will
be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be
our servants and serve us.” 10And the Philis'tine said, “I defy the ranks of
Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11When Saul
and all Israel heard these words of the Philis'tine, they were dismayed and
greatly afraid.
12 Now David was the son of an Eph'rathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named
Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and
advanced in years. x 13The three eldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to
the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were
Eli'ab the first-born, and next to him Abin'adab, and the third Shammah.
14David was the youngest; the three eldest followed Saul, 15but David went
back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. 16For
forty days the Philis'tine came forward and took his stand, morning and
evening.
17 And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of
this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp
to your brothers; 18also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their
thousand. See how your brothers fare, and bring some token from them.”
19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of
E'lah, fighting with the Philis'tines. 20And David rose early in the morning,
and left the sheep with a keeper, and took the provisions, and went, as Jesse
had commanded him; and he came to the encampment as the host was
going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21And Israel and the
Philis'tines drew up for battle, army against army. 22And David left the
things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the ranks, and went
and greeted his brothers. 23As he talked with them, behold, the champion,
the Philis'tine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the
Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.
24 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were
much afraid. 25And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who
has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and the man who kills
him, the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter,
and make his father’s house free in Israel.” 26And David said to the men
who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this
Philis'tine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this
uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the
before Saul; and he sent for him. 32And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s
heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this
Philis'tine.” 33And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this
Philis'tine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he has been a man
of war from his youth.” 34But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to
keep sheep for his father; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a
lamb from the flock, 35I went after him and struck him and delivered it out
of his mouth; and if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and
struck him and killed him. 36Your servant has killed both lions and bears;
and this uncircumcised Philis'tine shall be like one of them, seeing he has
defied the armies of the living God.” 37And David said, “The LORD who
delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will
deliver me from the hand of this Philis'tine.” And Saul said to David, “Go,
and the LORD be with you!” 38Then Saul clothed David with his armor; he
put a helmet of bronze on his head, and clothed him with a coat of mail.
39And David belted on his sword over his armor, and he tried in vain to go,
for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with
these; for I am not used to them.” And David put them off. 40Then he took
his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the brook, and put
them in his shepherd’s bag or wallet; his sling was in his hand, and he drew
near to the Philis'tine.
41 And the Philis'tine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-
bearer in front of him. 42And when the Philis'tine looked, and saw David, he
disdained him; for he was but a youth, ruddy and comely in appearance.
43And the Philis'tine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with
sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44The Philis'tine said
to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and
to the beasts of the field.” 45Then David said to the Philis'tine, “You come
to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin; but I come to you in
the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you
have defied. 46This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will
strike you down, and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of
the host of the Philis'tines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild
beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
47and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword
and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and he will give you into our hand.”
48 When the Philis'tine arose and came and drew near to meet David,
David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49And David
put his hand in his bag and took out a stone, and slung it, and struck the
Philis'tine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on
his face to the ground.
50 So David prevailed over the Philis'tine with a sling and with a stone,
and struck the Philistine, and killed him; there was no sword in the hand of
David. 51Then David ran and stood over the Philis'tine, and took his sword
and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52And the
men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philis'tines as far
as Gath y and the gates of Ek'ron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the
way from Sha-ara'im as far as Gath and Ekron. 53And the Israelites came
back from chasing the Philis'tines, and they plundered their camp. 54And
David took the head of the Philis'tine and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put
his armor in his tent.
55 When Saul saw David go forth against the Philis'tine, he said to Abner,
the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner
said, “As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.” 56And the king said,
“Inquire whose son the stripling is.” 57And as David returned from the
slaughter of the Philis'tine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul
with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58And Saul said to him, “Whose
son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your
servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
Jonathan’s Covenant with David
18 When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was
knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2And
Saul took him that day, and would not let him return to his father’s house.
3Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his
own soul. 4And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him,
and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his
belt. 5And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; so
that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all
the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
6 As they were coming home, when David returned from slaying the
Philis'tine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and
dancing, to meet King Saul, with timbrels, with songs of joy, and with
instruments z of music. 7And the women sang to one another as they made
merry,
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
8And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him; he said, “They
raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by
day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11and Saul cast the spear, for he thought,
“I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.
12 Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him but had
departed from Saul. 13So Saul removed him from his presence, and made
him a commander of a thousand; and he went out and came in before the
people. 14And David had success in all his undertakings; for the LORD was
with him. 15And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe
of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in
before them.
David Marries Michal
17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab; I will give
her to you for a wife; only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.”
For Saul thought, “Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hand of the
Philis'tines be upon him.” 18And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and who
are my kinsfolk, my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to
the king?” 19But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been
given to David, she was given to A'dri-el the Meho'lathite for a wife.
20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David; and they told Saul, and the
thing pleased him. 21Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may be
a snare for him, and that the hand of the Philis'tines may be against him.”
Therefore Saul said to David a second time, a “You shall now be my son-in-
law.” 22And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and
say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you; now
then become the king’s son-in-law.’ ” 23And Saul’s servants spoke those
words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little
thing to become the king’s son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and of
no repute?” 24And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David
speak.” 25Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires
no marriage present * except a hundred foreskins of the Philis'tines, that he
may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’ ” Now Saul thought to make David
fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26And when his servants told David these
words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time
had expired, 27David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two
hundred of the Philis'tines; and David brought their foreskins, which were
given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-
law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. 28But when Saul
saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that all Israel b loved him,
29Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy
continually.
30 Then the princes of the Philis'tines came out to battle, and as often as
they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul; so that
his name was highly esteemed.
Jonathan Intercedes for David
19 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they
should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. 2And
Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you; therefore take heed
to yourself in the morning, stay in a secret place and hide yourself; 3and I
will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will
speak to my father about you; and if I learn anything I will tell you.” 4And
Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not
the king sin against his servant David; because he has not sinned against
you, and because his deeds have been of good service to you; 5for he took
his life in his hand and he slew the Philis'tine, and the LORD wrought a great
victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced; why then will you sin against
innocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6And Saul listened to the
voice of Jonathan; Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put to
death.” 7And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all these
things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as
before.
Michal Helps David Escape from Saul
8 And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the
Philis'tines, and made a great slaughter among them, so that they fled before
him. 9Then an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his
house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing the lyre. 10And
Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear; but he eluded Saul, so
that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled, and escaped.
11 That night Saul x sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that
he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If
you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12So
Michal let David down through the window; and he fled away and escaped.
13Michal took an image c and laid it on the bed and put a pillow d of goats’
hair at its head, and covered it with the clothes. 14And when Saul sent
messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15Then Saul sent the
messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may
kill him.” 16And when the messengers came in, behold, the image c was in
the bed, with the pillow d of goats’ hair at its head. 17Saul said to Michal,
“Why have you deceived me thus, and let my enemy go, so that he has
escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go; why
should I kill you? ’ ”
David Joins Samuel in Ramah
18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ra'mah, and
told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt
at Naioth. 19And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ra'mah.”
20Then Saul sent messengers to take David; and when they saw the
be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19And on the third day you will
be greatly missed; l then go to the place where you hid yourself when the
matter was in hand, and remain beside yonder stone heap. m 20And I will
shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21And
behold, I will send the lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the lad,
‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then you are to come,
for, as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. 22But if I say
to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go; for the LORD has
sent you away. 23And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken,
behold, the LORD is between you and me for ever.”
24 So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the
king sat down to eat food. 25The king sat upon his seat, as at other times,
upon the seat by the wall; Jonathan sat opposite, n and Abner sat by Saul’s
side, but David’s place was empty.
26 Yet Saul did not say anything that day; for he thought, “Something has
befallen him; he is not clean, surely he is not clean.” 27But on the second
day, the next day after the new moon, David’s place was empty. And Saul
said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal,
either yesterday or today?” 28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly
asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem; 29he said, ‘Let me go; for our family
holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there.
So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away, and see my
brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”
30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him,
“You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have
chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your
mother’s nakedness? 31For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth,
neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and fetch
him to me, for he shall surely die.” 32Then Jonathan answered Saul his
father, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33But Saul cast
his spear at him to strike him; so Jonathan knew that his father was
determined to put David to death. 34And Jonathan rose from the table in
fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was
grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him.
35 In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with
David, and with him a little lad. 36And he said to his lad, “Run and find the
arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37And
when the lad came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot,
Jonathan called after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”
38And Jonathan called after the lad, “Hurry, make haste, stay not.” So
Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39But the lad
knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40And Jonathan
gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go and carry them to the
city.” 41And as soon as the lad had gone, David rose from beside the stone
heap o and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times; and they
kissed one another, and wept with one another, until David recovered
himself. p 42Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, forasmuch as we
have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be
between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants,
for ever.’ ” And he rose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city. q
David and the Holy Bread
21 r Then came David to Nob to Ahim'elech the priest; and Ahimelech
came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no
one with you?” 2And David said to Ahim'elech the priest, “The king has
charged me with a matter, and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the
matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have
made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3Now
then, what have you at hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is
here.” 4And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread at hand,
but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from
women.” 5And David answered the priest, “Of a truth women have been
kept from us as always when I go on an expedition; the vessels of the young
men are holy, even when it is a common journey; how much more today
will their vessels be holy?” 6So the priest gave him the holy bread; for there
was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from
before the LORD, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.
7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained
before the LORD; his name was Do'eg the E'domite, the chief of Saul’s
herdsmen.
8 And David said to Ahim'elech, “And have you not here a spear or a
sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with
me, because the king’s business required haste.” 9And the priest said, “The
sword of Goliath the Philis'tine, whom you killed in the valley of E'lah,
behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you will take that,
take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like
that; give it to me.”
David Flees to Gath
10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul, and went to A'chish the
king of Gath. 11And the servants of A'chish said to him, “Is not this David
the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
12And David took these words to heart, and was much afraid of A'chish
the king of Gath. 13So he changed his behavior before them, and feigned
himself mad in their hands, and made marks on the doors of the gate, and
let his spittle run down his beard. 14Then said A'chish to his servants,
“Behold, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me?
15Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman
of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay s with you, till I know
what God will do for me.” 4And he left them with the king of Moab, and
they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5Then
the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart,
and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed, and went into the forest
of He'reth.
Saul Slaughters the Priests at Nob
6 Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with
him. Saul was sitting at Gib'e-ah, under the tamarisk tree on the height, with
his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7And
Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you
Benjaminites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and
vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders
of hundreds, 8that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to
me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse, none of you is sorry
for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me,
to lie in wait, as at this day.” 9Then answered Do'eg the E'domite, who
stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to
Ahim'elech the son of Ahi'tub, 10and he inquired of the LORD for him, and
gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philis'tine.”
11 Then the king sent to summon Ahim'elech the priest, the son of Ahi'tub,
and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob; and all of them
came to the king. 12And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahi'tub.” And he
answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13And Saul said to him, “Why have you
conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him
bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen
against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14Then Ahim'elech answered the
king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the
king’s son-in-law, and captain over t your bodyguard, and honored in your
house? 15Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let
not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father;
for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16And the
king said, “You shall surely die, Ahim'elech, you and all your father’s
house.” 17And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and
kill the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and they
knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the
king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
18Then the king said to Do'eg, “You turn and fall upon the priests.” And
Doeg the E'domite turned and fell upon the priests, and he killed on that day
eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19And Nob, the city of the
priests, he put to the sword; both men and women, children and sucklings,
oxen, donkeys and sheep, he put to the sword.
20 But one of the sons of Ahim'elech the son of Ahi'tub, named Abi'athar,
escaped and fled after David. 21And Abi'athar told David that Saul had
killed the priests of the LORD. 22And David said to Abi'athar, “I knew on
that day, when Do'eg the E'domite was there, that he would surely tell Saul.
I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23Stay
with me, fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks your life; with me you
shall be in safekeeping.”
David Saves the City of Keilah
23 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philis'tines are fighting against
Kei'lah, and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2Therefore David inquired of
the LORD, “Shall I go and attack these Philis'tines?” And the LORD said to
David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Kei'lah.” 3But David’s men
said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if
we go to Kei'lah against the armies of the Philis'tines?” 4Then David
inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, “Arise, go down
to Kei'lah; for I will give the Philis'tines into your hand.” 5And David and
his men went to Kei'lah, and fought with the Philis'tines, and brought away
their cattle, and made a great slaughter among them. So David delivered the
inhabitants of Keilah.
6 When Abi'athar the son of Ahim'elech fled to David to Kei'lah, he came
down with an ephod in his hand. 7Now it was told Saul that David had
come to Kei'lah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand; for he
has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8And Saul
summoned all the people to war, to go down to Kei'lah, to besiege David
and his men. 9David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he
said to Abi'athar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10Then said David, “O
LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to
come to Kei'lah, to destroy the city on my account. 11Will the men of
Kei'lah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant
has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant.” And the
LORD said, “He will come down.” 12Then said David, “Will the men of
Kei'lah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD
said, “They will surrender you.” 13Then David and his men, who were
about six hundred, arose and departed from Kei'lah, and they went wherever
they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he
gave up the expedition. 14And David remained in the strongholds in the
wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought
him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness
15 And David was afraid because u Saul had come out to seek his life.
David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16And Jonathan, Saul’s son,
rose, and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17And
he said to him, “Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you;
you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; Saul my father also
knows this.” 18And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD;
David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gib'e-ah, saying, “Does not David
Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed
with his face to the earth, and did obeisance. 9And David said to Saul,
“Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks
your hurt’? 10Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you
today into my hand in the cave; and some bade me kill you, but I x spared
you. I said, ‘I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is the
LORD’s anointed.’ 11See, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand;
for by the fact that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and did not kill you, you
may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not
sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. 12May the LORD
judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me upon you; but my
hand shall not be against you. 13As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of
the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you.
14After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue?
After a dead dog! After a flea! 15May the LORD therefore be judge, and give
sentence between me and you, and see to it, and plead my cause, and
deliver me from your hand.”
16 When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is
this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have repaid me
good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18And you have declared this day
how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD
put me into your hands. 19For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go
away safe? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done
to me this day. 20And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and
that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21Swear to me
therefore by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me,
and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.” 22And
David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home; but David and his men
went up to the stronghold.
Death of Samuel
25 Now Samuel died; and all Israel assembled and mourned for him,
and they buried him in his house at Ra'mah.
David and Abigail
Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Par'an. 2And there
was a man in Maon, whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich;
he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his
sheep in Carmel. 3Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his
wife Ab'igail. The woman was of good understanding and beautiful, but the
man was churlish and ill-behaved; he was a Ca'lebite. 4David heard in the
wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 5So David sent ten young
men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal,
and greet him in my name. 6And thus you shall salute him: ‘Peace be to
you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 7I hear
that you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us, and we did
them no harm, and they missed nothing, all the time they were in Carmel.
8Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men
find favor in your eyes; for we come on a feast day. Please, give whatever
you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”
9 When David’s young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name
of David; and then they waited. 10And Nabal answered David’s servants,
“Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants
nowadays who are breaking away from their masters. 11Shall I take my
bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and
give it to men who come from I do not know where?” 12So David’s young
men turned away, and came back and told him all this. 13And David said to
his men, “Every man belt on his sword!” And every man of them belted on
his sword; David also belted on his sword; and about four hundred men
went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.
14 But one of the young men told Ab'igail, Nabal’s wife, “Behold, David
sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed at
them. 15Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we
did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with
them; 16they were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we
were with them keeping the sheep. 17Now therefore know this and consider
what you should do; for evil is determined against our master and against
all his house, and he is so ill-natured that one cannot speak to him.”
18 Then Ab'igail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two skins
of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched grain,
and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid
them on donkeys. 19And she said to her young men, “Go on before me;
behold, I come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20And as
she rode on the donkey, and came down under cover of the mountain,
behold, David and his men came down toward her; and she met them.
21Now David had said, “Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow
has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to
him; and he has returned me evil for good. 22God do so to David y and more
also, if by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him.”
23 When Ab'igail saw David, she made haste, and alighted from the
donkey, and fell before David on her face, and bowed to the ground. 24She
fell at his feet and said, “Upon me alone, my lord, be the guilt; please let
your handmaid speak in your hearing, and hear the words of your
handmaid. 25Let not my lord regard this ill-natured fellow, Nabal; for as his
name is, so is he; Nabal z is his name, and folly is with him; but I your
handmaid did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent. 26Now
then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, seeing the LORD has
restrained you from bloodguilt, and from taking vengeance with your own
hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord
be as Nabal. 27And now let this present which your servant has brought to
my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord. 28Please forgive
the trespass of your handmaid; for the LORD will certainly make my lord a
sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD; and evil
shall not be found in you so long as you live. 29If men rise up to pursue you
and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the
living in the care of the LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies he
shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 30And when the LORD has done
to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and
has appointed you prince over Israel, 31my lord shall have no cause of grief,
or pangs of conscience, for having shed blood without cause or for my lord
taking vengeance himself. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord,
then remember your handmaid.”
32 And David said to Ab'igail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who sent you this day to meet me! 33Blessed be your discretion, and blessed
be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging
myself with my own hand! 34For as surely as the LORD the God of Israel
lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had made haste
and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so
much as one male.” 35Then David received from her hand what she had
brought him; and he said to her, “Go up in peace to your house; see, I have
listened to your voice, and I have granted your petition.”
36 And Ab'igail came to Nabal; and behold, he was holding a feast in his
house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for
he was very drunk; so she told him nothing at all until the morning light.
37And in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told
him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38And about ten days later the LORD struck Nabal; and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the LORD
who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept
back his servant from evil; the LORD has returned the evil-doing of Nabal
upon his own head.” Then David sent and wooed Ab'igail, to make her his
wife. 40And when the servants of David came to Ab'igail at Carmel, they
said to her, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.” 41And
she rose and bowed with her face to the ground, and said, “Behold, your
handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” 42And
Ab'igail made haste and rose and mounted on a donkey, and her five
maidens attended her; she went after the messengers of David, and became
his wife.
Ahino-am of Jezreel
43 David also took Ahin'o-am of Jezre'el; and both of them became his
wives. 44Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son
of La'ish, who was of Gallim.
David Again Spares Saul’s Life
26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gib'eah, saying, “Is not David
hiding himself on the hill of Hachi'lah, which is on the east of Jeshi'mon?”
2So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, with three
the east of Jeshi'mon. But David remained in the wilderness; and when he
saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, 4David sent out spies, and
learned of a certainty that Saul had come. 5Then David rose and came to the
place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay,
with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; Saul was lying
within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
6 Then David said to Ahim'elech the Hittite, and to Jo'ab’s brother Abi'shai
the son of Zeru'iah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?”
And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” 7So David and Abi'shai went
to the army by night; and there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment,
with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay
around him. 8Then said Abi'shai to David, “God has given your enemy into
your hand this day; now therefore let me pin him to the earth with one
stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” 9But David said to
Abi'shai, “Do not destroy him; for who can put forth his hand against the
LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?” 10And David said, “As the LORD lives,
the LORD will strike him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down
into battle and perish. 11The LORD forbid that I should put forth my hand
against the LORD’s anointed; but take now the spear that is at his head, and
the jar of water, and let us go.” 12So David took the spear and the jar of
water from Saul’s head; and they went away. No man saw it, or knew it, nor
did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the
LORD had fallen upon them.
13 Then David went over to the other side, and stood afar off on the top of
the mountain, with a great space between them; 14and David called to the
army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?”
Then Abner answered, “Who are you that calls to the king?” 15And David
said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then
have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people
came in to destroy the king your lord. 16This thing that you have done is not
good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept
watch over your lord, the LORD’s anointed. And now see where the king’s
spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head.”
17 Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son
David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” 18And he said,
“Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What
guilt is on my hands? 19Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words
of his servant. If it is the LORD who has stirred you up against me, may he
accept an offering; but if it is men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for
they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage
of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ * 20Now therefore, let not my
blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD; for the king of
Israel has come out to seek my life, a like one who hunts a partridge in the
mountains.”
21 Then Saul said, “I have done wrong; return, my son David, for I will no
more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day;
behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.” 22And David
made answer, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come
over and fetch it. 23The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and
his faithfulness; for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not
put forth my hand against the LORD’s anointed. 24Behold, as your life was
precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the
LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.” 25Then Saul said to
David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will
succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
David Goes to King Achish in Gath
27 And David said in his heart, “I shall now perish one day by the hand
of Saul; there is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land
of the Philis'tines; then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within
the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 2So David arose
and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to A'chish
the son of Ma'och, king of Gath. 3And David dwelt with A'chish at Gath, he
and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives,
Ahin'o-am of Jezre'el, and Ab'igail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. 4And when it
was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he sought for him no more.
5 Then David said to A'chish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a
place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there; for
why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6So that day
A'chish gave him Zik'lag; therefore Zik'lag has belonged to the kings of
Judah to this day. 7And the number of the days that David dwelt in the
country of the Philis'tines was a year and four months.
8 Now David and his men went up, and made raids upon the Gesh'urites,
the Girzites, and the Amal'ekites; for these were the inhabitants of the land
from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. 9And David struck the
land, and left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the
oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and came back to A'chish.
10When A'chish asked, “Against whom b have you made a raid today?”
David would say, “Against the Neg'eb of Judah,” or “Against the Negeb of
the Jerah'meelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” 11And David
saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, thinking,
“Lest they should tell about us, and say, ‘So David has done.’ ” Such was
his custom all the while he dwelt in the country of the Philis'tines. 12And
A'chish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself utterly abhorred by
his people Israel; therefore he shall be my servant always.”
28 In those days the Philis'tines gathered their forces for war, to fight
against Israel. And A'chish said to David, “Understand that you and your
men are to go out with me in the army.” 2David said to A'chish, “Very well,
you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David,
“Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”
Saul Consults a Medium at En-dor
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried
him in Ra'mah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the
wizards out of the land. 4The Philis'tines assembled, and came and
encamped at Shu'nem; and Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at
Gilbo'a. 5When Saul saw the army of the Philis'tines, he was afraid, and his
heart trembled greatly. 6And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did
not answer him, either by dreams, or by U'rim, or by prophets. 7Then Saul
said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may
go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is
a medium at En-dor.”
8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments, and went, he and
two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said,
“Divine for me by a spirit, and bring up for me whomever I shall name to
you.” 9The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how
he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are
you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?” 10But Saul swore
to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon
you for this thing.” 11Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for
you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12When the woman saw Samuel,
she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, “Why have
you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13The king said to her, “Have no fear;
what do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out
of the earth.” 14He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An
old man is coming up; and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it
was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.
15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me
up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress; for the Philis'tines are warring
against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more,
either by prophets or by dreams; therefore I have summoned you to tell me
what I shall do.” 16And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the
LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? 17The LORD has done
to you as he spoke by me; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your
hand, and given it to your neighbor, David. 18Because you did not obey the
voice of the LORD, and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Am'alek,
therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. 19Moreover the LORD
will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philis'tines; and tomorrow
you and your sons shall be with me; the LORD will give the army of Israel
also into the hand of the Philistines.”
20 Then Saul fell at once full length upon the ground, filled with fear
because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he
had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21And the woman came to Saul, and
when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your
handmaid has listened to you; I have taken my life in my hand, and have
listened to what you have said to me. 22Now therefore, you also listen to
your handmaid; let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you
may have strength when you go on your way.” 23He refused, and said, “I
will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he
listened to their words. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.
24Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she quickly killed it,
and she took flour, and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25and
she put it before Saul and his servants; and they ate. Then they rose and
went away that night.
The Philistines Reject David
29 Now the Philis'tines gathered all their forces at A'phek; and the
Israelites were encamped by the fountain which is in Jezre'el. 2As the lords
of the Philis'tines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and
David and his men were passing on in the rear with A'chish, 3the
commanders of the Philis'tines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”
And A'chish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is not this David,
the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and
years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day.”
4But the commanders of the Philis'tines were angry with him; and the
commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may
return to the place to which you have assigned him; he shall not go down
with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how
could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the
heads of the men here? 5Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another
in dances,
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
6 Then A'chish called David and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have
been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with
me in the campaign; for I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of
your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless the lords do not approve of
you. 7So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the
lords of the Philis'tines.” 8And David said to A'chish, “But what have I
done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your
service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my
lord the king?” 9And A'chish made answer to David, “I know that you are
as blameless in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders
of the Philis'tines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’
10Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who
came with you; and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you
have light.” 11So David set out with his men early in the morning, to return
to the land of the Philis'tines. But the Philistines went up to Jezre'el.
David Avenges the Destruction of Ziklag
30 Now when David and his men came to Zik'lag on the third day, the
Amal'ekites had made a raid upon the Neg'eb and upon Ziklag. They had
overcome Ziklag, and burned it with fire, 2and taken captive the women and
all c who were in it, both small and great; they killed no one, but carried
them off, and went their way. 3And when David and his men came to the
city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters
taken captive. 4Then David and the people who were with him raised their
voices and wept, until they had no more strength to weep. 5David’s two
wives also had been taken captive, Ahin'o-am of Jezre'el, and Ab'igail the
widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6And David was greatly distressed; for the
people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each
for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his
God.
7 And David said to Abi'athar the priest, the son of Ahim'elech, “Bring me
the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8And David inquired
of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He
answered him, “Pursue; for you shall surely overtake and shall surely
rescue.” 9So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him,
and they came to the brook Be'sor, where those stayed who were left
behind. 10But David went on with the pursuit, he and four hundred men;
two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook
Be'sor.
11 They found an Egyptian in the open country, and brought him to David;
and they gave him bread and he ate, they gave him water to drink, 12and
they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And
when he had eaten, his spirit revived; for he had not eaten bread or drunk
water for three days and three nights. 13And David said to him, “To whom
do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of
Egypt, servant to an Amal'ekite; and my master left me behind because I
fell sick three days ago. 14We had made a raid upon the Neg'eb of the
Cher'ethites and upon that which belongs to Judah and upon the Negeb of
Caleb; and we burned Zik'lag with fire.” 15And David said to him, “Will
you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God, that
you will not kill me, or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will
take you down to this band.”
16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad
over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great
spoil they had taken from the land of the Philis'tines and from the land of
Judah. 17And David struck them from twilight until the evening of the next
day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who
mounted camels and fled. 18David recovered all that the Amal'ekites had
taken; and David rescued his two wives. 19Nothing was missing, whether
small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken;
David brought back all. 20David also captured all the flocks and herds; and
the people drove those cattle before him, d and said, “This is David’s spoil.”
21 Then David came to the two hundred men, who had been too exhausted
to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Be'sor; and they went
out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him; and when
David drew near to the people he saluted them. 22Then all the wicked and
base fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they
did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil which we have
recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and
depart.” 23But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the
LORD has given us; he has preserved us and given into our hand the band
that came against us. 24Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his
share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by
the baggage; they shall share alike.” 25And from that day forward he made
it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
26 When David came to Zik'lag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the
elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the
enemies of the LORD”; 27it was for those in Bethel, in Ra'moth of the
Neg'eb, in Jat'tir, 28in Aro'er, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemo'a, 29in Racal, in the
cities of the Jerah'meelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30in Hormah, in
Borash'an, in A'thach, 31in He'bron, for all the places where David and his
men had roamed.
The Death of Saul and His Sons
31 Now the Philis'tines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled
before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilbo'a. 2And the Philis'tines
overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abin'adab
and Mal''chishu'a, the sons of Saul. 3The battle pressed hard upon Saul, and
the archers found him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4Then
Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through
with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and make
sport of me.” But his armor-bearer would not; for he feared greatly.
Therefore Saul took his own sword, and fell upon it. 5And when his armor-
bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword, and died with
him. 6Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his
men, on the same day together. 7And when the men of Israel who were on
the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of
Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their
cities and fled; and the Philis'tines came and dwelt in them.
8 On the next day, when the Philis'tines came to strip the slain, they found
Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilbo'a. 9And they cut off his head,
and stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the
Philis'tines, to carry the good news to their idols e and to the people. 10They
put his armor in the temple of Ash'taroth; and they fastened his body to the
wall of Beth-shan. 11But when the inhabitants of Ja'besh-gil'ead heard what
the Philis'tines had done to Saul, 12all the valiant men arose, and went all
night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of
Beth-shan; and they came to Ja'besh and burnt them there. 13And they took
their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Ja'besh, and fasted
seven days.
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2 Samuel
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
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THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL
David Mourns Saul and Jonathan
1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter
of the Amal'ekites, David remained two days in Zik'lag; 2and on the third
day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and earth
upon his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and did
obeisance. 3David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to
him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4And David said to him,
“How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people have fled from
the battle, and many of the people also have fallen and are dead; and Saul
and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5Then David said to the young man
who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
6And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on
Mount Gilbo'a; and there was Saul leaning upon his spear; and behold, the
chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7And when he looked
behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’
8And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amal'ekite.’
9And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and slay me; for anguish has seized
me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10So I stood beside him, and slew him,
because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen; and I took the
crown which was on his head and the armlet which was on his arm, and I
have brought them here to my lord.”
11 Then David took hold of his clothes, and tore them; and so did all the
men who were with him; 12and they mourned and wept and fasted until
evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD
and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13And
David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?”
And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amal'ekite.” 14David
said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy
the LORD’s anointed?” 15Then David called one of the young men and
said, “Go, fall upon him.” And he struck him so that he died. 16And David
said to him, “Your blood be upon your head; for your own mouth has
testified against you, saying, ‘I have slain the LORD’s anointed.’ ”
David’s Lamentation
17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his
son, 18and he said it a should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is
written in the Book of Jashar. b He said:
19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain upon your high places!
bo'sheth * the son of Saul, and brought him over to Ma''hana'im; 9and he
made him king over Gilead and the Ash'urites and Jezre'el and E'phraim and
Benjamin and all Israel. 10Ish-bo'sheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when
he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of
Judah followed David. 11And the time that David was king in He'bron over
the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
The Battle of Gibeon
12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bo'sheth the son of Saul,
went out from Ma''hana'im to Gib'eon. 13And Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah, and
the servants of David, went out and met them at the pool of Gib'eon; and
they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the
other side of the pool. 14And Abner said to Jo'ab, “Let the young men arise
and play * before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15Then they arose
and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bo'sheth the son
of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16And each caught his
opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side; so they
fell down together. Therefore that place was called Hel'kath-hazzu'rim, d
which is at Gib'eon. 17And the battle was very fierce that day; and Abner
and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.
18 And the three sons of Zeru'iah were there, Jo'ab, Abi'shai, and As'ahel.
Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle; 19and As'ahel pursued
Abner, and as he went he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left
from following Abner. 20Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it
you, As'ahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21Abner said to him, “Turn aside
to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men, and take
his spoil.” But As'ahel would not turn aside from following him. 22And
Abner said again to As'ahel, “Turn aside from following me; why should I
strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother
Jo'ab?” 23But he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner struck him in the
belly with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back; and
he fell there, and died where he was. And all who came to the place where
As'ahel had fallen and died, stood still.
24 But Jo'ab and Abi'shai pursued Abner; and as the sun was going down
they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the
wilderness of Gib'eon. 25And the Benjaminites gathered themselves
together behind Abner, and became one band, and took their stand on the
top of a hill. 26Then Abner called to Jo'ab, “Shall the sword devour for
ever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be
before you bid your people turn from the pursuit of their brethren?” 27And
Jo'ab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would have
given up the pursuit of their brethren in the morning.” 28So Jo'ab blew the
trumpet; and all the men stopped, and pursued Israel no more, nor did they
fight any more.
29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Ar'abah; they
crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole forenoon they came to
Ma''hana'im. 30Jo'ab returned from the pursuit of Abner; and when he had
gathered all the people together, there were missing of David’s servants
nineteen men besides As'ahel. 31But the servants of David had slain of
Benjamin three hundred and sixty of Abner’s men. 32And they took up
As'ahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem.
And Jo'ab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at
He'bron.
Abner Defects to David
3 There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of
David; and David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul
became weaker and weaker.
2 And sons were born to David at He'bron: his first-born was Amnon, of
Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had a
concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Ai'ah; and Ish-bo'sheth
said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8Then
Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bo'sheth, and said, “Am I a
dog’s head of Judah? This day I keep showing loyalty to the house of Saul
your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into
the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a
woman. 9God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for
David what the LORD has sworn to him, 10to transfer the kingdom from the
house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah,
from Dan to Be'er-she'ba.” 11And Ish-bo'sheth could not answer Abner
another word, because he feared him.
12 And Abner sent messengers to David at He'bron, e saying, “To whom
does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand
shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” 13And he said, “Good; I
will make a covenant with you; but one thing I require of you; that is, you
shall not see my face, unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when
you come to see my face.” 14Then David sent messengers to Ish-bo'sheth
Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed at the price
of a hundred foreskins of the Philis'tines.” 15And Ish-bo'sheth sent, and took
her from her husband Pal'ti-el the son of La'ish. 16But her husband went
with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahu'rim. Then Abner said to
him, “Go, return”; and he returned.
17 And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time
past you have been seeking David as king over you. 18Now then bring it
about; for the LORD has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my
servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philis'tines,
and from the hand of all their enemies.’ ” 19Abner also spoke to Benjamin;
and then Abner went to tell David at He'bron all that Israel and the whole
house of Benjamin thought good to do.
20 When Abner came with twenty men to David at He'bron, David made a
feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21And Abner said to
David, “I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king,
that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all
that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
Abner Is Killed by Joab
22 Just then the servants of David arrived with Jo'ab from a raid, bringing
much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at He'bron, for he had
sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23When Jo'ab and all the army
that was with him came, it was told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the
king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace.” 24Then Jo'ab went to
the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why
is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone? 25You know that
Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, and to know your going out and
your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”
26 When Jo'ab came out from David’s presence, he sent messengers after
Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David did
not know about it. 27And when Abner returned to He'bron, Jo'ab took him
aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he
struck him in the belly, so that he died, for the blood of As'ahel his brother.
28Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are for
ever guiltless before the LORD for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29May
it fall upon the head of Jo'ab, and upon all his father’s house; and may the
house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is leprous,
or who holds a spindle, or who is slain by the sword, or who lacks bread!”
30So Jo'ab and Abi'shai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their
“Tear your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And
King David followed the bier. 32They buried Abner at He'bron; and the king
lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
33And the king lamented for Abner, saying,
five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezre'el;
and his nurse took him up, and fled; and, as she fled in her haste, he fell,
and became lame. And his name was Mephib'osheth.
5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Be-er'othite, Re'chab and Ba'anah, set out,
and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bo'sheth, as he
was taking his noonday rest. 6And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had
been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept; so Re'chab and
Ba'anah his brother slipped in. f 7When they came into the house, as he lay
on his bed in his bedchamber, they struck him, and slew him, and beheaded
him. They took his head, and went by the way of the Ar'abah all night, 8and
brought the head of Ish-bo'sheth to David at He'bron. And they said to the
king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who
sought your life; the LORD has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul
and on his offspring.” 9But David answered Re'chab and Ba'anah his
brother, the sons of Rimmon the Be-er'othite, “As the LORD lives, who has
redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul
is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and slew
him at Zik'lag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11How much
more, when wicked men have slain a righteous man in his own house upon
his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand, and destroy you
from the earth?” 12And David commanded his young men, and they killed
them, and cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them beside the pool at
He'bron. But they took the head of Ish-bo'sheth, and buried it in the tomb of
Abner at Hebron.
David Anointed King of All Israel
5 * Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at He'bron, and said,
“Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2In times past, when Saul was king
over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD said to
you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince
over Israel.’ ” 3So all the elders of Israel came to the king at He'bron; and
King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and
they anointed David king over Israel. 4David was thirty years old when he
began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5At He'bron he reigned over
Judah seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all
Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
Jerusalem Is Made Capital of the Kingdom
6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jeb'usites, the
inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but
the blind and the lame * will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come
in here.” 7Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city
of David. 8And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the
Jeb'usites, let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind,
who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the
lame shall not come into the house.” 9And David dwelt in the stronghold,
and called it the city of David. And David built the city round about from
the Millo inward. 10And David became greater and greater, for the LORD,
the God of hosts, was with him.
11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also
carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12And David perceived
that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted
his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
13 And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he
came from He'bron; and more sons and daughters were born to David.
14And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem:
Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; but David heard of it
and went down to the stronghold. 18Now the Philis'tines had come and
spread out in the valley of Reph'aim. 19And David inquired of the LORD,
“Shall I go up against the Philis'tines? Will you give them into my hand?”
And the LORD said to David, “Go up; for I will certainly give the Philistines
into your hand.” 20And David came to Ba'al-pera'zim, and David defeated
them there; and he said, “The LORD has broken through g my enemies
before me, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called
Ba'al-pera'zim. h 21And the Philis'tines left their idols there, and David and
his men carried them away.
22 And the Philis'tines came up yet again, and spread out in the valley of
Reph'aim. 23And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not
go up; go around to their rear, and come upon them opposite the balsam
trees. 24And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam
trees, then bestir yourself; for then the LORD has gone out before you to
strike the army of the Philis'tines.” 25And David did as the LORD
commanded him, and struck the Philis'tines from Ge'ba to Gezer.
David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem
6 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from
Ba'ale-ju'dah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the
name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3And they
carried the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of
Abin'adab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahi'o, i the sons of
Abinadab, were driving the new cart j 4with the ark of God; and Ahi'o i went
before the ark. 5And David and all the house of Israel were making merry
before the LORD with all their might, with songs k and lyres and harps and
tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his
hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7And the
anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there
because he put forth his hand to the ark; l and he died there beside the ark of
God. 8And David was angry because the LORD had broken forth upon
Uzzah; and that place is called Per'ez-uz'zah, m to this day. 9And David was
afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD
come to me?” 10So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into
the city of David; but David took it aside to the house of O'bed-e'dom the
Gittite. 11And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of O'bed-e'dom the
Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his
household.
12 And it was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of
O'bed-e'dom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So
David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to
the city of David with rejoicing; 13and when those who bore the ark of the
LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. 14And David
danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was belted with a
linen ephod. 15So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the
LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the horn.
16 As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter
of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing
before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. 17And they brought in
the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, inside the tent which David had
pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before
the LORD. 18And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and
the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts,
19and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both
men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, n and a cake of
raisins. Then all the people departed, each to his house.
20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of
Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How the king of Israel honored
himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’
maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21And
David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your
father, and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the
people of the LORD—and I will make merry before the LORD. 22I will
make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your o
eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in
honor.” 23And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her
death.
God’s Promise to David
7 Now when the king dwelt in his house, and the LORD had given him
rest from all his enemies round about, 2the king said to Nathan the prophet,
“See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”
3And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart; for the LORD
is with you.”
4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, 5“Go and tell
my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to
dwell in? 6I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of
Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my
dwelling. 7In all places where I have moved with all the sons of Israel, did I
speak a word with any of the judges p of Israel, whom I commanded to
shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of
cedar?” ’ 8Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus
says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the
sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel; 9and I have been
with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before
you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones
of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will
plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disturbed no
more; and violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the
time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest
from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD
will make you a house. 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down
with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come
forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build a
house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I
will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men;
15but I will not take q my merciful love from him, as I took it from Saul,
whom I put away from before you. 16And your house and your kingdom
shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for
ever.’ ” 17In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this
vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am
I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
19And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD; you have
spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have
shown me future generations, r O Lord GOD! 20And what more can David
say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD! 21Because of your
promise, and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this
greatness, to make your servant know it. 22Therefore you are great, O LORD
God; for there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according
to all that we have heard with our ears. 23What other s nation on earth is like
your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his people, making
himself a name, and doing for them t great and terrible things, by driving
out u before his people a nation and its gods? v 24And you established for
yourself your people Israel to be your people for ever; and you, O LORD,
became their God. 25And now, O LORD God, confirm for ever the word
which you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house,
and do as you have spoken; 26and your name will be magnified for ever,
saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your
servant David will be established before you. 27For you, O LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will
build you a house’; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this
prayer to you. 28And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are
true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; 29now
therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may
continue for ever before you; for you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with
your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed for ever.” *
David’s Wars
8 After this David defeated the Philis'tines and subdued them, and David
took Meth'eg-am'mah out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, making them lie
down on the ground; two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full
line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought
tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadade'zer the son of Re'hob, king of Zobah, as he
went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. 4And David took from him
a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers;
and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for a hundred
chariots. 5And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadade'zer king
of Zobah, David slew twenty-two thousand men of the Syrians. 6Then
David put garrisons in Ar'am of Damascus; and the Syrians became
servants to David and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory to David
wherever he went. 7And David took the shields of gold which were carried
by the servants of Hadade'zer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8And from
Betah and from Bero'thai, cities of Hadade'zer, King David took very much
bronze.
9 When To'i king of Ha'math heard that David had defeated the whole
army of Hadade'zer, 10To'i sent his son Jo'ram to King David, to greet him,
and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadade'zer and
defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram
brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze; 11these also King
David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold which he
dedicated from all the nations he subdued, 12from E'dom, Moab, the
Am'monites, the Philis'tines, Am'alek, and from the spoil of Hadade'zer the
son of Re'hob, king of Zobah.
13 And David won a name for himself. When he returned, he slew eighteen
equity to all his people. 16And Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah was over the army;
and Jehosh'aphat the son of Ahi'lud was recorder; 17and Zad'ok the son of
Ahi'tub and Ahim'elech the son of Abi'athar were priests; and Serai'ah was
secretary; 18and Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada was over x the Cher'ethites
and the Pel'ethites; and David’s sons were priests.
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
9 * And David said, “Is there still any one left of the house of Saul, that
I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2Now there was a servant
of the house of Saul whose name was Zi'ba, and they called him to David;
and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “Your servant is
he.” 3And the king said, “Is there not still some one of the house of Saul,
that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Zi'ba said to the king, “There
is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4The king said to him,
“Where is he?” And Zi'ba said to the king, “He is in the house of Ma'chir
the son of Am'miel, at Lo-de'bar.” 5Then King David sent and brought him
from the house of Ma'chir the son of Am'miel, at Lo-de'bar. 6And
Mephib'osheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, and fell on
his face and did obeisance. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he
answered, “Behold, your servant.” 7And David said to him, “Do not fear;
for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will
restore to you all the land of Saul your father; and you shall eat at my table
always.” 8And he did obeisance, and said, “What is your servant, that you
should look upon a dead dog such as I?”
9 Then the king called Zi'ba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that
belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s son.
10And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him, and
shall bring in the produce, that your master’s son may have bread to eat; but
Mephib'osheth your master’s son shall always eat at my table.” Now Zi'ba
had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11Then Zi'ba said to the king,
“According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your
servant do.” So Mephib'osheth ate at David’s y table, like one of the king’s
sons. 12And Mephib'osheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And
all who dwelt in Zi'ba’s house became Mephib'osheth’s servants. 13So
Mephib'osheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he ate always at the king’s table.
Now he was lame in both his feet.
The Ammonites and Syrians Are Defeated
10 After this the king of the Am'monites died, and Ha'nun his son
reigned in his stead. 2And David said, “I will deal loyally with Ha'nun the
son of Na'hash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his
servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came
into the land of the Am'monites. 3But the princes of the Am'monites said to
Ha'nun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you,
that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to
search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” 4So Ha'nun took
David’s servants, and shaved off half the beard of each, and cut off their
garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. 5When it was told
David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the
king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then
return.”
6 When the Am'monites saw that they had become odious to David, the
Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-re'hob, and the Syrians of
Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Ma'acah with a
thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men. 7And when
David heard of it, he sent Jo'ab and all the host of the mighty men. 8And the
Am'monites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the
gate; and the Syrians of Zobah and of Re'hob, and the men of Tob and
Ma'acah, were by themselves in the open country.
9 When Jo'ab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in
the rear, he chose some of the picked men of Israel, and arrayed them
against the Syrians; 10the rest of his men he put in the charge of Abi'shai his
brother, and he arrayed them against the Am'monites. 11And he said, “If the
Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Am'monites
are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12Be of good courage,
and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God; and
may the LORD do what seems good to him.” 13So Jo'ab and the people who
were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians; and they fled before
him. 14And when the Am'monites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise
fled before Abi'shai, and entered the city. Then Jo'ab returned from fighting
against the Ammonites, and came to Jerusalem.
15 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they
gathered themselves together. 16And Hadade'zer sent, and brought out the
Syrians who were beyond the Euphra'tes; z and they came to He'lam, with
Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17And
when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and crossed the
Jordan, and came to He'lam. And the Syrians arrayed themselves against
David, and fought with him. 18And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David
slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand
horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he
died there. 19And when all the kings who were servants of Hadade'zer saw
that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel, and
became subject to them. So the Syrians feared to help the Am'monites any
more.
David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba
11 * In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle,
David sent Jo'ab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they ravaged
the Am'monites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and
was walking upon the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a
woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3And David sent and
inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathshe'ba, the
daughter of Eli'am, the wife of Uri'ah the Hittite?” 4So David sent
messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now
she was purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her
house. 5And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, “I am with
child.”
6 So David sent word to Jo'ab, “Send me Uri'ah the Hittite.” And Joab sent
Uriah to David. 7When Uri'ah came to him, David asked how Jo'ab was
doing, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. 8Then David
said to Uri'ah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” And Uriah
went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the
king. 9But Uri'ah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants
of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10When they told David,
“Uri'ah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not
come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” 11Uri'ah
said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths; and my lord
Jo'ab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then
go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? * As you live,
and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.” 12Then David said to Uri'ah,
“Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah
remained in Jerusalem that day, and the next. 13And David invited him, and
he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk; and in the
evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he
did not go down to his house.
David Has Uriah Killed
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Jo'ab, and sent it by the hand of
Uri'ah. 15In the letter he wrote, “Set Uri'ah in the forefront of the hardest
fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and
die.” 16And as Jo'ab was besieging the city, he assigned Uri'ah to the place
where he knew there were valiant men. 17And the men of the city came out
and fought with Jo'ab; and some of the servants of David among the people
fell. Uri'ah the Hittite was slain also. 18Then Jo'ab sent and told David all
the news about the fighting; 19and he instructed the messenger, “When you
have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, 20then, if
the king’s anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the
city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21Who
killed Abim'elech the son of Jerub'besheth? Did not a woman cast an upper
millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at The'bez? Why did you
go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uri'ah the Hittite is
dead also.’ ”
22 So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Jo'ab had sent
him to tell. 23The messenger said to David, “The men gained an advantage
over us, and came out against us in the field; but we drove them back to the
entrance of the gate. 24Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall;
some of the king’s servants are dead; and your servant Uri'ah the Hittite is
dead also.” 25David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Jo'ab, ‘Do
not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now
another; strengthen your attack upon the city, and overthrow it.’ And
encourage him.”
26 When the wife of Uri'ah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she
made lamentation for her husband. 27And when the mourning was over,
David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore
him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
Nathan Condemns David, and God Punishes Him
12 And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to
him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
2The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3but the poor man had
nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up,
and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his morsel,
and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to
him. 4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to
take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come
to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared it for the man who
had come to him.” 5Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the
man; and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this
deserves to die; 6and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this
thing, and because he had no pity.”
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man. Thus says the LORD, the God of
Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand
of Saul; 8and I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into
your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if this were
too little, I would add to you as much more. 9Why have you despised the
word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down
Uri'ah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife,
and have slain him with the sword of the Am'monites. 10Now therefore the
sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me,
and have taken the wife of Uri'ah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11Thus says
the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house;
and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your
neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12For you
did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ ”
13David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said
to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, a
the child that is born to you shall die.” 15Then Nathan went to his house.
And the LORD struck the child that Uri'ah’s wife bore to David, and it
became sick. 16David therefore besought God for the child; and David
fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground. 17And the elders of
his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground; but he would not,
nor did he eat food with them. 18On the seventh day the child died. And the
servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said,
“Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not
listen to us; how then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do
himself some harm.” 19But when David saw that his servants were
whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David
said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” 20Then
David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed
his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD, and worshiped; he then
went to his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him, and he
ate. 21Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done?
You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but when the child
died, you arose and ate food.” 22He said, “While the child was still alive, I
fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious
to me, that the child may live?’ 23But now he is dead; why should I fast?
Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
Solomon Is Born
24 Then David comforted his wife, Bathshe'ba, and went in to her, and lay
with her; and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the
LORD loved him, 25and sent a message by Nathan the prophet; so he called
his name Jedidi'ah, b because of the LORD.
The Ammonites Crushed
26 Now Jo'ab fought against Rabbah of the Am'monites, and took the royal
city. 27And Jo'ab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against
Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters. 28Now, then, gather the
rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I
take the city, and it be called by my name.” 29So David gathered all the
people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.
30And he took the crown of their king c from his head; the weight of it was a
talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s
head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 31And
he brought forth the people who were in it, and set them to labor with saws
and iron picks and iron axes, and made them toil at d the brick-kilns; and
thus he did to all the cities of the Am'monites. Then David and all the
people returned to Jerusalem.
Amnon Defiles Tamar
13 * Now Ab'salom, David’s son, had a beautiful sister, whose name
was Ta'mar; and after a time Amnon, David’s son, loved her. 2And Amnon
was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Ta'mar; for
she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.
3But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jon'adab, the son of Shim'e-ah,
David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4And he said to him,
“O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will
you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Ta'mar, my brother
Ab'salom’s sister.” 5Jon'adab said to him, “Lie down on your bed, and
pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let
my sister Ta'mar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my
sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.’ ” 6So Amnon lay down,
and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to
the king, “Please let my sister Ta'mar come and make a couple of cakes in
my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”
7 Then David sent home to Ta'mar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s
house, and prepare food for him.” 8So Ta'mar went to her brother Amnon’s
house, where he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and
made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. 9And she took the pan and
emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send
out every one from me.” So every one went out from him. 10Then Amnon
said to Ta'mar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your
hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made, and brought them into the
chamber to Amnon her brother. 11But when she brought them near him to
eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”
12She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is
not done in Israel; do not do this wanton folly. 13As for me, where could I
carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the wanton fools
in Israel. Now therefore, I beg you, speak to the king; for he will not
withhold me from you.” 14But he would not listen to her; and being stronger
than she, he forced her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred; so that the hatred with
which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her.
And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone.” 16But she said to him, “No, my
brother; for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other which
you did to me.” e But he would not listen to her. 17He called the young man
who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence, and bolt the
door after her.” 18Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for thus
were the virgin daughters of the king clad of old. f So his servant put her
out, and bolted the door after her. 19And Ta'mar put ashes on her head, and
tore the long robe which she wore; and she laid her hand on her head, and
went away, crying aloud as she went.
20 And her brother Ab'salom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been
with you? Now hold your peace, my sister; he is your brother; do not take
this to heart.” So Ta'mar dwelt, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s
house. 21When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
22But Ab'salom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated
Amnon, because he had forced his sister Ta'mar.
Absalom Avenges His Sister
23 After two full years Ab'salom had sheepshearers at Ba'al-ha'zor, which
is near E'phraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24And Ab'salom
came to the king, and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers; please
let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25But the king said to
Ab'salom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.”
He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 26Then
Ab'salom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the
king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27But Ab'salom pressed
him until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. 28Then
Ab'salom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s heart is merry
with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Fear not;
have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29So the
servants of Ab'salom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all
the king’s sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.
30 While they were on the way, tidings came to David, “Ab'salom has slain
all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.” 31Then the king arose, and
tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants who were
standing by tore their garments. 32But Jon'adab the son of Shim'e-ah,
David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the
young men the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead, for by the command
of Ab'salom this has been determined from the day he forced his sister
Ta'mar. 33Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to
suppose that all the king’s sons are dead; for Amnon alone is dead.”
34 But Ab'salom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his
eyes, and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the
Horona'im road g by the side of the mountain. 35And Jon'adab said to the
king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; as your servant said, so it has
come about.” 36And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s
sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also and all his
servants wept very bitterly.
Absalom Flees
37 But Ab'salom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammi'hud, king of
Ge'shur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38So Ab'salom fled,
and went to Ge'shur, and was there three years. 39And the spirit h of the king
longed to go forth to Ab'salom; for he was comforted about Amnon, seeing
he was dead.
David Is Persuaded to Bring Absalom Back
14 Now Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah perceived that the king’s heart went
out to Ab'salom. 2And Jo'ab sent to Teko'a, and fetched from there a wise
woman, and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning
garments; do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has
been mourning many days for the dead; 3and go to the king, and speak thus
to him.” So Jo'ab put the words in her mouth.
4 When the woman of Teko'a came to the king, she fell on her face to the
ground, and did obeisance, and said, “Help, O king.” 5And the king said to
her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my
husband is dead. 6And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled
with one another in the field; there was no one to part them, and one struck
the other and killed him. 7And now the whole family has risen against your
handmaid, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we
may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew’; and so they would
destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and
leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the face of the earth.”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give
orders concerning you.” 9And the woman of Teko'a said to the king, “On
me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father’s house; let the king and
his throne be guiltless.” 10The king said, “If any one says anything to you,
bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” 11Then she said,
“Please let the king invoke the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood
slay no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the LORD lives,
not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12 Then the woman said, “Please let your handmaid speak a word to my
lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” 13And the woman said, “Why then have
you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this
decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his
banished one home again. 14We must all die, we are like water spilt on the
ground, which cannot be gathered up again; but God will not take away the
life of him who devises i means not to keep his banished one an outcast.
15Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have
made me afraid; and your handmaid thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it
may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. 16For the king
will hear, and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would
destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.’ 17And your
handmaid thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest’; for
my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The
LORD your God be with you!”
18 Then the king answered the woman, “Do not hide from me anything I
ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 19The king
said, “Is the hand of Jo'ab with you in all this?” The woman answered and
said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right
hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your
servant Joab who bade me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth
of your handmaid. 20In order to change the course of affairs your servant
Jo'ab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God
to know all things that are on the earth.”
21 Then the king said to Jo'ab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back
the young man Ab'salom.” 22And Jo'ab fell on his face to the ground, and
did obeisance, and blessed the king; and Joab said, “Today your servant
knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the
king has granted the request of his servant.” 23So Jo'ab arose and went to
Ge'shur, and brought Ab'salom to Jerusalem. 24And the king said, “Let him
dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So
Ab'salom dwelt apart in his own house, and did not come into the king’s
presence.
25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his beauty
as Ab'salom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no
blemish in him. 26And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of
every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he
weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight.
27There were born to Ab'salom three sons, and one daughter whose name
king’s presence. 29Then Ab'salom sent for Jo'ab, to send him to the king;
but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would
not come. 30Then he said to his servants, “See, Jo'ab’s field is next to mine,
and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Ab'salom’s servants set
the field on fire. 31Then Jo'ab arose and went to Ab'salom at his house, and
said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32Ab'salom
answered Jo'ab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send
you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Ge'shur? It would be better
for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the
king; and if there is guilt in me, let him kill me.’ ” 33Then Jo'ab went to the
king, and told him; and he summoned Ab'salom. So he came to the king,
and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king
kissed Absalom.
Absalom Usurps the Throne
15 After this Ab'salom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men
to run before him. 2And Ab'salom used to rise early and stand beside the
way of the gate; and when any man had a suit to come before the king for
judgment, Absalom would call to him, and say, “From what city are you?”
And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,”
3Ab'salom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right; but there
is no man deputed by the king to hear you.” 4Ab'salom said moreover, “Oh
that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a suit or cause might
come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5And whenever a man came
near to do obeisance to him, he would put out his hand, and take hold of
him, and kiss him. 6Thus Ab'salom did to all of Israel who came to the king
for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 And at the end of four j years Ab'salom said to the king, “Please let me
go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in He'bron. 8For your
servant vowed a vow while I dwelt at Ge'shur in Ar'am, saying, ‘If the
LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to
the LORD.’ ” 9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose, and went to
He'bron. 10But Ab'salom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of
Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say,
‘Ab'salom is king at He'bron!’ ” 11With Ab'salom went two hundred men
from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their simplicity,
and knew nothing. 12And while Ab'salom was offering the sacrifices, he
sent for k Ahith'ophel the Gi'lonite, David’s counselor, from his city Gi'loh.
And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept
increasing.
David Flees from Jerusalem
13 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of
Israel have gone after Ab'salom.” 14Then David said to all his servants who
were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee; or else there will be no
escape for us from Ab'salom; go in haste, lest he overtake us quickly, and
bring down evil upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
15And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready
to do whatever my lord the king decides.” 16So the king went forth, and all
his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house.
17And the king went forth, and all the people after him; and they halted at
the last house. 18And all his servants passed by him; and all the Cher'ethites,
and all the Pel'ethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed
him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go
back, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner, and also an exile from l
your home. 20You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander
about with us, seeing I go I know not where? Go back, and take your
brethren with you; and may the LORD show m mercy and faithfulness to
you.” 21But Ittai answered the king, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the
king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life,
there also will your servant be.” 22And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass
on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on, with all his men and all the little ones
who were with him. 23And all the country wept aloud as all the people
passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed
on toward the wilderness.
24 And Abi'athar came up, and behold, Za'dok came also, with all the
Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark
of God, until the people had all passed out of the city. 25Then the king said
to Za'dok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the
eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his
habitation; 26but if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am,
let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27The king also said to Za'dok
the priest, “Look, n go back to the city in peace, you and Abi'athar, o with
your two sons, Ahim'a-az your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
28See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness, until word comes from you
to inform me.” 29So Za'dok and Abi'athar carried the ark of God back to
Jerusalem; and they remained there.
30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he
went, barefoot and with his head covered; and all the people who were with
him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31And it
was told David, “Ahith'ophel is among the conspirators with Ab'salom.”
And David said, “O LORD, I pray you, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into
foolishness.”
Hushai Becomes David’s Spy
32 When David came to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold,
Hu'shai the Ar'chite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth upon his
head. 33David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to
me. 34But if you return to the city, and say to Ab'salom, ‘I will be your
servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I
will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of
Ahith'ophel. 35Are not Za'dok and Abi'athar the priests with you there? So
whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the
priests. 36Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahim'a-az, Za'dok’s
son, and Jonathan, Abi'athar’s son; and by them you shall send to me
everything you hear.” 37So Hu'shai, David’s friend, came into the city, just
as Ab'salom was entering Jerusalem.
David Meets Ziba
16 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Zi'ba the servant
of Mephib'osheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two
hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of
summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2And the king said to Zi'ba, “Why have
you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s
household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat,
and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” 3And the king
said, “And where is your master’s son?” Zi'ba said to the king, “Behold, he
remains in Jerusalem; for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me
back the kingdom of my father.’ ” 4Then the king said to Zi'ba, “Behold, all
that belonged to Mephib'osheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I do
obeisance; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”
Shime-i Curses David
5 When King David came to Bahu'rim, there came out a man of the family
of the house of Saul, whose name was Shim'e-i, the son of Gera; and as he
came he cursed continually. 6And he threw stones at David, and at all the
servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on
his right hand and on his left. 7And Shim'e-i said as he cursed, “Begone,
begone, you man of blood, you worthless fellow! 8The LORD has avenged
upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have
reigned; and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son
Ab'salom. See, your ruin is on you; for you are a man of blood.”
9 Then Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah said to the king, “Why should this
dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.”
10But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeru'iah? If
he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then
shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ” 11And David said to Abi'shai and to
all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now
may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD has
bidden him. 12It may be that the LORD will look upon my affliction, p and
that the LORD will repay me with good for this cursing of me today.” 13So
David and his men went on the road, while Shim'e-i went along on the
hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him and
flung dust. 14And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived
weary at the Jordan; q and there he refreshed himself.
The Counsel of Ahithophel
15 Now Ab'salom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem,
and Ahith'ophel with him. 16And when Hu'shai the Ar'chite, David’s friend,
came to Ab'salom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live
the king!” 17And Ab'salom said to Hu'shai, “Is this your loyalty to your
friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” 18And Hu'shai said to
Ab'salom, “No; for whom the LORD and this people and all the men of
Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain. 19And again,
whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your
father, so I will serve you.”
20 Then Ab'salom said to Ahith'ophel, “Give your counsel; what shall we
he has to say.” 6And when Hu'shai came to Ab'salom, Absalom said to him,
“Thus has Ahith'ophel spoken; shall we do as he advises? If not, you
speak.” 7Then Hu'shai said to Ab'salom, “This time the counsel which
Ahith'ophel has given is not good.” 8Hu'shai said moreover, “You know that
your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a
bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he
will not spend the night with the people. 9Behold, even now he has hidden
himself in one of the pits, or in some other place. And when some of the
people fall t at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, ‘There has been a
slaughter among the people who follow Ab'salom.’ 10Then even the valiant
man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear; for
all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are
with him are valiant men. 11But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to
you, from Dan to Be'er-she'ba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that
you go to battle in person. 12So we shall come upon him in some place
where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the
ground; and of him and all the men with him not one will be left. 13If he
withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we
shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there.”
14And Ab'salom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hu'shai the
Ar'chite is better than the counsel of Ahith'ophel.” For the LORD had
ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might
bring evil upon Ab'salom.
Hushai Warns David to Escape
15 Then Hu'shai said to Za'dok and Abi'athar the priests, “Thus and so did
Ahith'ophel counsel Ab'salom and the elders of Israel; and thus and so have
I counseled. 16Now therefore send quickly and tell David, ‘Do not lodge
tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the
king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’ ” 17Now
Jonathan and Ahim'a-az were waiting at En-ro'gel; a maidservant used to go
and tell them, and they would go and tell King David; for they must not be
seen entering the city. 18But a lad saw them, and told Ab'salom; so both of
them went away quickly, and came to the house of a man at Bahu'rim, who
had a well in his courtyard; and they went down into it. 19And the woman
took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and scattered grain upon
it; and nothing was known of it. 20When Ab'salom’s servants came to the
woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahim'a-az and Jonathan?” And
the woman said to them, “They have gone over the brook u of water.” And
when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21 After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told
King David. They said to David, “Arise, and go quickly over the water; for
thus and so has Ahith'ophel counseled against you.” 22Then David arose,
and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan; by
daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.
23 When Ahith'ophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his
donkey, and went off home to his own city. And he set his house in order,
and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.
24 Then David came to Ma''hana'im. And Ab'salom crossed the Jordan
with all the men of Israel. 25Now Ab'salom had set Ama'sa over the army
instead of Jo'ab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ish'maelite, v
who had married Ab'igail the daughter of Na'hash, sister of Zeru'iah, Jo'ab’s
mother. 26And Israel and Ab'salom encamped in the land of Gilead.
27 When David came to Ma''hana'im, Shobi the son of Na'hash from
Rabbah of the Am'monites, and Ma'chir the son of Am'mi-el from Lo-
de'bar, and Barzil'lai the Gileadite from Ro'gelim, 28brought beds, basins,
and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans and lentils, w
29honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the
people with him to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and
thirsty in the wilderness.”
The Defeat and Death of Absalom
18 Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over
them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2And David
sent forth the army, one third under the command of Jo'ab, one third under
the command of Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah, Joab’s brother, and one third
under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, “I
myself will also go out with you.” 3But the men said, “You shall not go out.
For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not
care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; x therefore it is better
that you send us help from the city.” 4The king said to them, “Whatever
seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood at the side of the gate, while
all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 5And the king
ordered Jo'ab and Abi'shai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the
young man Ab'salom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders
to all the commanders about Absalom.
6 So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was
fought in the forest of E'phraim. 7And the men of Israel were defeated there
by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day,
twenty thousand men. 8The battle spread over the face of all the country;
and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
9 And Ab'salom chanced to meet the servants of David. Absalom was
riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great
oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging y between
heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. 10And a
certain man saw it, and told Jo'ab, “Behold, I saw Ab'salom hanging in an
oak.” 11Jo'ab said to the man who told him, “What, you saw him! Why then
did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give
you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” 12But the man said to Jo'ab, “Even if I
felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not put
forth my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king
commanded you and Abi'shai and Ittai, ‘For my sake protect the young man
Ab'salom.’ 13On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life z
(and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have
stood aloof.” 14Jo'ab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” And he
took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Ab'salom,
while he was still alive in the oak. 15And ten young men, Jo'ab’s armor-
bearers, surrounded Ab'salom and struck him, and killed him.
16 Then Jo'ab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing
Israel; for Joab restrained them. 17And they took Ab'salom, and threw him
into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones;
and all Israel fled every one to his own home. 18Now Ab'salom in his
lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar which is in the King’s
Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance”; he
called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s monument to
this day.
David Hears Tidings
19 Then said Ahim'a-az the son of Za'dok, “Let me run, and carry tidings
to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the power of his enemies.”
20And Jo'ab said to him, “You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry
tidings another day, but today you shall carry no tidings, because the king’s
son is dead.” 21Then Jo'ab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you
have seen.” The Cushite bowed before Jo'ab, and ran. 22Then Ahim'a-az the
son of Za'dok said again to Jo'ab, “Come what may, let me also run after the
Cushite.” And Jo'ab said, “Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will
have no reward for the tidings?” 23“Come what may,” he said, “I will run.”
So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahim'a-az ran by the way of the plain, and
outran the Cushite.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went
up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and
looked, he saw a man running alone. 25And the watchman called out and
told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there are tidings in his
mouth.” And he came apace, and drew near. 26And the watchman saw
another man running; and the watchman called to the gate and said, “See,
another man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings tidings.” 27And
the watchman said, “I think the running of the foremost is like the running
of Ahim'a-az the son of Za'dok.” And the king said, “He is a good man, and
comes with good tidings.”
28 Then Ahim'a-az cried out to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed
before the king with his face to the earth, and said, “Blessed be the LORD
your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my
lord the king.” 29And the king said, “Is it well with the young man
Ab'salom?” Ahim'a-az answered, “When Jo'ab sent your servant, b I saw a
great tumult, but I do not know what it was.” 30And the king said, “Turn
aside, and stand here.” So he turned aside, and stood still.
31 And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Good tidings for
my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the power
of all who rose up against you.” 32The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well
with the young man Ab'salom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the
enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be
like that young man.” 33 c And the king was deeply moved, and went up to
the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, “O my son
Ab'salom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O
Absalom, my son, my son!”
David Mourns for Absalom
19 It was told Jo'ab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for
Ab'salom.” 2So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the
people; for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.”
3And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are
ashamed when they flee in battle. 4The king covered his face, and the king
cried with a loud voice, “O my son Ab'salom, O Absalom, my son, my
son!” 5Then Jo'ab came into the house to the king, and said, “You have
today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day
saved your life, and the lives of your sons and your daughters, and the lives
of your wives and your concubines, 6because you love those who hate you
and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that
commanders and servants are nothing to you; for today I perceive that if
Ab'salom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be
pleased. 7Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants; for
I swear by the LORD, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this
night; and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon
you from your youth until now.” 8Then the king arose, and took his seat in
the gate. And the people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the
gate”; and all the people came before the king.
Now Israel had fled every man to his own home. 9And all the people were
at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king delivered us
from the hand of our enemies, and saved us from the hand of the
Philis'tines; and now he has fled out of the land from Ab'salom. 10But
Ab'salom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why
do you say nothing about bringing the king back?”
David Is Recalled
11 And King David sent this message to Za'dok and Abi'athar the priests,
“Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king
back to his house, when the word of all Israel has come to the king? d 12You
are my kinsmen, you are my bone and my flesh; why then should you be
the last to bring back the king? ’ 13And say to Ama'sa, ‘Are you not my
bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not
commander of my army henceforth in place of Jo'ab.’ ” 14And he swayed
the heart of all the men of Judah as one man; so that they sent word to the
king, “Return, both you and all your servants.” 15So the king came back to
the Jordan; and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring the king
over the Jordan.
Shime-i Meets David and Is Forgiven
16 And Shim'e-i the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahu'rim, made
haste to come down with the men of Judah to meet King David; 17and with
him were a thousand men from Benjamin. And Zi'ba the servant of the
house of Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to
the Jordan before the king, 18and they crossed the ford e to bring over the
king’s household, and to do his pleasure. And Shim'e-i the son of Gera fell
down before the king, as he was about to cross the Jordan, 19and said to the
king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty or remember how your servant did
wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem; let not the king bear it in
mind. 20For your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, behold, I have
come this day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my
lord the king.” 21Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah answered, “Shall not Shim'e-i
be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?” 22But
David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeru'iah, that you
should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall any one be put to death in
Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?”
23And the king said to Shim'e-i, “You shall not die.” And the king gave him
his oath.
David and Mephibosheth Meet
24 And Mephib'osheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; he had
neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes,
from the day the king departed until the day he came back in safety. 25And
when he came from f Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him,
“Why did you not go with me, Mephib'osheth?” 26He answered, “My lord,
O king, my servant deceived me; for your servant said to him, ‘Saddle a
donkey for me, g that I may ride upon it and go with the king.’ For your
servant is lame. 27He has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But
my lord the king is like the angel of God; do therefore what seems good to
you. 28For all my father’s house were but men doomed to death before my
lord the king; but you set your servant among those who eat at your table.
What further right have I, then, to cry to the king?” 29And the king said to
him, “Why speak any more of your affairs? I have decided: you and Zi'ba
shall divide the land.” 30And Mephib'osheth said to the king, “Oh, let him
take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
David Blesses Barzillai
31 Now Barzil'lai the Gileadite had come down from Ro'gelim; and he
went on with the king to the Jordan, to escort him over the Jordan.
32Barzil'lai was a very aged man, eighty years old; and he had provided the
king with food while he stayed at Ma''hana'im; for he was a very wealthy
man. 33And the king said to Barzil'lai, “Come over with me, and I will
provide for you with me in Jerusalem.” 34But Barzil'lai said to the king,
“How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to
Jerusalem? 35I am this day eighty years old; can I discern what is pleasant
and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can
I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then
should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36Your servant
will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king
recompense me with such a reward? 37Please let your servant return, that I
may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and my mother. But
here is your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and
do for him whatever seems good to you.” 38And the king answered,
“Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems
good to you; and all that you desire of me I will do for you.” 39Then all the
people went over the Jordan, and the king went over; and the king kissed
Barzil'lai and blessed him, and he returned to his own home. 40The king
went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; all the people of Judah,
and also half the sons of Israel, brought the king on his way.
Dissension between Israel and Judah
41 Then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why
have our brethren the men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king
and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?” 42All
the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is near of
kin to us. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at
the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?” 43And the men of Israel
answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David
also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the
first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of
Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
The Rebellion of Sheba
20 Now there happened to be there a worthless fellow, whose name was
Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite; and he blew the trumpet, and said,
“We have no portion in David,
and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse;
every man to his tents, O Israel!”
2So all the men of Israel withdrew from David, and followed Sheba the
son of Bichri; but the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the
Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten
concubines whom he had left to care for the house, and put them in a house
under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were
shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.
4 Then the king said to Ama'sa, “Call the men of Judah together to me
within three days, and be here yourself.” 5So Ama'sa went to summon
Judah; but he delayed beyond the set time which had been appointed him.
6And David said to Abi'shai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more
harm than Ab'salom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he get
himself fortified cities, and cause us trouble.” h 7And there went out after
Abi'shai, Jo'ab i and the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites, and all the mighty
men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
8When they were at the great stone which is in Gib'eon, Ama'sa came to
meet them. Now Jo'ab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a
belt with a sword in its sheath fastened upon his loins, and as he went
forward it fell out. 9And Jo'ab said to Ama'sa, “Is it well with you, my
brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss
him. 10But Ama'sa did not observe the sword which was in Jo'ab’s hand; so
Joab struck him with it in the body, and shed his bowels to the ground,
without striking a second blow; and he died.*
Then Joab and Abi'shai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. 11And
one of Jo'ab’s men took his stand by Ama'sa, and said, “Whoever favors
Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” 12And Ama'sa lay
wallowing in his blood in the highway. And any one who came by, seeing
him, stopped; j and when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried
Amasa out of the highway into the field, and threw a garment over him.
13When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Jo'ab
ma'acah; k and all the Bichrites l assembled, and followed him in. 15And all
the men who were with Jo'ab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-
ma'acah; they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the
rampart; and they were battering the wall, to throw it down. 16Then a wise
woman called from the city, “Hear! Hear! Tell Jo'ab, ‘Come here, that I may
speak to you.’ ” 17And he came near her; and the woman said, “Are you
Jo'ab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of
your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” 18Then she said,
“They were wont to say in old time, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel’; and
so they settled a matter. 19I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful
in Israel; you seek to destroy a city which is a mother in Israel; why will
you swallow up the heritage of the LORD?” 20Jo'ab answered, “Far be it
from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy! 21That is not true.
But a man of the hill country of E'phraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri,
has lifted up his hand against King David; give up him alone, and I will
withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Jo'ab, “Behold, his head
shall be thrown to you over the wall.” 22Then the woman went to all the
people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri,
and threw it out to Jo'ab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from
the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 Now Jo'ab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Bena'iah the
of Ahi'lud was the recorder; 25and Sheva was secretary; and Za'dok and
Abi'athar were priests; 26and Ira the Ja'irite was also David’s priest.
David Avenges the Gibeonites
21 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year
after year; and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said,
“There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the
Gib'eonites to death.” 2So the king called the Gib'eonites. m Now the
Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the
Am'orites; although the sons of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had
sought to slay them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah. 3And David
said to the Gib'eonites, “What shall I do for you? And how shall I make
expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?” 4The Gib'eonites
said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his
house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said,
“What do you say that I shall do for you?” 5They said to the king, “The man
who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no
place in all the territory of Israel, 6let seven of his sons be given to us, so
that we may hang them up before the LORD at Gib'eon on the mountain of
the LORD.” n And the king said, “I will give them.”
7 But the king spared Mephib'osheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan,
because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David
and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8The king took the two sons of Rizpah the
daughter of Ai'ah, whom she bore to Saul, Armo'ni and Mephib'osheth; and
the five sons of Merab o the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to A'dri-el the
son of Barzil'lai the Meho'lathite; 9and he gave them into the hands of the
Gib'eonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and
the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days
of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.
10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah took sackcloth, and spread it for
herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them
from the heavens; and she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon
them by day, or the beasts of the field by night. 11When David was told
what Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah, the concubine of Saul, had done,
12David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan
from the men of Ja'besh-gil'ead, who had stolen them from the public
square of Beth-shan, where the Philis'tines had hanged them, on the day the
Philistines killed Saul on Gilbo'a; 13and he brought up from there the bones
of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of
those who were hanged. 14And they buried the bones of Saul and his son
Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Ze'la, in the tomb of Kish his father;
and they did all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded
supplications for the land.
Wars with the Philistines
15 The Philis'tines had war again with Israel, and David went down
together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines; and
David grew weary. 16And Ish'bi-be'nob, one of the descendants of the
giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was
armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. 17But Abi'shai the son of
Zeru'iah came to his aid, and attacked the Philis'tine and killed him. Then
David’s men adjured him, “You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest
you quench the lamp of Israel.”
18 After this there was again war with the Philis'tines at Gob; then
Sib'becai the Hu'shathite slew Saph, who was one of the descendants of the
giants. 19And there was again war with the Philis'tines at Gob; and Elha'nan
the son of Ja'are-or'egim, the Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the
shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20And there was again war
at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each
hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was
descended from the giants. 21And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son
of Shim'e-i, David’s brother, slew him. 22These four were descended from
the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his
servants.
David’s Song of Thanksgiving
22 And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day
when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from
the hand of Saul. 2He said,*
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer,
3 my p God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.
8 “Then the earth reeled and rocked;
righteousness,
according to my cleanness in his sight.
26 “With the loyal you show yourself loyal;
but your eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down.
29Yes, you are my lamp, O LORD,
I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.
44 “You delivered me from strife with the peoples; v
Dodo, son of Aho'hi. He was with David when they defied the Philis'tines
who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10He
rose and struck down the Philis'tines until his hand was weary, and his hand
clung to the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the
men returned after him only to strip the slain.
11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Har'arite. The
Philis'tines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full
of lentils; and the men fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in
the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philis'tines; and the
LORD wrought a great victory.
13 And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came about harvest
thirty. e And he wielded his spear against three hundred men and slew them,
and won a name beside the three. 19He was the most renowned of the
thirty, f and became their commander; but he did not attain to the three.
20 And Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada was a valiant man g of Kab'zeel, a
doer of great deeds; he struck two Ariels h of Moab. He also went down and
slew a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 21And he slew an
Egyptian, a handsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but
Bena'iah went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear out of the
Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. 22These things did
Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada, and won a name beside the three mighty men.
23He was renowned among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And
they came to Dan, and from Dan m they went around to Si'don, 7and came
to the fortress of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hi'vites and Canaanites;
and they went out to the Neg'eb of Judah at Be'er-she'ba. 8So when they had
gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months
and twenty days. 9And Jo'ab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to
the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew
the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand.
Judgment on David’s Sin
10 But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And
David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But
now, O LORD, I pray you, take away the iniquity of your servant; for I have
done very foolishly.” 11And when David arose in the morning, the word of
the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12“Go and say to
David, ‘Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer n you; choose one of them,
that I may do it to you.’ ” 13So Gad came to David and told him, and said to
him, “Shall three o years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you
flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be
three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer
I shall return to him who sent me.” 14Then David said to Gad, “I am in great
distress; let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let
me not fall into the hand of man.”
15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the
appointed time; and there died of the people from Dan to Be'er-she'ba
seventy thousand men. 16And when the angel stretched forth his hand
toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented of the evil, and said to the
angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now
stay your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of
Arau'nah the Jeb'usite. 17Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the
angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned,
and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let your
hand, I pray you, be against me and against my father’s house.”
David’s Altar on the Threshing Floor
18 And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, “Go up, rear an altar
to the LORD on the threshing floor of Arau'nah the Jeb'usite.” 19So David
went up at Gad’s word, as the LORD commanded. 20And when Arau'nah
looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and
Araunah went forth, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the
ground. 21And Arau'nah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his
servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor of you, in order to build
an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people.”
22Then Arau'nah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up
what seems good to him; here are the oxen for the burnt offering, and the
threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23All this, O king,
Arau'nah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “The LORD your
God accept you.” 24But the king said to Arau'nah, “No, but I will buy it of
you for a price; I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which
cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty
shekels of silver. 25And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered
burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded supplications for
the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.
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1 Kings
Chapters
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1 KINGS
The Struggle for Succession to the Throne
1 * Now King David was old and advanced in years; and although they
covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. 2Therefore his servants
said to him, “Let a young maiden be sought for my lord the king, and let her
wait upon the king, and be his nurse; let her lie in your bosom, that my lord
the king may be warm.” 3So they sought for a beautiful maiden throughout
all the territory of Israel, and found Ab'ishag the Shu'nammite, and brought
her to the king. 4The maiden was very beautiful; and she became the king’s
nurse and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.
5 Now Adoni'jah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be
king”; * and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men
to run before him. 6His father had never at any time displeased him by
asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome
man; and he was born next after Ab'salom. 7He conferred with Jo'ab the son
of Zeru'iah and with Abi'athar the priest; and they followed Adoni'jah and
helped him. 8But Za'dok the priest, and Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada, and
Nathan the prophet, and Shim'e-i, and Re'i, and David’s mighty men were
not with Adoni'jah.
9 Adoni'jah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatlings by the Serpent’s Stone,
which is beside En-ro'gel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons,
and all the royal officials of Judah, 10but he did not invite Nathan the
prophet or Bena'iah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.
11 Then Nathan said to Bathshe'ba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not
heard that Adoni'jah the son of Haggith has become king and David our
lord does not know it? 12Now therefore come, let me give you counsel, that
you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in at
once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear
to your maidservant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he
shall sit upon my throne” ? Why then is Adoni'jah king?’ 14Then while you
are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm
your words.”
15 So Bathshe'ba went to the king into his chamber (now the king was very
old, and Ab'ishag the Shu'nammite was ministering to the king).
16Bathshe'ba bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said, “What
do you desire?” 17She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your
maidservant by the LORD your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign
after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.’ 18And now, behold, Adoni'jah is
king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it. 19He has sacrificed
oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the
king, Abi'athar the priest, and Jo'ab the commander of the army; but
Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20And now, my lord the king, the
eyes of all Israel are upon you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of
my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord
the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted
offenders.”
22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
23And they told the king, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came
in before the king, he bowed before the king, with his face to the ground.
24And Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adoni'jah shall reign
after me, and he shall sit upon my throne’? 25For he has gone down this
day, and has sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance, and has
invited all the king’s sons, Jo'ab the commander a of the army, and Abi'athar
the priest; and behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and saying,
‘Long live King Adoni'jah!’ 26But me, your servant, and Za'dok the priest,
and Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada, and your servant Solomon, he has not
invited. 27Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you
have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king
after him?”
Solomon Is Made King
28 Then King David answered, “Call Bathshe'ba to me.” So she came into
the king’s presence, and stood before the king. 29And the king swore,
saying, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every
adversity, 30as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying,
‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in
my stead’; even so will I do this day.” 31Then Bathshe'ba bowed with her
face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, “May my lord
King David live for ever!”
32 King David said, “Call to me Za'dok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and
Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada.” So they came before the king. 33And the
king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause
Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gi'hon;
34and let Za'dok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king
over Israel; then blow the trumpet, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
35You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my
throne; for he shall be king in my stead; and I have appointed him to be
ruler over Israel and over Judah.” 36And Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada
answered the king, “Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say
so. 37As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with
Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King
David.”
38 So Za'dok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Bena'iah the son of
Jehoi'ada, and the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites, went down and caused
Solomon to ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to Gi'hon. 39There
Za'dok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent, and anointed Solomon.
Then they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, “Long live King
Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and
rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise.
41 Adoni'jah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished
feasting. And when Jo'ab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What
does this uproar in the city mean?” 42While he was still speaking, behold,
Jonathan the son of Abi'athar the priest came; and Adoni'jah said, “Come
in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.” 43Jonathan answered
Adoni'jah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king; 44and the
king has sent with him Za'dok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Bena'iah
the son of Jehoi'ada, and the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites; and they have
caused him to ride on the king’s mule; 45and Za'dok the priest and Nathan
the prophet have anointed him king at Gi'hon; and they have gone up from
there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you
have heard. 46Solomon sits upon the royal throne. 47Moreover the king’s
servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘Your God make
the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater
than your throne.’ And the king bowed himself upon the bed. 48And the
king also said, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted
one of my offspring b to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.’ ”
49 Then all the guests of Adoni'jah trembled, and rose, and each went his
own way. 50And Adoni'jah feared Solomon; and he arose, and went, and
caught hold of the horns of the altar. 51And it was told Solomon, “Behold,
Adoni'jah fears King Solomon; for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of
the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not slay
his servant with the sword.’ ” 52And Solomon said, “If he prove to be a
worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is
found in him, he shall die.” 53So King Solomon sent, and they brought him
down from the altar. And he came and did obeisance to King Solomon; and
Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”
David’s Instructions to Solomon
2 When David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son,
saying, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show
yourself a man, 3and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his
ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his
testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all
that you do and wherever you turn; 4that the LORD may establish his word
which he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way,
to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul,
there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.’
5 “Moreover you know also what Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah did to me, how
he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of
Ner, and Ama'sa the son of Je'ther, whom he murdered, avenging c in time
of peace blood which had been shed in war, and putting innocent blood d
upon the belt about my e loins, and upon the sandals on my e feet. 6Act
therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to
Sheol in peace. 7But deal loyally with the sons of Barzil'lai the Gileadite,
and let them be among those who eat at your table; for with such loyalty
they met me when I fled from Ab'salom your brother. 8And there is also
with you Shim'e-i the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahu'rim, who
cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Ma''hana'im; but
when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD,
saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9Now therefore hold
him not guiltless, for you are a wise man; you will know what you ought to
do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”
Death and Burial of David
10 Then David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
11And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned
Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably.”
14Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Say on.” 15He
said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully
expected me to reign; however the kingdom has turned about and become
my brother’s, for it was his from the LORD. 16And now I have one request to
make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Say on.” 17And he said,
“Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Ab'ishag
the Shu'nammite as my wife.” 18Bathshe'ba said, “Very well; I will speak
for you to the king.”
19 So Bathshe'ba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of
Adoni'jah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he
sat on his throne, and had a seat brought for the king’s mother; and she sat
on his right. 20Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do
not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother;
for I will not refuse you.” 21She said, “Let Ab'ishag the Shu'nammite be
given to Adoni'jah your brother as his wife.” 22King Solomon answered his
mother, “And why do you ask Ab'ishag the Shu'nammite for Adoni'jah?
Ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother, and on his side
are Abi'athar f the priest and Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah.” 23Then King
Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this
word does not cost Adoni'jah his life! 24Now therefore as the LORD lives,
who has established me, and placed me on the throne of David my father,
and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adoni'jah shall be put to
death this day.” 25So King Solomon sent Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada; and
he struck him down, and he died.
Solomon Consolidates His Reign
26 And to Abi'athar the priest the king said, “Go to An'athoth, to your
estate; for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death,
because you bore the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and
because you shared in all the affliction of my father.” 27So Solomon
expelled Abi'athar from being priest to the LORD, thus fulfilling the word of
the LORD which he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shi'loh.
28 When the news came to Jo'ab—for Joab had supported Adoni'jah
although he had not supported Ab'salom—Joab fled to the tent of the LORD
and caught hold of the horns of the altar. 29And when it was told King
Solomon, “Jo'ab has fled to the tent of the LORD, and behold, he is beside
the altar,” Solomon sent Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada, saying, “Go, strike
him down.” 30So Bena'iah came to the tent of the LORD, and said to him,
“The king commands, ‘Come forth.’ ” But he said, “No, I will die here.”
Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus said Jo'ab, and
thus he answered me.” 31The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike
him down and bury him; and thus take away from me and from my father’s
house the guilt for the blood which Jo'ab shed without cause. 32The LORD
will bring back his bloody deeds upon his own head, because, without the
knowledge of my father David, he attacked and slew with the sword two
men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner,
commander of the army of Israel, and Ama'sa the son of Je'ther, commander
of the army of Judah. 33So shall their blood come back upon the head of
Jo'ab and upon the head of his descendants for ever; but to David, and to his
descendants, and to his house, and to his throne, there shall be peace from
the LORD for evermore.” 34Then Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada went up, and
struck him down and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the
wilderness. 35The king put Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada over the army in
place of Jo'ab, and the king put Za'dok the priest in the place of Abi'athar.
36 Then the king sent and summoned Shim'e-i, and said to him, “Build
yourself a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and do not go forth from
there to any place whatever. 37For on the day you go forth, and cross the
brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die; your blood shall be upon
your own head.” 38And Shim'e-i said to the king, “What you say is good; as
my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shime-i dwelt in
Jerusalem many days.
39 But it happened at the end of three years that two of Shim'e-i’s slaves
ran away to A'chish, son of Ma'acah, king of Gath. And when it was told
Shime-i, “Behold, your slaves are in Gath,” 40Shim'e-i arose and saddled a
donkey, and went to Gath to A'chish, to seek his slaves; Shime-i went and
brought his slaves from Gath. 41And when Solomon was told that Shim'e-i
had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, 42the king sent and
summoned Shim'e-i, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the
LORD, and solemnly admonish you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the
day you go forth and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said
to me, ‘What you say is good; I obey.’ 43Why then have you not kept your
oath to the LORD and the commandment with which I charged you?” 44The
king also said to Shim'e-i, “You know in your own heart all the evil that you
did to David my father; so the LORD will bring back your evil upon your
own head. 45But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David
shall be established before the LORD for ever.” 46Then the king commanded
Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada; and he went out and struck him down, and he
died.
So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
Solomon Prays for Wisdom
3 * Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt; he
took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he
had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall
around Jerusalem. 2The people were sacrificing at the high places, however,
because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.
3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father;
only, he sacrificed and burnt incense at the high places. 4And the king went
to Gib'eon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon
used to offer a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar. 5At Gib'eon the
LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream * by night; and God said, “Ask what
I shall give you.” 6And Solomon said, “You have shown great and merciful
love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in
faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and
you have kept for him this great and merciful love, and have given him a
son to sit on his throne this day. 7And now, O LORD my God, you have
made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a
little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And your servant is in
the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, that cannot
be numbered or counted for multitude. 9Give your servant therefore an
understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between
good and evil; for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 It pleased the LORD that Solomon had asked this. 11And God said to
him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long
life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself
understanding to discern what is right, 12behold, I now do according to your
word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you
has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13I give you
also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king
shall compare with you, all your days. 14And if you will walk in my ways,
keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked,
then I will lengthen your days.”
15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to
Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and
offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his
servants.
Solomon’s Wisdom in Judgment
16 Then two harlots came to the king, and stood before him. 17The one
woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I
gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18Then on the third day
after I was delivered, this woman also gave birth; and we were alone; there
was no one else with us in the house, only we two were in the house. 19And
this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it. 20And she arose at
midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your maidservant slept,
and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. 21When I rose
in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead; but when I looked at
it closely in the morning, behold, it was not the child that I had borne.”
22But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead
child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living
child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.
23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and
your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son
is the living one.’ ” 24And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword
was brought before the king. 25And the king said, “Divide the living child
in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.” 26Then the woman
whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son,
“Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means slay it.” But the
other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.” 27Then the king
answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no
means slay it; she is its mother.” 28And all Israel heard of the judgment
which the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because
they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to render justice.
Solomon’s High Officials
4 King Solomon was king over all Israel, 2and these were his high
officials: Azari'ah the son of Za'dok was the priest; 3Elihor'eph and Ahi'jah
the sons of Shi'sha were secretaries; Jehosh'aphat the son of Ahi'lud was
recorder; 4Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada was in command of the army;
Za'dok and Abi'athar were priests; 5Azari'ah the son of Nathan was over the
officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend; 6Ahi'shar
was in charge of the palace; and Adoni'ram the son of Abda was in charge
of the forced labor.
7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the
king and his household; each man had to make provision for one month in
the year. 8These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of E'phraim;
9Ben-de'ker, in Makaz, Sha-al'bim, Beth-she'mesh, and E'lonbeth-ha'nan;
10Ben-he'sed, in Arub'both (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of
drank and were happy. 21 g Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the
Euphrates to the land of the Philis'tines and to the border of Egypt; they
brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour, and sixty
cors of meal, 23ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep,
besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl. 24For he had dominion
over all the region west of the Euphra'tes from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the
kings west of the Euphrates; and he had peace on all sides round about him.
25And Judah and Israel dwelt in safety, from Dan even to Be'er-she'ba,
every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon.
26Solomon also had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and
and largeness of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30so that Solomon’s
wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east, and all the
wisdom of Egypt. 31For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan
the Ez'rahite, and He'man, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his
fame was in all the nations round about. 32He also uttered three thousand
proverbs; * and his songs were a thousand and five. 33He spoke of trees,
from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall;
he spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34And men
came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the
kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
Preparations and Materials for the Temple
5 h Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he
heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father; for Hiram
always loved David. 2And Solomon sent word to Hiram, 3“You know that
David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God
because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the
LORD put them under the soles of his feet. 4But now the LORD my God has
given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5And
so I purpose to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the
LORD said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set upon your throne
in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6Now therefore command
that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me; and my servants will join your
servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set; for
you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like
the Sido'nians.”
7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said,
“Blessed be the LORD this day, who has given to David a wise son to be
over this great people.” 8And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard
the message which you have sent to me; I am ready to do all you desire in
the matter of cedar and cypress timber. 9My servants shall bring it down to
the sea from Lebanon; and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place
you direct, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it;
and you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.” 10So
Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he
desired, 11while Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as
food for his household, and twenty thousand i cors of beaten oil. Solomon
gave this to Hiram year by year. 12And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as
he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and
the two of them made a treaty.
13 King Solomon raised a levy of forced labor out of all Israel; and the
levy numbered thirty thousand men. 14And he sent them to Lebanon, ten
thousand a month in relays; they would be a month in Lebanon and two
months at home; Adoni'ram was in charge of the levy. 15Solomon also had
seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the
hill country, 16besides Solomon’s three thousand three hundred chief
officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried
on the work. 17At the king’s command, they quarried out great, costly
stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. 18So
Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men of Ge'bal did the
hewing and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.
Solomon Builds the Temple
6 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out
of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in
the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of
the LORD. * 2The house which King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty
cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. 3The vestibule in
front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of
the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. 4And he made for the
house windows with recessed frames. 5He also built a structure against the
wall of the house, running round the walls of the house, both the nave and
the inner sanctuary; and he made side chambers all around. 6The lowest
story j was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the
third was seven cubits broad; for around the outside of the house he made
offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted
into the walls of the house.
7 When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry; so
that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the temple,
while it was being built.
8 The entrance for the lowest k story was on the south side of the house;
and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to
the third. 9So he built the house, and finished it; and he made the ceiling of
the house of beams and planks of cedar. 10He built the structure against the
whole house, each story l five cubits high, and it was joined to the house
with timbers of cedar.
11 Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon, 12“Concerning this house
which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my
ordinances and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will
establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13And I
will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people
Israel.”
14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it. 15He lined the walls of the
house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the
rafters m of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he
covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16He built twenty
cubits of the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the
rafters, m and he built this within as an inner sanctuary, as the most holy
place. 17The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was
forty cubits long. 18The cedar within the house was carved in the form of
gourds and open flowers; all was cedar, no stone was seen. 19The inner
sanctuary he prepared in the innermost part of the house, to set there the ark
of the covenant of the LORD. 20The inner sanctuary n was twenty cubits
long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high; and he overlaid it with
pure gold. He also made o an altar of cedar. 21And Solomon overlaid the
inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in
front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22And he overlaid the
whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole
altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.
Furnishings of the Temple
23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten
cubits high. 24Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five
cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the
tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25The other cherub also measured ten
cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26The
height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub.
27He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house; and the wings of
the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall,
and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings
touched each other in the middle of the house. 28And he overlaid the
cherubim with gold.
29 He carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of
cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms.
30The floor of the house he overlaid with gold in the inner and outer rooms.
31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary he made doors of olivewood; the
lintel and the doorposts formed a pentagon. p 32He covered the two doors of
olivewood with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; he
overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubim and upon the
palm trees.
33 So also he made for the entrance to the nave doorposts of olivewood, in
the form of a square, 34and two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of
the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were
folding. 35On them he carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers;
and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied upon the carved work. 36He
built the inner court with three courses of hewn stone and one course of
cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in
the month of Ziv. 38And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is
the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all
its specifications. He was seven years in building it.
Solomon’s House and Other Buildings
7 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished
his entire house.
2 He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was a hundred
cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, and it was
built upon three q rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
3And it was covered with cedar above the chambers that were upon the
forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. 4There were window frames in three
rows, and window opposite window in three tiers. 5All the doorways and
windows r had square frames, and window was opposite window in three
tiers.
6 And he made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its
breadth thirty cubits; there was a porch in front with pillars, and a canopy
before them.
7 And he made the Hall of the Throne where he was to pronounce
judgment, even the Hall of Judgment; it was finished with cedar from floor
to rafters. s
8 His own house where he was to dwell, in the other court back of the hall,
was of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for
Pharaoh’s daughter whom he had taken in marriage.
9 All these were made of costly stones, hewn according to measure, sawed
with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the coping, and from
the court of the house of the LORD t to the great court. 10The foundation was
of costly stones, huge stones, stones of eight and ten cubits. 11And above
were costly stones, hewn according to measurement, and cedar. 12The great
court had three courses of hewn stone round about, and a course of cedar
beams; so had the inner court of the house of the LORD, and the vestibule of
the house.
Works of Hiram the Bronzeworker
13 And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14He was the
son of a widow of the tribe of Naph'tali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a
worker in bronze; and he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill, for
making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon, and did all his
work.
15 He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one
pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference; it was hollow,
and its thickness was four fingers; the second pillar was the same. u 16He
also made two capitals of molten bronze, to set upon the tops of the pillars;
the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other
capital was five cubits. 17Then he made twov nets of checker work with
wreaths of chain work for the capitals upon the tops of the pillars; a net w
for the one capital, and a net w for the other capital. 18Likewise he made
pomegranates; x in two rows round about upon the one network, to cover
the capital that was upon the top of the pillar; and he did the same with the
other capital. 19Now the capitals that were upon the tops of the pillars in the
vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 20The capitals were upon the two
pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the
network; there were two hundred pomegranates, in two rows round about;
and so with the other capital. 21He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the
temple; he set up the pillar on the south and called its name Ja'chin; and he
set up the pillar on the north and called its name Boaz. 22And upon the tops
of the pillars was lily-work. Thus the work of the pillars was finished.
23 Then he made the molten sea; it was round, ten cubits from brim to
brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its
circumference. 24Under its brim were gourds, for thirty y cubits, compassing
the sea round about; the gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was
cast. 25It stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west,
three facing south, and three facing east; the sea was set upon them, and all
their posterior parts were inward. 26Its thickness was a handbreadth; and its
brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held two
thousand baths.
27 He also made the ten stands of bronze; each stand was four cubits long,
four cubits wide, and three cubits high. 28This was the construction of the
stands: they had panels, and the panels were set in the frames 29and on the
panels that were set in the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. Upon the
frames, both above and below the lions and oxen, there were wreaths of
beveled work. 30Moreover each stand had four bronze wheels and axles of
bronze; and at the four corners were supports for a laver. The supports were
cast, with wreaths at the side of each. 31Its opening was within a crown
which projected upward one cubit; its opening was round, as a pedestal is
made, a cubit and a half deep. At its opening there were carvings; and its
panels were square, not round. 32And the four wheels were underneath the
panels; the axles of the wheels were of one piece with the stands; and the
height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33The wheels were made like a
chariot wheel; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs, were all
cast. 34There were four supports at the four corners of each stand; the
supports were of one piece with the stands. 35And on the top of the stand
there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the stand its
stays and its panels were of one piece with it. 36And on the surfaces of its
stays and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees,
according to the space of each, with wreaths round about. 37After this
manner he made the ten stands; all of them were cast alike, of the same
measure and the same form.
38 And he made ten lavers of bronze; each laver held forty baths, each
laver measured four cubits, and there was a laver for each of the ten stands.
39And he set the stands, five on the south side of the house, and five on the
north side of the house; and he set the sea at the southeast corner of the
house.
40 Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram
finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the
LORD: 41the two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops
of the pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals
that were on the tops of the pillars; 42and the four hundred pomegranates for
the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the
two bowls of the capitals that were upon the pillars; 43the ten stands, and
the ten lavers upon the stands; 44and the one sea, and the twelve oxen
underneath the sea.
45 Now the pots, the shovels, and the basins, all these vessels in the house
of the LORD, which Hiram made for King Solomon, were of burnished
bronze. 46In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground
between Succoth and Zar'ethan. 47And Solomon left all the vessels
unweighed, because there were so many of them; the weight of the bronze
was not found out.
48 So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the LORD: the
golden altar, the golden table for the bread of the Presence, 49the lampstands
of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, before the inner
sanctuary; the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50the cups,
snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and firepans, of pure gold; and the
sockets of gold, for the doors of the innermost part of the house, the most
holy place, and for the doors of the nave of the temple.
51 Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the LORD was
finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had
dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the
treasuries of the house of the LORD.
Dedication of the Temple
8 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the
tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the sons of Israel, before King
Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out
of the city of David, which is Zion. 2And all the men of Israel assembled to
King Solomon at the feast in the month Eth'anim, which is the seventh
month. 3And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
4And they brought up the ark of the LORD, the tent of meeting, and all the
holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them
up. 5And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had
assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many
sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6Then the
priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, in the inner
sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the
cherubim. 7For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the
ark, so that the cherubim made a covering above the ark and its poles. 8And
the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy
place before the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside;
and they are there to this day. 9There was nothing in the ark except the two
tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a
covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
10And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud * filled the
house of the LORD, 11so that the priests could not stand to minister because
of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
Solomon’s Speech
12 Then Solomon said,
“The LORD has set the sun in the heavens,
but z has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.
13I have built you an exalted house,
all the assembly of Israel stood. 15And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the
God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his
mouth to David my father, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought my
people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city in all the tribes of Israel in which
to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over
my people Israel.’ 17Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a
house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 18But the LORD said to
David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my
name, you did well that it was in your heart; 19nevertheless you shall not
build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house
for my name.’ 20Now the LORD has fulfilled his promise which he made; for
I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel,
as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD,
the God of Israel. 21And there I have provided a place for the ark, in which
is the covenant of the LORD which he made with our fathers, when he
brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all
the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; 23and
said, * “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or
on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing mercy to your servants
who walk before you with all their heart; 24who have kept with your servant
David my father what you declared to him; yes, you spoke with your
mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 25Now therefore, O
LORD, God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father what you have
promised him, saying, ‘There shall never fail you a man before me to sit
upon the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way, to walk
before me as you have walked before me.’ 26Now therefore, O God of
Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant
David my father.
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the
highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house which I have
built! * 28Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his
supplication, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer which
your servant prays before you this day; 29that your eyes may be open night
and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name
shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer which your servant offers
toward this place. 30And hear the supplication of your servant and of your
people Israel, when they pray toward this place; yes, hear in heaven your
dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.
31 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and
comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 32then hear in
heaven, and act, and judge your servants, condemning the guilty by
bringing his conduct upon his own head, and vindicating the righteous by
rewarding him according to his righteousness.
33 “When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they
have sinned against you, if they turn again to you, and acknowledge your
name, and pray and make supplication to you in this house; 34then hear in
heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to
the land which you gave to their fathers.
35 “When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned
against you, if they pray toward this place, and acknowledge your name,
and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, 36then hear in heaven, and
forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them
the good way in which they should walk; and grant rain upon your land,
which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
37 “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew
from a far country for your name’s sake 42(for they shall hear of your great
name, and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes
and prays toward this house, 43hear in heaven your dwelling place, and do
according to all for which the foreigner calls to you; in order that all the
peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people
Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called
by your name.
44 “If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way
you shall send them, and they pray to the LORD toward the city which you
have chosen and the house which I have built for your name, 45then hear in
heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
46 “If they sin against you—for there is no man who does not sin—and
you are angry with them, and give them to an enemy, so that they are
carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; 47yet if they
lay it to heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and
repent, and make supplication to you in the land of their captors, saying,
‘We have sinned, and have acted perversely and wickedly’; 48if they repent
with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their enemies, who
carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to
their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have
built for your name; 49then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer
and their supplication, and maintain their cause 50and forgive your people
who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions which they have
committed against you; and grant them compassion in the sight of those
who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51(for
they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt,
from the midst of the iron furnace). 52Let your eyes be open to the
supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel,
giving ear to them whenever they call to you. 53For you separated them
from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your heritage, as you declared
through Moses, your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O
Lord GOD.”
Solomon Blesses the Assembly
54 Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and supplication to the
LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had knelt with
hands outstretched toward heaven; 55and he stood, and blessed all the
assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56“Blessed be the LORD who
has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised; not one
word has failed of all his good promise, which he uttered by Moses his
servant. 57The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; may he
not leave us or forsake us; 58that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk
in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his
ordinances, which he commanded our fathers. 59Let these words of mine,
wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be near to the LORD
our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant, and
the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires; 60that all the peoples of
the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. 61Let your heart
therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and
keeping his commandments, as at this day.”
Solomon Offers Sacrifices
62 Then the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the
assembly, from the entrance of Ha'math to the Brook of Egypt, before the
LORD our God, seven days. b 66On the eighth day he sent the people away;
and they blessed the king, and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart
for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David his servant and to
Israel his people.
The Lord’s Second Appearance to Solomon
9 When Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the
king’s house and all that Solomon desired to build, 2the LORD appeared to
Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gib'eon. 3And the
LORD said to him, * “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which
you have made before me; I have consecrated this house which you have
built, and put my name there for ever; my eyes and my heart will be there
for all time. 4And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your
father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all
that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my ordinances,
5then I will establish your royal throne over Israel for ever, as I promised
David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man upon the throne
of Israel.’ 6But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children,
and do not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before
you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7then I will cut off
Israel from the land which I have given them; and the house which I have
consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight; and Israel will become
a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8And this house will become a
heap of ruins; c every one passing by it will be astonished, and will hiss; and
they will say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’
9Then they will say, ‘Because they forsook the LORD their God who brought
their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and
worshiped them and served them; therefore the LORD has brought all this
evil upon them.’ ”
10 At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses,
the house of the LORD and the king’s house, 11and Hiram king of Tyre had
supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold, as much as he
desired, King Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
12But when Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had
given him, they did not please him. 13Therefore he said, “What kind of
cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” So they are called
the land of Ca'bul to this day. 14Hiram had sent to the king one hundred and
twenty talents of gold.
Other Works of Solomon
15 And this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon levied
to build the house of the LORD and his own house and the Millo and the
wall of Jerusalem and Ha'zor and Megid'do and Gezer 16(Pharaoh king of
Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burnt it with fire, and had slain
the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and had given it as dowry to his
daughter, Solomon’s wife; 17so Solomon rebuilt Gezer) and Lower Beth-
ho'ron 18and Ba'alath and Ta'mar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, d
19and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots,
and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in
Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20All the people
who were left of the Am'orites, the Hittites, the Per'izzites, the Hi'vites, and
the Jeb'usites, who were not of the sons of Israel—21their descendants who
were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel were unable to
destroy utterly—these Solomon made a forced levy of slaves, and so they
are to this day. 22But of the sons of Israel Solomon made no slaves; they
were the soldiers, they were his officials, his commanders, his captains, his
chariot commanders and his horsemen.
23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work: five
hundred and fifty, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
24 But Pharaoh’s daughter went up from the city of David to her own
house which Solomon had built for her; then he built the Millo.
25 Three times a year Solomon used to offer up burnt offerings and peace
offerings upon the altar which he built to the LORD, burning incense e before
the LORD. So he finished the house.
Solomon’s Fleet
26 King Solomon built a fleet of ships at E'zion-ge'ber, which is near E'loth
on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of E'dom. 27And Hiram sent with
the fleet his servants, seamen who were familiar with the sea, together with
the servants of Solomon; 28and they went to O'phir, and brought from there
gold, to the amount of four hundred and twenty talents; and they brought it
to King Solomon.
Visit of the Queen of Sheba
10 Now when the queen of Sheba * heard of the fame of Solomon
concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.
2She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing
spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to
Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 3And Solomon answered
all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he could
not explain to her. 4And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom
of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5the food of his table, the seating of
his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his
cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the
LORD, there was no more spirit in her.
6 And she said to the king, “The report was true which I heard in my own
land of your affairs and of your wisdom, 7but I did not believe the reports
until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and behold, the half was not told
me; your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report which I heard. 8Happy
are your wives! f Happy are these your servants, who continually stand
before you and hear your wisdom! 9Blessed be the LORD your God, who has
delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD
loved Israel for ever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice
and righteousness.” 10Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents
of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never
again came such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba
gave to King Solomon.
11 Moreover the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from O'phir, brought
from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones. 12And
the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the LORD, and
for the king’s house, lyres also and harps for the singers; no such almug
wood has come or been seen, to this day.
13 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired,
whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King
Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land, with her servants.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six
hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 15besides that which came from the
traders and from the traffic of the merchants, and from all the kings of
Arabia and from the governors of the land. 16King Solomon made two
hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into
each shield. 17And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three
minas of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of
the Forest of Lebanon. 18The king also made a great ivory throne, and
overlaid it with the finest gold. 19The throne had six steps, and at the back
of the throne was a calf’s head, and on each side of the seat were arm rests
and two lions standing beside the arm rests, 20while twelve lions stood
there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never
made in any kingdom. 21All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold,
and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold;
none were of silver, it was not considered as anything in the days of
Solomon. 22For the king had a fleet of ships of Tar'shish at sea with the fleet
of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish* used to
come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. g
23 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in
wisdom. 24And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his
wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 25Every one of them brought his
present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and
mules, so much year by year.
26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; he had fourteen
and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so through the king’s traders they
were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
Solomon’s Errors
11 * Now King Solomon loved many foreign women: the daughter of
Pharaoh, and Moabite, Am'monite, E'domite, Sido'nian, and Hittite women,
2from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel,
“You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you,
for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods”; Solomon clung
to these in love. 3He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three
hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4For when
Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his
heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David
his father. 5For Solomon went after Ash'toreth the goddess of the
Sido'nians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Am'monites. 6So
Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not wholly
follow the LORD, as David his father had done. 7Then Solomon built a high
place for Che'mosh the abomination of Moab, and for Mo'lech the
abomination of the Am'monites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8And so
he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their
gods.
9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned
away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
10and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after
other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD commanded. 11Therefore the
LORD said to Solomon, “Since this has been your mind and you have not
kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded you, I will
surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. 12Yet for
the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it
out of the hand of your son. 13However I will not tear away all the
kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my
servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”
Adversaries of Solomon
14 * And the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Ha'dad the
E'domite; he was of the royal house in E'dom. 15For when David was in
E'dom, and Jo'ab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain, he
slew every male in Edom 16(for Jo'ab and all Israel remained there six
months, until he had cut off every male in E'dom); 17but Ha'dad fled to
Egypt, together with certain E'domites of his father’s servants, Hadad being
yet a little child. 18They set out from Mid'ian and came to Par'an, and took
men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt,
who gave him a house, and assigned him an allowance of food, and gave
him land. 19And Ha'dad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he
gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tah'penes the
queen. 20And the sister of Tah'penes bore him Genu'bath his son, whom
Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s
house among the sons of Pharaoh. 21But when Ha'dad heard in Egypt that
David slept with his fathers and that Jo'ab the commander of the army was
dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own
country.” 22But Pharaoh said to him, “What have you lacked with me that
you are now seeking to go to your own country?” And he said to him,
“Only let me go.”
23 God also raised up as an adversary to him, Re'zon the son of Eli'ada,
who had fled from his master Ha'dad-e'zer king of Zobah. 24And he
gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, after the
slaughter by David; and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and made
him king in Damascus. 25He was an adversary of Israel all the days of
Solomon, doing mischief as Ha'dad did; and he abhorred Israel, and reigned
over Syria.
Jeroboam’s Rebellion
26 Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, an E'phraimite of Zer'edah, a servant of
Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeru'ah, a widow, also lifted up his
hand against the king. 27And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand
against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the
city of David his father. 28The man Jerobo'am was very able, and when
Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over
all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. 29And at that time, when
Jerobo'am went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahi'jah the Shi'lonite found
him on the road. Now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and the
two of them were alone in the open country. 30Then Ahi'jah laid hold of the
new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. 31And he said
to Jerobo'am, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God
of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of
Solomon, and will give you ten tribes 32(but he shall have one tribe, for the
sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I
have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33because he has h forsaken me,
and worshiped Ash'toreth the goddess of the Sido'nians, Che'mosh the god
of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Am'monites, and has h not walked in
my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my
ordinances, as David his father did. 34Nevertheless I will not take the whole
kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him ruler all the days of his life,
for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my
commandments and my statutes; 35but I will take the kingdom out of his
son’s hand, and will give it to you, ten tribes. 36Yet to his son I will give one
tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in
Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. 37And I will take
you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be
king over Israel. 38And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will
walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes
and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you, and
will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to
you. 39And I will for this afflict the descendants of David, but not for
ever.’ ” 40Solomon sought therefore to kill Jerobo'am; but Jeroboam arose,
and fled into Egypt, to Shi'shak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the
death of Solomon.
Death of Solomon
41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his
wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42And the
time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
43And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David
of your father and his heavy yoke upon us, and we will serve you.” 5He said
to them, “Depart for three days, then come again to me.” So the people
went away.
6 Then King Rehobo'am took counsel with the old men, who had stood
before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you
advise me to answer this people?” 7And they said to him, “If you will be a
servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them
when you answer them, then they will be your servants for ever.” 8But he
forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the
young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9And he said
to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to
me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put upon us’?” 10And the young men
who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this
people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but please
lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than
my father’s loins. 11And now, whereas my father laid upon you a heavy
yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I
will chastise you with scorpions.’ ”
12 So Jerobo'am and all the people came to Rehobo'am the third day, as the
king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13And the king answered the
people harshly, and forsaking the counsel which the old men had given him,
14he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My
father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father
chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” 15So the
king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn of affairs brought about by
the LORD that he might fulfil his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahi'jah the
Shi'lonite to Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat.
Jeroboam Reigns over Israel
16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people
Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen
warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to
Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22But the word of God came to Shemai'ah
the man of God: 23 “Say to Rehobo'am the son of Solomon, king of Judah,
and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,
24‘Thus says the LORD, You shall not go up or fight against your kinsmen
the sons of Israel. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from
me.’ ” So they listened to the word of the LORD, and went home again,
according to the word of the LORD.
Jeroboam’s Golden Calves
25 Then Jerobo'am built She'chem in the hill country of E'phraim, and
dwelt there; and he went out from there and built Penu'el. 26And Jerobo'am
said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David;
27if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at
Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to
Rehobo'am king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam
king of Judah.” 28So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold.
And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough.
Behold your gods, * O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of
Egypt.” 29And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30And this
thing became a sin, for the people went to the one at Bethel and to the other
as far as Dan. j 31He also made houses on high places, and appointed priests
from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32And Jerobo'am
appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that
was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices upon the altar; so he did in Bethel,
sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And he placed in Bethel the
priests of the high places that he had made. 33He went up to the altar which
he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the
month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for
the sons of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.
A Man of God from Judah
13 And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the
LORD to Bethel. Jerobo'am was standing by the altar to burn incense. 2And
the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar,
altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of
David, Josi'ah by name; and he shall sacrifice upon you the priests of the
high places who burn incense upon you, and men’s bones shall be burned
upon you.’ ” 3And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign
that the LORD has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the
ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.’ ” 4And when the king heard the
saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel,
Jerobo'am stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Lay hold of him.”
And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could
not draw it back to himself. 5The altar also was torn down, and the ashes
poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had
given by the word of the LORD. 6And the king said to the man of God,
“Entreat now the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my
hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the LORD; and
the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as it was before. 7And the
king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself,
and I will give you a reward.” 8And the man of God said to the king, “If
you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat
bread or drink water in this place; 9for so was it commanded me by the
word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread, nor drink water, nor
return by the way that you came.’ ” 10So he went another way, and did not
return by the way that he came to Bethel.
11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel. And his sons k came and told
him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words also
which he had spoken to the king, they told to their father. 12And their father
said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him the way
which the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13And he said to his
sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and
he mounted it. 14And he went after the man of God, and found him sitting
under an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from
Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15Then he said to him, “Come home with me
and eat bread.” 16And he said, “I may not return with you, or go in with
you; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place; 17for it
was said to me by the word of the LORD, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor
drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.’ ” 18And he said to
him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word
of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may
eat bread and drink water.’ ” But he lied to him. 19So he went back with
him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20 And as they sat at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet
who had brought him back; 21and he cried to the man of God who came
from Judah, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word
of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your
God commanded you, 22but have come back, and have eaten bread and
drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread, and drink
no water”; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’ ” 23And
after he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet
whom he had brought back. 24And as he went away a lion met him on the
road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey
stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body. 25And behold, men
passed by, and saw the body thrown in the road, and the lion standing by the
body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26 And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard
of it, he said, “It is the man of God, who disobeyed the word of the LORD;
therefore the LORD has given him to the lion, which has torn him and slain
him, according to the word which the LORD spoke to him.” 27And he said to
his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28And he went
and found his body thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing
beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey. 29And
the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it upon the donkey,
and brought it back to the city, l to mourn and to bury him. 30And he laid the
body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my
brother!” 31And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die,
bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones
beside his bones. 32For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD
against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places
which are in the cities of Samar'ia, shall surely come to pass.”
33 After this incident Jerobo'am did not turn from his evil way, but made
priests for the high places again from among all the people; any who would,
he consecrated to be priests of the high places. 34And this thing became sin
to the house of Jerobo'am, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face
of the earth.
Judgment on the House of Jeroboam
14 At that time Abi'jah the son of Jerobo'am fell sick. 2And Jerobo'am
said to his wife, “Arise, and disguise yourself, that it be not known that you
are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh; behold, Ahi'jah the prophet is
there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3Take with you
ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you
what shall happen to the child.”
4 Jerobo'am’s wife did so; she arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the
house of Ahi'jah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because
of his age. 5And the LORD said to Ahi'jah, “Behold, the wife of Jerobo'am is
coming to inquire of you concerning her son; for he is sick. Thus and thus
shall you say to her.”
When she came, she pretended to be another woman. 6But when Ahi'jah
heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in,
wife of Jerobo'am; why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged
with heavy tidings for you. 7Go, tell Jerobo'am, ‘Thus says the LORD, the
God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made
you leader over my people Israel, 8and tore the kingdom away from the
house of David and gave it to you; and yet you have not been like my
servant David, who kept my commandments, and followed me with all his
heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9but you have done evil
above all that were before you and have gone and made for yourself other
gods, and molten images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind
your back; 10therefore behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jerobo'am,
and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel,
and will utterly consume the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung
until it is all gone. 11Any one belonging to Jerobo'am who dies in the city
the dogs shall eat; and any one who dies in the open country the birds of the
air shall eat; for the LORD has spoken it.” ’ 12Arise therefore, go to your
house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13And all Israel
shall mourn for him, and bury him; for he only of Jerobo'am shall come to
the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the LORD,
the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. 14Moreover the LORD will raise
up for himself a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jerobo'am
today. And henceforth m 15the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in
the water, and root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their
fathers, and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made
their Ashe'rim, provoking the LORD to anger. 16And he will give Israel up
because of the sins of Jerobo'am, which he sinned and which he made Israel
to sin.”
Death of Jeroboam
17 Then Jerobo'am’s wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah. And as
she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. 18And all Israel
buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which
he spoke by his servant Ahi'jah the prophet. 19Now the rest of the acts of
Jerobo'am, how he warred and how he reigned, behold, they are written in
the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 20And the time that
Jerobo'am reigned was twenty-two years; and he slept with his fathers, and
Na'dab his son reigned in his stead.
Rehoboam Reigns over Judah
21 Now Rehobo'am the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was
forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years
in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of
Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Na'amah the
Am'monitess. 22And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and
they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more
than all that their fathers had done. 23For they also built for themselves high
places, and pillars, and Ashe'rim on every high hill and under every green
tree; 24and there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did
according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD drove out
before the sons of Israel.
25 In the fifth year of King Rehobo'am, Shi'shak king of Egypt came up
against Jerusalem; 26he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD
and the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything. He also took
away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made; 27and King
Rehobo'am made in their stead shields of bronze, and committed them to
the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s
house. 28And as often as the king went into the house of the LORD, the
guard bore them and brought them back to the guardroom.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehobo'am, and all that he did, are they not
written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 30And there
was war between Rehobo'am and Jerobo'am continually. 31And Rehobo'am
slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David.
His mother’s name was Na'amah the Am'monitess. And Abi'jam his son
reigned in his stead.
Abijam Reigns over Judah
15 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat,
Abi'jam began to reign over Judah. 2He reigned for three years in
Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Ma'acah the daughter of Abish'alom.
3And he walked in all the sins which his father did before him; and his heart
was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
4Nevertheless for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in
Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem;
5because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and did not turn
aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except
in the matter of Uri'ah the Hittite. 6Now there was war between Rehobo'am
and Jerobo'am all the days of his life. 7The rest of the acts of Abi'jam, and
all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the
Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jerobo'am. 8And
Abi'jam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David. And
Asa his son reigned in his stead.
Asa Reigns over Judah
9 In the twentieth year of Jerobo'am king of Israel Asa began to reign over
days. 17Ba'asha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ra'mah, that
he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18Then
Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the
house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and gave them into
the hands of his servants; and King Asa sent them to Ben-ha'dad the son of
Tabrim'mon, the son of He'zi-on, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus,
saying, 19 “Let there be a league between me and you, as between my father
and your father: behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold;
go, break your league with Ba'asha king of Israel, that he may withdraw
from me.” 20And Ben-ha'dad listened to King Asa, and sent the
commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and conquered I'jon,
Dan, A'bel-beth-ma'acah, and all Chin'neroth, with all the land of Naph'tali.
21And when Ba'asha heard of it, he stopped building Ra'mah, and he dwelt
in Tirzah. 22Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was
exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ra'mah and its timber, with
which Ba'asha had been building; and with them King Asa built Ge'ba of
Benjamin and Mizpah. 23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might,
and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the
Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was
diseased in his feet. 24And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with
his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehosh'aphat his son reigned
in his stead.
Nadab Reigns over Israel
25 Nadab the son of Jerobo'am began to reign over Israel in the second
year of Asa king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years. 26He did
what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father,
and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.
27 Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah, of the house of Is'sachar, conspired against
him; and Baasha struck him down at Gib'bethon, which belonged to the
Philis'tines; for Na'dab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28So
Ba'asha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his
stead. 29And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jerobo'am; he
left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed
it, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by his servant Ahi'jah
the Shi'lonite; 30it was for the sins of Jerobo'am which he sinned and which
he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the
LORD, the God of Israel.
31 Now the rest of the acts of Na'dab, and all that he did, are they not
written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32And there
was war between Asa and Ba'asha king of Israel all their days.
Baasha Reigns over Israel
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah began
to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years. 34He did
what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jerobo'am
and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.
16 And the word of the LORD came to Je'hu the son of Hana'ni against
Ba'asha, saying, 2“Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader
over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jerobo'am, and
have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins,
3behold, I will utterly sweep away Ba'asha and his house, and I will make
your house like the house of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat. 4Any one
belonging to Ba'asha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and any one of
his who dies in the field the birds of the air shall eat.”
5 Now the rest of the acts of Ba'asha, and what he did, and his might, are
they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 6And
Ba'asha slept with his fathers, and was buried at Tirzah; and E'lah his son
reigned in his stead. 7Moreover the word of the LORD came by the prophet
Je'hu the son of Hana'ni against Ba'asha and his house, both because of all
the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger with
the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jerobo'am, and also
because he destroyed it.
Elah Reigns over Israel
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, E'lah the son of Ba'asha
began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. 9But his
servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When
he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was
over the household in Tirzah, 10Zimri came in and struck him down and
killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in
his stead.
11 When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne,
he killed all the house of Ba'asha; he did not leave him a single male of his
kinsmen or his friends. 12Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Ba'asha,
according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke against Baasha by Je'hu
the prophet, 13for all the sins of Ba'asha and the sins of E'lah his son which
they sinned, and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the LORD God of
Israel to anger with their idols. 14Now the rest of the acts of E'lah, and all
that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings
of Israel?
The Conspiracy and Death of Zimri
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven
days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gib'bethon, which
belonged to the Philis'tines, 16and the troops who were encamped heard it
said, “Zimri has conspired, and he has killed the king”; therefore all Israel
made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the
camp. 17So Omri went up from Gib'bethon, and all Israel with him, and they
besieged Tirzah. 18And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went
into the citadel of the king’s house, and burned the king’s house over him
with fire, and died, 19because of his sins which he committed, doing evil in
the sight of the LORD, walking in the way of Jerobo'am, and for his sin
which he committed, making Israel to sin. 20Now the rest of the acts of
Zimri, and the conspiracy which he made, are they not written in the Book
of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Omri Reigns over Israel and Builds Samaria
21 Then the sons of Israel were divided into two parts; half of the people
followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed
Omri. 22But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who
followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri became king.
23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over
Israel, and reigned for twelve years; six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24He
bought the hill of Samar'ia* from She'mer for two talents of silver; and he
fortified the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria,
after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.
25 Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than
all who were before him. 26For he walked in all the way of Jerobo'am the
son of Ne'bat, and in the sins which he made Israel to sin, provoking the
LORD, the God of Israel, to anger by their idols. 27Now the rest of the acts of
Omri which he did, and the might that he showed, are they not written in
the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 28And Omri slept with
his fathers, and was buried in Samar'ia; and A'hab his son reigned in his
stead.
Ahab Reigns over Israel and Does Evil
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, A'hab the son of Omri
began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in
Samar'ia twenty-two years. 30And A'hab the son of Omri did evil in the
sight of the LORD more than all that were before him. 31And as if it had
been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat,
he took for his wife Jez'ebel the daughter of Ethba'al king of the Sido'nians,
and went and served Ba'al, and worshiped him. 32He erected an altar for
Ba'al in the house of Baal, which he built in Samar'ia. 33And A'hab made an
Ashe'rah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger
than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34In his days Hiel of
Bethel built Jericho; he laid its foundation at the cost of Abi'ram his first-
born, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to
the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.
Elijah’s Prophecy of a Drought
17 Now Eli'jah the Tishbite, of Tishbe n in Gilead, said to A'hab, “As
the LORD the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither
dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” * 2And the word of the LORD
came to him, 3“Depart from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by
the brook Cherith, that is east of the Jordan. 4You shall drink from the
brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5So he went
and did according to the word of the LORD; he went and dwelt by the brook
Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6And the ravens brought him bread and
meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from
the brook. 7And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain
in the land.
The Widow of Zarephath
8 Then the word of the LORD came to him. 9 “Arise, go to Zar'ephath,
and his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18And she
said to Eli'jah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come
to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!”
19And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her
bosom, and carried him up into the upper chamber, where he lodged, and
laid him upon his own bed. 20And he cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God,
have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by
slaying her son?” 21Then he stretched himself upon the child three times,
and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child’s soul come into him
again.” 22And the LORD listened to the voice of Eli'jah; and the soul of the
child came into him again, and he revived. 23And Eli'jah took the child, and
brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and delivered
him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24And the woman
said to Eli'jah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word
of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”
Elijah’s Message to Ahab
18 After many days the word of the LORD came to Eli'jah, in the third
year, saying, “Go, show yourself to A'hab; and I will send rain upon the
earth.” 2So Eli'jah went to show himself to A'hab. Now the famine was
severe in Samar'ia. 3And A'hab called Obadi'ah, who was over the
household. (Now Obadiah revered the LORD greatly; 4and when Jez'ebel cut
off the prophets of the LORD, Obadi'ah took a hundred prophets and hid
them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) 5And A'hab
said to Obadi'ah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all
the valleys; perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive,
and not lose some of the animals.” 6So they divided the land between them
to pass through it; A'hab went in one direction by himself, and Obadi'ah
went in another direction by himself.
7 And as Obadi'ah was on the way, behold, Eli'jah met him; and Obadiah
recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
8And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Eli'jah is here.’ ”
9And he said, “Wherein have I sinned, that you would give your servant
into the hand of A'hab, to kill me? 10As the LORD your God lives, there is
no nation or kingdom whither my lord has not sent to seek you; and when
they would say, ‘He is not here,’ he would take an oath of the kingdom or
nation, that they had not found you. 11And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord,
“Behold, Eli'jah is here.” ’ 12And as soon as I have gone from you, the
Spirit of the LORD will carry you I know not where; and so, when I come
and tell A'hab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your
servant have revered the LORD from my youth. 13Has it not been told my
lord what I did when Jez'ebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a
hundred men of the LORD’s prophets by fifties in a cave, and fed them with
bread and water? 14And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Eli'jah is
here” ’; and he will kill me.” 15And Eli'jah said, “As the LORD of hosts
lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16So
Obadi'ah went to meet A'hab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Eli'jah.
17 When A'hab saw Eli'jah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of
Israel?” 18And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and
your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the
LORD and followed the Ba'als. 19Now therefore send and gather all Israel to
me at Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of Ba'al * and
the four hundred prophets of Ashe'rah, who eat at Jez'ebel’s table.”
Elijah Triumphs over the Prophets of Baal
20 So A'hab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets
together at Mount Carmel. 21And Eli'jah came near to all the people, and
said, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the
LORD is God, follow him; but if Ba'al, then follow him.” And the people did
not answer him a word. 22Then Eli'jah said to the people, “I, even I only, am
left a prophet of the LORD; but Ba'al’s prophets are four hundred and fifty
men. 23Let two bulls be given to us; and let them choose one bull for
themselves, and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it;
and I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, and put no fire to it.
24And you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the
LORD; and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people
answered, “It is well spoken.” 25Then Eli'jah said to the prophets of Ba'al,
“Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; and
call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26And they took the bull
which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Ba'al
from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no
voice, and no one answered. And they limped about the altar which they
had made. 27And at noon Eli'jah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is
a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or
perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28And they cried aloud, and
cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood
gushed out upon them. 29And as midday passed, they raved on until the
time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice; no one
answered, no one heeded.
30 Then Eli'jah said to all the people, “Come near to me”; and all the
people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had
been thrown down; 31Eli'jah took twelve stones, according to the number of
the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying,
“Israel shall be your name”; 32and with the stones he built an altar in the
name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would
contain two measures of seed. 33And he put the wood in order, and cut the
bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with
water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.” 34And he said,
“Do it a second time”; and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a
third time”; and they did it a third time. 35And the water ran round about the
altar, and filled the trench also with water.
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Eli'jah the prophet came
near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known
this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I
have done all these things at your word. 37Answer me, O LORD, answer me,
that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have
turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the
burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the
water that was in the trench. 39And when all the people saw it, they fell on
their faces; and they said, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.”
40And Eli'jah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Ba'al; let not one of them
escape.” And they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook
Ki'shon, and killed them there.
The Drought Ends
41 And Eli'jah said to A'hab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of
the rushing of rain.” 42So A'hab went up to eat and to drink. And Eli'jah
went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth,
and put his face between his knees. 43And he said to his servant, “Go up
now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked, and said, “There is
nothing.” And he said, “Go again seven times.” 44And at the seventh time
he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising out of the sea.”
And he said, “Go up, say to A'hab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest
the rain stop you.’ ” 45And in a little while the heavens grew black with
clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And A'hab rode and went to
Jezre'el. 46And the hand of the LORD was on Eli'jah; and he girded up his
loins and ran before A'hab to the entrance of Jezre'el.
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
19 A'hab told Jez'ebel all that Eli'jah had done, and how he had slain all
the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jez'ebel sent a messenger to Eli'jah,
saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your
life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3Then he was afraid,
and he arose and went for his life, and came to Be'er-she'ba, which belongs
to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and
sat down under a broom tree; and he asked that he might die, saying, “It is
enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am no better than my
fathers.” 5And he lay down and slept under a broom tree; and behold, an
angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6And he looked, and
behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water.
And he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7And the angel of the LORD
came again a second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, else
the journey will be too great for you.” 8And he arose, and ate and drank,
and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to
Horeb * the mount of God.
Elijah Meets God at Mount Horeb
9 And there he came to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of
the LORD came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here,
Eli'jah?” 10He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of
hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your
altars, and slain your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left;
and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11And he said, “Go forth, and stand
upon the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a
great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks
before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an
earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12and after the
earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still
small voice. 13And when Eli'jah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle
and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came
a voice to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Eli'jah?” 14He said, “I
have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel
have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your
prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life,
to take it away.” 15And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to
the wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Haz'ael
to be king over Syria; 16and Je'hu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be
king over Israel; and Eli'sha the son of Sha'phat of A'bel-meho'lah you shall
anoint to be prophet in your place. 17And him who escapes from the sword
of Haz'ael shall Je'hu slay; and him who escapes from the sword of Jehu
shall Eli'sha slay. 18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees
that have not bowed to Ba'al, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Elisha Becomes Elijah’s Disciple
19 So he departed from there, and found Eli'sha the son of Sha'phat, who
was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the
twelfth. Eli'jah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. 20And he left
the oxen, and ran after Eli'jah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my
mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again;
for what have I done to you?” 21And he returned from following him, and
took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the yokes
of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went
after Eli'jah, and ministered to him.
Ahab’s Wars with the Syrians
20 Ben-ha'dad the king of Syria gathered all his army together; thirty-
two kings were with him, and horses and chariots; and he went up and
besieged Samar'ia, and fought against it. 2And he sent messengers into the
city to A'hab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-ha'dad: 3 ‘Your
silver and your gold are mine; your fairest wives and children also are
mine.’ ” 4And the king of Israel answered, “As you say, my lord, O king, I
am yours, and all that I have.” 5The messengers came again, and said,
“Thus says Ben-ha'dad: ‘I sent to you, saying, “Deliver to me your silver
and your gold, your wives and your children”; 6nevertheless I will send my
servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house
and the houses of your servants, and lay hands on whatever pleases them, o
and take it away.’ ”
7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Mark,
now, and see how this man is seeking trouble; for he sent to me for my
wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse
him.” 8And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not heed or
consent.” 9So he said to the messengers of Ben-ha'dad, “Tell my lord the
king, ‘All that you first demanded of your servant I will do; but this thing I
cannot do.’ ” And the messengers departed and brought him word again.
10Ben-ha'dad sent to him and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if
the dust of Samar'ia shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow
me.” 11And the king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Let not him that belts
on his armor boast himself as he that puts it off.’ ” 12When Ben-ha'dad
heard this message as he was drinking with the kings in the booths, he said
to his men, “Take your positions.” And they took their positions against the
city.
A Prophet Speaks to Ahab
13 And behold, a prophet came near to A'hab king of Israel and said, “Thus
says the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it
into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am the LORD.” 14And
A'hab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the LORD, By the servants of
the governors of the districts.” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?”
He answered, “You.” 15Then he mustered the servants of the governors of
the districts, and they were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he
mustered all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.
The Syrians Are Defeated
16 And they went out at noon, while Ben-ha'dad was drinking himself
drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him. 17The
servants of the governors of the districts went out first. And Ben-ha'dad sent
out scouts, and they reported to him, “Men are coming out from Samar'ia.”
18He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have
districts, and the army which followed them. 20And each killed his man; the
Syrians fled and Israel pursued them, but Ben-ha'dad king of Syria escaped
on a horse with horsemen. 21And the king of Israel went out, and captured p
the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him,
“Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do; for in
the spring the king of Syria will come up against you.”
23 And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods
of the hills, and so they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them
in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24And do this:
remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places;
25and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and
chariot for chariot; then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely
we shall be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice, and did so.
26 In the spring Ben-ha'dad mustered the Syrians, and went up to A'phek,
to fight against Israel. 27And the sons of Israel were mustered, and were
provisioned, and went against them; the sons of Israel encamped before
them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country. 28And
a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says the LORD,
‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not
a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your
hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’ ” 29And they encamped
opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was
joined; and the sons of Israel struck a hundred thousand Syrian foot soldiers
in one day. 30And the rest fled into the city of A'phek; and the wall fell upon
twenty-seven thousand men that were left.
Ben-ha'dad also fled, and entered an inner chamber in the city. 31And his
servants said to him, “Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the
house of Israel are merciful kings; let us put sackcloth on our loins and
ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare
your life.” 32So they belted sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their
heads, and went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-ha'dad
says, ‘Please, let me live.’ ” And he said, “Does he still live? He is my
brother.” 33Now the men were watching for an omen, and they quickly took
it up from him and said, “Yes, your brother Ben-ha'dad.” Then he said, “Go
and bring him.” Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to
come up into the chariot. 34And Ben-ha'dad said to him, “The cities which
my father took from your father I will restore; and you may establish
bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samar'ia.” And A'hab
said, “I will let you go on these terms.” So he made a covenant with him
and let him go.
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow at the
command of the LORD, “Strike me, I beg you.” But the man refused to
strike him. 36Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice
of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have gone from me, a lion shall kill
you.” And as soon as he had departed from him, a lion met him and killed
him. 37Then he found another man, and said, “Strike me, I beg you.” And
the man struck him, hitting and wounding him. 38So the prophet departed,
and waited for the king by the way, disguising himself with a bandage over
his eyes. 39And as the king passed, he cried to the king and said, “Your
servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a soldier turned
and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Keep this man; if by any means he be
missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of
silver.’ 40And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The
king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have
decided it.” 41Then he made haste to take the bandage away from his eyes;
and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42And he said
to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the
man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his
life, and your people for his people.’ ” 43And the king of Israel went to his
house resentful and sullen, and came to Samar'ia.
Naboth’s Vineyard
21 Now Naboth the Jezre'elite had a vineyard in Jezre'el, beside the
palace of A'hab king of Samar'ia. 2And after this A'hab said to Naboth,
“Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because
it is near my house; and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it
seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” 3But Naboth said to
A'hab, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my
fathers.” 4And A'hab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what
Naboth the Jezre'elite had said to him; for he had said, “I will not give you
the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned
away his face, and would eat no food.
5 But Jez'ebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit
so vexed that you eat no food?” 6And he said to her, “Because I spoke to
Naboth the Jezre'elite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money;
or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it’; and he
answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ” 7And Jez'ebel his wife said
to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart
be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezre'elite.”
8 So she wrote letters in A'hab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and
she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who dwelt with Naboth in
his city. 9And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on
high among the people; 10and set two * base fellows opposite him, and let
them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the
king.’ Then take him out, and stone him to death.” 11And the men of his
city, the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jez'ebel had sent
word to them. As it was written in the letters which she had sent to them,
12they proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13And
the two base fellows came in and sat opposite him; and the base fellows
brought a charge against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying,
“Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city, and
stoned him to death with stones. 14Then they sent to Jez'ebel, saying,
“Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.”
15 As soon as Jez'ebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead,
Jezebel said to A'hab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the
Jezre'elite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive,
but dead.” 16And as soon as A'hab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose
to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezre'elite, to take possession of
it.
Elijah Pronounces God’s Sentence
17 Then the word of the LORD came to Eli'jah the Tishbite, saying,
18“Arise, go down to meet A'hab king of Israel, who is in Samar'ia; behold,
he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.
19And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Have you killed, and
also taken possession?” ’ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD:
“In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your
own blood.” ’ ”
20 A'hab said to Eli'jah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He
answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is
evil in the sight of the LORD. 21Behold, I will bring evil upon you; I will
utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from A'hab every male, bond or
free, in Israel; 22and I will make your house like the house of Jerobo'am the
son of Ne'bat, and like the house of Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah, for the anger
to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin.
23And of Jez'ebel the LORD also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the
bounds of Jezre'el.’ 24Any one belonging to A'hab who dies in the city the
dogs shall eat; and any one of his who dies in the open country the birds of
the air shall eat.”
25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of
the LORD like A'hab, whom Jez'ebel his wife incited. 26He did very
abominably in going after idols, as the Am'orites had done, whom the LORD
cast out before the sons of Israel.)
27 And when A'hab heard those words, he tore his clothes, and put
sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about
dejectedly. 28And the word of the LORD came to Eli'jah the Tishbite, saying,
29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he
has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in
his son’s days I will bring the evil upon his house.” *
Judah and Israel Join to Fight the Syrians
22 For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. 2But in the
third year Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ra'moth-
gil'ead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of
the king of Syria?” 4And he said to Jehosh'aphat, “Will you go with me to
battle at Ra'moth-gil'ead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am
as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
5 And Jehosh'aphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of
the LORD.” 6Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about
four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go to battle against Ra'moth-
gil'ead, or shall I forbear?” And they said, “Go up; for the Lord will give it
into the hand of the king.” 7But Jehosh'aphat said, “Is there not here another
prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?” 8And the king of Israel said
to Jehosh'aphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the
LORD, Micai'ah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies
good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehosh'aphat said, “Let not the king say
so.” 9Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly
Micai'ah the son of Imlah.” 10Now the king of Israel and Jehosh'aphat the
king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, wearing their robes, at the
threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samar'ia; and all the prophets
were prophesying before them. 11And Zedeki'ah the son of Chena'anah
made for himself horns of iron, and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these
you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’ ” 12And all the prophets
prophesied so, and said, “Go up to Ra'moth-gil'ead and triumph; the LORD
will give it into the hand of the king.”
Micaiah’s Prophecy
13 And the messenger who went to summon Micai'ah said to him,
“Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the
king; let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”
14But Micai'ah said, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I
will speak.” 15And when he had come to the king, the king said to him,
“Micai'ah, shall we go to Ra'moth-gil'ead to battle, or shall we forbear?”
And he answered him, “Go up and triumph; the LORD will give it into the
hand of the king.” 16But the king said to him, “How many times shall I
adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the
LORD?” 17And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as
sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said, ‘These have no master; let
each return to his home in peace.’ ” 18And the king of Israel said to
Jehosh'aphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good
concerning me, but evil?” 19And Micai'ah said, “Therefore hear the word of
the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven
standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20and the LORD said,
‘Who will entice A'hab, that he may go up and fall at Ra'moth-gil'ead?’ And
one said one thing, and another said another. 21Then a spirit came forward
and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ 22And the LORD said
to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go forth, and will be a lying
spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him,
and you shall succeed; go forth and do so.’ 23Now therefore behold, the
LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD
has spoken evil concerning you.”
24 Then Zedeki'ah the son of Chena'anah came near and struck Micai'ah on
the cheek, and said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to
you?” 25And Micai'ah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go
into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” 26And the king of Israel said,
“Seize Micai'ah, and take him back to A'mon the governor of the city and to
Jo'ash the king’s son; 27and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in
prison, and feed him with scant fare of bread and water, until I come in
peace.” ’ ” 28And Micai'ah said, “If you return in peace, the LORD has not
spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”
Defeat and Death of Ahab
29 So the king of Israel and Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah went up to
in Samaria. 38And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samar'ia, and the
dogs licked up his blood, and the harlots washed themselves in it, according
to the word of the LORD which he had spoken. 39Now the rest of the acts of
A'hab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the
cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the
Kings of Israel? 40So A'hab slept with his fathers; and Ahazi'ah his son
reigned in his stead.
Jehoshaphat Reigns over Judah
41 Jehosh'aphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year
and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of
the Kings of Judah? 46And the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who
remained in the days of his father Asa, he exterminated from the land.
47 There was no king in E'dom; a deputy was king. 48Jehosh'aphat made
ships of Tar'shish to go to O'phir for gold; but they did not go, for the ships
were wrecked at E'zion-ge'ber. 49Then Ahazi'ah the son of A'hab said to
Jehosh'aphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but
Jehoshaphat was not willing. 50And Jehosh'aphat slept with his fathers, and
was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jeho'ram his
son reigned in his stead.
Ahaziah Reigns over Israel
51 Ahazi'ah the son of A'hab began to reign over Israel in Samar'ia in the
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2 Kings
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
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SECOND BOOK OF KINGS
Elijah Denounces Ahaziah
1 After the death of A'hab, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 Now Ahazi'ah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samar'ia,
and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Ba'al-
ze'bub, the god of Ek'ron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” 3But
the angel of the LORD said to Eli'jah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the
messengers of the king of Samar'ia, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is
no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Ba'al-ze'bub, the god of
Ek'ron?’ 4Now therefore thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not come down
from the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Eli'jah
went.
5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have
you returned?” 6And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and
said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the
LORD, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire
of Ba'al-ze'bub, the god of Ek'ron? Therefore you shall not come down
from the bed to which you have gone, but shall surely die.’ ” 7He said to
them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these
things?” 8They answered him, “He wore a garment of haircloth, with a belt
of leather about his loins.” And he said, “It is Eli'jah the Tishbite.”
9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went
up to Eli'jah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man
of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’ ” 10But Eli'jah answered the captain of
fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume
you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven, and consumed him
and his fifty.
11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty.
And he went up a and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order,
‘Come down quickly!’ ” 12But Eli'jah answered them, “If I am a man of
God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.”
Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his
fifty.
13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the
third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Eli'jah,
and entreated him, “O man of God, I beg you, let my life, and the life of
these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. 14Behold, fire came
down from heaven, and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with
their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15Then the angel
of the LORD said to Eli'jah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.”
So he arose and went down with him to the king, 16and said to him, “Thus
says the LORD, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Ba'al-
ze'bub, the god of Ek'ron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire
of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which
you have gone, but you shall surely die.’ ”
Death of Ahaziah
17 So he died according to the word of the LORD which Eli'jah had spoken.
Jeho'ram, his brother,b became king in his stead in the second year of
Jehoram the son of Jehosh'aphat, king of Judah, because Ahazi'ah had no
son. 18Now the rest of the acts of Ahazi'ah which he did, are they not
written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Elijah Is Taken Up to Heaven
2 Now when the LORD was about to take Eli'jah up to heaven by a
whirlwind, Elijah and Eli'sha were on their way from Gilgal. 2And Eli'jah
said to Eli'sha, “Tarry here, I beg you; for the LORD has sent me as far as
Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will
not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3And the sons of the prophets
who were in Bethel came out to Eli'sha, and said to him, “Do you know that
today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he said,
“Yes, I know it; hold your peace.”
4 Eli'jah said to him, “Eli'sha, tarry here, I beg you; for the LORD has sent
me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I
will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The sons of the prophets who
were at Jericho drew near to Eli'sha, and said to him, “Do you know that
today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he
answered, “Yes, I know it; hold your peace.”
6 Then Eli'jah said to him, “Tarry here, I beg you; for the LORD has sent
me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,
I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men of the sons of
the prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both
were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Eli'jah took his coat, and rolled it up,
and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the
other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
9 When they had crossed, Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, “Ask what I shall do for
you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I beg you, let me
inherit a double share * of your spirit.” 10And he said, “You have asked a
hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so
for you; but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11And as they still
went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the
two of them. And Eli'jah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Eli'sha
saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! the chariots of Israel and its
horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. 13And
he took up the coat of Eli'jah that had fallen from him, and went back and
stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14Then he took the coat of Eli'jah that had
fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God
of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the
one side and to the other; and Eli'sha went over.
15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him over
against them, they said, “The spirit of Eli'jah rests on Eli'sha.” And they
came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 16And they said to
him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; please, let
them go, and seek your master; it may be that the Spirit of the LORD has
caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And
he said, “You shall not send.” 17But when they urged him till he was
ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men; and for three days
they sought him but did not find him. 18And they came back to him, while
he tarried at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, Do not go?”
Elisha Performs Miracles
19 Now the men of the city said to Eli'sha, “Behold, the situation of this
city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is
unfruitful.” 20He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they
brought it to him. 21Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it,
and said, “Thus says the LORD, I have made this water wholesome;
henceforth neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22So the water
has been wholesome to this day, according to the word which Eli'sha spoke.
23 He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the
way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go
up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24And he turned around, and
when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-
bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25From there he
went on to Mount Carmel, and thence he returned to Samar'ia.
Jehoram Reigns over Israel
3 In the eighteenth year of Jehosh'aphat king of Judah, Jeho'ram the son
of A'hab became king over Israel in Samar'ia, and he reigned twelve years.
2He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father
and mother, for he put away the pillar of Ba'al which his father had made.
3Nevertheless he clung to the sin of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, which he
made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.
War with Moab
4 * Now Me'sha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he had to deliver
annually c to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs, and the wool of a
hundred thousand rams. 5But when A'hab died, the king of Moab rebelled
against the king of Israel. 6So King Jeho'ram marched out of Samar'ia at
that time and mustered all Israel. 7And he went and sent word to
Jehosh'aphat king of Judah, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me;
will you go with me to battle against Moab?” And he said, “I will go; I am
as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 8Then he
said, “By which way shall we march?” Jeho'ram answered, “By the way of
the wilderness of E'dom.”
9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of E'dom.
And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no
water for the army or for the beasts which followed them. 10Then the king
of Israel said, “Alas! The LORD has called these three kings to give them
into the hand of Moab.” 11And Jehosh'aphat said, “Is there no prophet of the
LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” Then one of the
king of Israel’s servants answered, “Eli'sha the son of Sha'phat is here, who
poured water on the hands of Eli'jah.” 12And Jehosh'aphat said, “The word
of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the
king of E'dom went down to him.
13 And Eli'sha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go
to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the
king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the LORD who has called these three
kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” 14And Eli'sha said, “As the
LORD of hosts lives, whom I serve, were it not that I have regard for
Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you, nor see you.
15But now bring me a minstrel.” And when the minstrel played, the power
of the LORD came upon him. 16And he said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I will
make this dry stream-bed full of pools.’ 17For thus says the LORD, ‘You
shall not see wind or rain, but that stream-bed shall be filled with water, so
that you shall drink, you, your cattle, and your beasts.’ 18This is a light
thing in the sight of the LORD; he will also give the Moabites into your
hand, 19and you shall conquer every fortified city, and every choice city,
and shall fell every good tree, and stop up all springs of water, and ruin
every good piece of land with stones.” 20The next morning, about the time
of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of E'dom,
till the country was filled with water.
21 When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against
them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest,
were called out, and were drawn up at the frontier. 22And when they rose
early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, the Moabites saw
the water opposite them as red as blood. 23And they said, “This is blood; the
kings have surely fought together, and slain one another. Now then, Moab,
to the spoil!” 24But when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose
and attacked the Moabites, till they fled before them; and they went
forward, slaughtering the Moabites as they went.d 25And they overthrew the
cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a stone, until it was
covered; they stopped every spring of water, and felled all the good trees;
till only its stones were left in Kir-har'-eseth, and the slingers surrounded
and conquered it. 26When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going
against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through,
opposite the king of E'dom; but they could not. 27Then he took his eldest
son who was to reign in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon
the wall. And there came great wrath upon Israel; and they withdrew from
him and returned to their own land.
Elisha and the Widow’s Jar of Oil
4 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Eli'sha, “Your
servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the
LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”
2And Eli'sha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you
in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house,
except a jar of oil.” 3Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels of all your
neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4Then go in, and shut the door
upon yourself and your sons, and pour into all these vessels; and when one
is full, set it aside.” 5So she went from him and shut the door upon herself
and her sons; and as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6When the
vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he
said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7She came
and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts,
and you and your sons can live on the rest.”
Elisha and the Shunammite Couple
8 One day Eli'sha went on to Shu'nem, where a wealthy woman lived, who
urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn
in there to eat food. 9And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive
that this is a holy man of God, who is continually passing our way. 10Let us
make a small roof chamber with walls, and put there for him a bed, a table,
a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.”
11 One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there.
12And he said to Geha'zi his servant, “Call this Shu'nammite.” When he had
called her, she stood before him. 13And he said to him, “Say now to her,
See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you?
Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the
commander of the army?” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”
14And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Geha'zi answered, “Well,
she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15He said, “Call her.” And when he
had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16And he said, “At this season,
when the time comes round, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No,
my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your maidservant.” 17But the woman
conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as
Eli'sha had said to her.
Elisha Restores the Shunammite’s Son
18 When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the
reapers. 19And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father
said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20And when he had lifted
him, and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and
then he died. 21And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God,
and shut the door upon him, and went out. 22Then she called to her
husband, and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys,
that I may quickly go to the man of God, and come back again.” 23And he
said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath.”
She said, “It will be well.” 24Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to
her servant, “Urge the beast on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell
you.” 25So she set out, and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Geha'zi his servant,
“Look, yonder is the Shu'nammite; 26run at once to meet her, and say to her,
Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?”
And she answered, “It is well.” 27And when she came to the mountain to
the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Geha'zi came to thrust her
away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone, for she is in bitter distress;
and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me.” 28Then she said,
“Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, Do not deceive me?” 29He said
to Geha'zi, “Gird up your loins, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If
you meet any one, do not salute him; and if any one salutes you, do not
reply; and lay my staff upon the face of the child.” 30Then the mother of the
child said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave
you.” So he arose and followed her. 31Geha'zi went on ahead and laid the
staff upon the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life.
Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, “The child has not
awaked.”
32 When Eli'sha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his
bed. 33So he went in and shut the door upon the two of them, and prayed to
the LORD. 34Then he went up and lay upon the child, putting his mouth
upon his mouth, his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and
as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm.
35Then he got up again, and walked once back and forth in the house, and
went up, and stretched himself upon him; the child sneezed seven times,
and the child opened his eyes. 36Then he summoned Geha'zi and said, “Call
this Shu'nammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said,
“Take up your son.” 37She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground;
then she took up her son and went out.
Elisha Purifies the Pot of Pottage
38 And Eli'sha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land.
And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his
servant, “Put on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.”
39One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine
and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up
into the pot of pottage, not knowing what they were. 40And they poured out
for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the pottage, they cried out,
“O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41He
said, “Then bring meal.” And he threw it into the pot, and said, “Pour out
for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.
Elisha Feeds a Hundred Men
42 A man came from Ba'al-shal'ishah, bringing the man of God bread of
the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack.
And Eli'sha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” 43But his servant
said, “How am I to set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give
them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat
and have some left.’ ” 44So he set it before them. And they ate, and had
some left, according to the word of the LORD.
Naaman Is Cured of Leprosy
5 Na'aman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great
man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given
victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2Now
the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little maid from the land
of Israel, and she waited on Na'aman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress,
“Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samar'ia! He would
cure him of his leprosy.” 4So Na'aman went in and told his lord, “Thus and
so spoke the maiden from the land of Israel.” 5And the king of Syria said,
“Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of
gold, and ten festal garments. 6And he brought the letter to the king of
Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to
you Na'aman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7And when
the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to
kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his
leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
8 But when Eli'sha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn
his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes?
Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in
Israel.” 9So Na'aman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the
door of Eli'sha’s house. 10And Eli'sha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go
and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and
you shall be clean.” 11But Na'aman was angry, and went away, saying,
“Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call
on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and
cure the leper. 12Are not Aba'na e and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus,
better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be
clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13But his servants came near
and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had commanded you to do some
great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he
says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14So he went down and dipped himself
seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his
flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he
came and stood before him; and he said, “Behold, I know that there is no
God in all the earth but in Israel; * so accept now a present from your
servant.” 16But he said, “As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will receive
none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17Then Na'aman said,
“If not, I beg you, let there be given to your servant two mules’ burden of
earth; for henceforth your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to
any god but the LORD. 18In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant:
when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning
on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself
in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.” 19He
said to him, “Go in peace.”
But when Na'aman had gone from him a short distance, 20Geha'zi, the
servant of Eli'sha the man of God, said, “See, my master has spared this
Na'aman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the
LORD lives, I will run after him, and get something from him.” 21So Geha'zi
followed Na'aman. And when Naaman saw some one running after him, he
alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” 22And he
said, “All is well. My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come
to me from the hill country of E'phraim two young men of the sons of the
prophets; please, give them a talent of silver and two festal garments.’ ”
23And Na'aman said, “Be pleased to accept two talents.” And he urged him,
and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two festal garments, and
laid them upon two of his servants; and they carried them before Geha'zi.
24And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and put them
in the house; and he sent the men away, and they departed. 25He went in,
and stood before his master, and Eli'sha said to him, “Where have you been,
Geha'zi?” And he said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26But he said to him,
“Did I not go with you in spirit when the man turned from his chariot to
meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and
vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants? 27Therefore the
leprosy of Na'aman shall cling to you, and to your descendants for ever.” So
he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.
The Miracle of the Axe Head
6 Now the sons of the prophets said to Eli'sha, “See, the place where we
dwell under your charge is too small for us. 2Let us go to the Jordan and
each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.”
And he answered, “Go.” 3Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with
your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” 4So he went with them. And
when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5But as one was felling
a log, his axe head fell into the water; and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It
was borrowed.” 6Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he
showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the
iron float. 7And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took
it.
A Syrian Attack Is Thwarted
8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel
with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.”
9But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do
not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10And the king of
Israel sent to the place of which the man of God told him. Thus he used to
warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.
11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this
incident; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show
me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12And one of his servants said,
“None, my lord, O king; but Eli'sha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the
king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber.” 13And he said,
“Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him,
“Behold, he is in Do'than.” 14So he sent there horses and chariots and a
great army; and they came by night, and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went
out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was round about the city. And
the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16He said, “Fear
not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17Then Eli'sha prayed, and said, “O LORD, I beg you, open his eyes that he
may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and
behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about
Eli'sha. 18And when the Syrians came down against him, Eli'sha prayed to
the LORD, and said, “Strike this people, I pray you, with blindness.” So he
struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19And
Eli'sha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city; follow me,
and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to
Samar'ia.
20 As soon as they entered Samar'ia, Eli'sha said, “O LORD, open the eyes
of these men, that they may see.” So the LORD opened their eyes, and they
saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21When the king of
Israel saw them he said to Eli'sha, “My father, shall I slay them? Shall I slay
them?” 22He answered, “You shall not slay them. Would you slay those
whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set
bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their
master.” 23So he prepared for them a great feast; and when they had eaten
and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the
Syrians came no more on raids into the land of Israel.
Ben-hadad’s Siege of Samaria
24 Afterward Ben-ha'dad king of Syria mustered his entire army, and went
up, and besieged Samar'ia. 25And there was a great famine in Samar'ia, as
they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver,
and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26Now
as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, a woman cried out to
him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!” 27And he said, “If the LORD will not
help you, how shall I help you? From the threshing floor, or from the wine
press?” 28And the king asked her, “What is your trouble?” She answered,
“This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and
we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29So we boiled my son, and ate him. And on
the next day I said to her, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has
hidden her son.” 30When the king heard the words of the woman he tore his
clothes—now he was passing by upon the wall—and the people looked, and
behold, he had sackcloth beneath upon his body—31and he said, “May God
do so to me, and more also, if the head of Eli'sha the son of Sha'phat
remains on his shoulders today.”
32 Eli'sha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him.
Now the king had dispatched a man from his presence; but before the
messenger arrived Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer
has sent to take off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the
door, and hold the door fast against him. Is not the sound of his master’s
feet behind him?” 33And while he was still speaking with them, the king f
came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the LORD! Why should I
wait for the LORD
7 any longer?” 1But Eli'sha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says
the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine meal shall be sold
for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of
Samar'ia.” 2Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man
of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this
thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall
not eat of it.”
The Syrians Flee
3 Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate;
and they said to one another, “Why do we sit here till we die? 4If we say,
‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if
we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the
Syrians; if they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but
die.” 5So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; but when
they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one
there. 6For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of
chariots, and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one
another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the
Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come upon us.” 7So they fled away in the
twilight and forsook their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the
camp as it was, and fled for their lives. 8And when these lepers came to the
edge of the camp, they went into a tent, and ate and drank, and they carried
off silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came
back, and entered another tent, and carried off things from it, and went and
hid them.
9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day
of good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment
will overtake us; now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s
household.” 10So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and
told them, “We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no
one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied, and the donkeys
tied, and the tents as they were.” 11Then the gatekeepers called out, and it
was told within the king’s household. 12And the king rose in the night, and
said to his servants, “I will tell you what the Syrians have prepared against
us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the
camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, ‘When they come
out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.’ ” 13And one of
his servants said, “Let some men take five of the remaining horses, seeing
that those who are left here will fare like the whole multitude of Israel that
have already perished; let us send and see.” 14So they took two mounted
men, and the king sent them after the army of the Syrians, saying, “Go and
see.” 15So they went after them as far as the Jordan; and, behold, all the way
was littered with garments and equipment which the Syrians had thrown
away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.
16 Then the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a
measure of fine meal was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for
a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17Now the king had appointed
the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; and the
people trod upon him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had
said when the king came down to him. 18For when the man of God had said
to the king, “Two measures of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a
measure of fine meal for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of
Samar'ia,” 19the captain had answered the man of God, “If the LORD himself
should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said,
“You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 20And so it
happened to him, for the people trod upon him in the gate and he died.
The Shunammite Woman’s Land Restored
8 Now Eli'sha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life,
“Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can; for
the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven
years.” 2So the woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of
God; she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the
Philis'tines seven years. 3And at the end of the seven years, when the
woman returned from the land of the Philis'tines, she went forth to appeal to
the king for her house and her land. 4Now the king was talking with Geha'zi
the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that
Eli'sha has done.” 5And while he was telling the king how Eli'sha had
restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to
life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Geha'zi said, “My
lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored
to life.” 6And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king
appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together
with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until
now.”
The Death of Ben-hadad
7 Now Eli'sha came to Damascus. Ben-ha'dad the king of Syria was sick;
and when it was told him, “The man of God has come here,” 8the king said
to Haz'ael, “Take a present with you and go to meet the man of God, and
inquire of the LORD through him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this
sickness?’ ” 9So Haz'ael went to meet him, and took a present with him, all
kinds of goods of Damascus, forty camel loads. When he came and stood
before him, he said, “Your son Ben-ha'dad king of Syria has sent me to you,
saying, ‘Shall I recover from this sickness?’ ” 10And Eli'sha said to him,
“Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover’; but the LORD has shown me
that he shall certainly die.” 11And he fixed his gaze and stared at him, until
he was ashamed. And the man of God wept. 12And Haz'ael said, “Why does
my lord weep?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to
the sons of Israel; you will set on fire their fortresses, and you will slay their
young men with the sword, and dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up
their women with child.” 13And Haz'ael said, “What is your servant, who is
but a dog, that he should do this great thing?” Eli'sha answered, “The LORD
has shown me that you are to be king over Syria.” 14Then he departed from
Eli'sha, and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to
you?” And he answered, “He told me that you would certainly recover.”
15But the next day he took the coverlet and dipped it in water and spread it
over his face, till he died. And Haz'ael became king in his stead.
Jehoram Reigns over Judah
16 In the fifth year of Jo'ram the son of A'hab, king of Israel,g Jeho'ram the
done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in
the sight of the LORD. 19Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah, for the sake
of David his servant, since he promised to give a lamp to him and to his
sons for ever.
20 In his days E'dom revolted from the rule of Judah, and set up a king of
their own. 21Then Jo'ram passed over to Za'ir with all his chariots, and rose
by night, and he and his chariot commanders struck the E'domites who had
surrounded him; but his army fled home. 22So E'dom revolted from the rule
of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23Now the rest
of the acts of Jo'ram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of
the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 24So Jo'ram slept with his fathers,
and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahazi'ah his son
reigned in his stead.
Ahaziah Reigns over Judah
25 In the twelfth year of Jo'ram the son of A'hab, king of Israel, Ahazi'ah
the son of Jeho'ram, king of Judah, began to reign. 26Ahazi'ah was twenty-
two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in
Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athali'ah; she was a granddaughter of
Omri king of Israel. 27He also walked in the way of the house of A'hab, and
did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done,
for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab.
28 He went with Jo'ram the son of A'hab to make war against Haz'ael king
came, behold, the commanders of the army were in council; and he said, “I
have an errand to you, O commander.” And Je'hu said, “To which of us
all?” And he said, “To you, O commander.” 6So he arose, and went into the
house; and the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus
says the LORD the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the
LORD, over Israel. 7And you shall strike down the house of A'hab your
master, that I may avenge on Jez'ebel the blood of my servants the prophets,
and the blood of all the servants of the LORD. 8For the whole house of A'hab
shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.
9And I will make the house of A'hab like the house of Jerobo'am the son of
Ne'bat, and like the house of Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah. 10And the dogs
shall eat Jez'ebel in the territory of Jezre'el, and none shall bury her.” Then
he opened the door, and fled.
11 When Je'hu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, “Is
all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them,
“You know the fellow and his talk.” 12And they said, “That is not true; tell
us now.” And he said, “Thus and so he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the
LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.’ ” 13Then in haste every man of them
took his garment, and put it under him on the bare i steps, and they blew the
trumpet, and proclaimed, “Je'hu is king.”
Joram of Israel Killed
14 Thus Je'hu the son of Jehosh'aphat the son of Nimshi conspired against
Jo'ram. (Now Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ra'moth-gil'ead
against Haz'ael king of Syria; 15but King Jo'ram had returned to be healed
in Jezre'el of the wounds which the Syrians had given him, when he fought
with Haz'ael king of Syria.) So Je'hu said, “If this is your mind, then let no
one slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.” 16Then Je'hu
mounted his chariot, and went to Jezre'el, for Jo'ram lay there. And
Ahazi'ah king of Judah had come down to visit Joram.
17 Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezre'el, and he spied
the company of Je'hu as he came, and said, “I see a company.” And Jo'ram
said, “Take a horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, ‘Is it
peace?’ ” 18So a man on horseback went to meet him, and said, “Thus says
the king, ‘Is it peace?’ ” And Je'hu said, “What have you to do with peace?
Turn round and ride behind me.” And the watchman reported, saying, “The
messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.” 19Then he sent out a
second horseman, who came to them, and said, “Thus the king has said, ‘Is
it peace?’ ” And Je'hu answered, “What have you to do with peace? Turn
round and ride behind me.” 20Again the watchman reported, “He reached
them, but he is not coming back. And the driving is like the driving of Je'hu
the son of Nimshi; for he drives furiously.”
21 Jo'ram said, “Make ready.” And they made ready his chariot. Then
Joram king of Israel and Ahazi'ah king of Judah set out, each in his chariot,
and went to meet Je'hu, and met him at the property of Naboth the
Jezre'elite. 22And when Jo'ram saw Je'hu, he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” He
answered, “What peace can there be, so long as the harlotries and the
sorceries of your mother Jez'ebel are so many?” 23Then Jo'ram reined about
and fled, saying to Ahazi'ah, “Treachery, O Ahaziah!” 24And Je'hu drew his
bow with his full strength, and shot Jo'ram between the shoulders, so that
the arrow pierced his heart, and he sank in his chariot. * 25Je'hu said to
Bidkar his aide, “Take him up, and cast him on the plot of ground belonging
to Naboth the Jezre'elite; for remember, when you and I rode side by side
behind A'hab his father, how the LORD uttered this oracle against him: 26‘As
surely as I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons—
says the LORD—I will repay you on this plot of ground.’ Now therefore
take him up and cast him on the plot of ground, in accordance with the
word of the LORD.”
Ahaziah of Judah Killed
27 When Ahazi'ah the king of Judah saw this, he fled in the direction of
Beth-hag'gan. And Je'hu pursued him, and said, “Shoot him also”; and they
shot him j in the chariot at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ib'leam. And he
fled to Megid'do, and died there. 28His servants carried him in a chariot to
Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the city of David.
29 In the eleventh year of Jo'ram the son of A'hab, Ahazi'ah began to reign
over Judah.
Jezebel’s Violent Death
30 When Je'hu came to Jezre'el, Jez'ebel heard of it; and she painted her
eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out of the window. 31And as Je'hu
entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your
master?” 32And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, “Who is on
my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 33He said,
“Throw her down.” So they threw her down; and some of her blood
spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. 34Then he
went in and ate and drank; and he said, “See now to this cursed woman, and
bury her; for she is a king’s daughter.” 35But when they went to bury her,
they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her
hands. 36When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of
the LORD, which he spoke by his servant Eli'jah the Tishbite, ‘In the
territory of Jezre'el the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jez'ebel; 37and the corpse
of Jez'ebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the territory of
Jezre'el, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’ ”
Massacre of Ahab’s Descendants
10 Now A'hab had seventy sons in Samar'ia. So Je'hu wrote letters, and
sent them to Samar'ia, to the rulers of the city,k to the elders, and to the
guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying, 2“Now then, as soon as this letter
comes to you, seeing your master’s sons are with you, and there are with
you chariots and horses, fortified cities also, and weapons, 3select the best
and fittest of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne, and fight
for your master’s house.” 4But they were exceedingly afraid, and said,
“Behold, the two kings could not stand before him; how then can we
stand?” 5So he who was over the palace, and he who was over the city,
together with the elders and the guardians, sent to Je'hu, saying, “We are
your servants, and we will do all that you bid us. We will not make any one
king; do whatever is good in your eyes.” 6Then he wrote to them a second
letter, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you are ready to obey me, take
the heads of your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezre'el tomorrow at this
time.” Now the king’s sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the
city, who were bringing them up. 7And when the letter came to them, they
took the king’s sons, and slew them, seventy persons, and put their heads in
baskets, and sent them to him at Jezre'el. 8When the messenger came and
told him, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Lay
them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” 9Then in
the morning, when he went out, he stood, and said to all the people, “You
are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master, and slew him; but
who struck down all these? 10Know then that there shall fall to the earth
nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spoke concerning the
house of A'hab; for the LORD has done what he said by his servant Eli'jah.”
11So Je'hu slew all that remained of the house of A'hab in Jezre'el, all his
great men, and his familiar friends, and his priests, until he left him none
remaining.
12 Then he set out and went to Samar'ia. On the way, when he was at Beth-
ek'ed of the Shepherds, 13Je'hu met the kinsmen of Ahazi'ah king of Judah,
and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the kinsmen of
Ahazi'ah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the
queen mother.” 14He said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive, and
slew them at the pit of Beth-ek'ed, forty-two persons, and he spared none of
them.
15 And when he departed from there, he met Jehon'adab the son of Re'chab
coming to meet him; and he greeted him, and said to him, “Is your heart
true to my heart as mine is to yours?” l And Jehonadab answered, “It is.”
Je'hu said,m “If it is, give me your hand.” So he gave him his hand. And
Jehu took him up with him into the chariot. 16And he said, “Come with me,
and see my zeal for the LORD.” So he n had him ride in his chariot. 17And
when he came to Samar'ia, he slew all that remained to A'hab in Samaria,
till he had wiped them out, according to the word of the LORD which he
spoke to Eli'jah.
Jehu Slaughters the Worshipers of Baal
18 Then Je'hu assembled all the people, and said to them, “A'hab served
Ba'al a little; but Jehu will serve him much. 19Now therefore call to me all
the prophets of Ba'al, all his worshipers and all his priests; let none be
missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal; whoever is missing
shall not live.” But Je'hu did it with cunning in order to destroy the
worshipers of Ba'al. 20And Je'hu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for
Ba'al.” So they proclaimed it. 21And Je'hu sent throughout all Israel; and all
the worshipers of Ba'al came, so that there was not a man left who did not
come. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled
from one end to the other. 22He said to him who was in charge of the
wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Ba'al.” So he
brought out the vestments for them. 23Then Je'hu went into the house of
Ba'al with Jehon'adab the son of Re'chab; and he said to the worshipers of
Baal, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the LORD here among you,
but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24Then he o went in to offer sacrifices and
burnt offerings.
Now Je'hu had stationed eighty men outside, and said, “The man who
allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his
life.” 25So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering,
Je'hu said to the guard and to the officers, “Go in and slay them; let not a
man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the
officers cast them out and went into the inner room p of the house of Ba'al
26and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Ba'al, and burned
it. 27And they demolished the pillar of Ba'al, and demolished the house of
Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.
28 Thus Je'hu wiped out Ba'al from Israel. 29But Je'hu did not turn aside
from the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, which he made Israel to sin,
the golden calves that were in Bethel, and in Dan. 30And the LORD said to
Je'hu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my
eyes, and have done to the house of A'hab according to all that was in my
heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.”
31But Je'hu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD the God of Israel
with all his heart; he did not turn from the sins of Jerobo'am, which he made
Israel to sin.
Death of Jehu
32 In those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel. Haz'ael defeated
them throughout the territory of Israel: 33from the Jordan eastward, all the
land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manas'sites, from
Aro'er, which is by the valley of the Arnon, that is, Gilead and Bashan.
34Now the rest of the acts of Je'hu, and all that he did, and all his might, are
they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35So
Je'hu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samar'ia. And Jeho'ahaz
his son reigned in his stead. 36The time that Je'hu reigned over Israel in
Samar'ia was twenty-eight years.
Athaliah Reigns over Judah
11 Now when Athali'ah the mother of Ahazi'ah saw that her son was
dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. 2But Jehosh'eba, the
daughter of King Jo'ram, sister of Ahazi'ah, took Jo'ash the son of Ahaziah,
and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be slain,
and she put q him and his nurse in a bedchamber. Thus she r hid him from
Athali'ah, so that he was not slain; 3and he remained with her six years, hid
in the house of the LORD, while Athali'ah reigned over the land.
Jehoiada Anoints the Child Joash
4 But in the seventh year Jehoi'ada sent and brought the captains of the
Cari'tes and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the
LORD; and he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the
house of the LORD, and he showed them the king’s son. 5And he
commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you,
those who come off duty on the sabbath and guard the king’s house
6(another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the
guards), shall guard the palace; 7and the two divisions of you, which come
on duty in force on the sabbath and guard the house of the LORD,s 8shall
surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever
approaches the ranks is to be slain. Be with the king when he goes out and
when he comes in.”
9 The captains did according to all that Jehoi'ada the priest commanded,
and each brought his men who were to go off duty on the sabbath, with
those who were to come on duty on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the
priest. 10And the priest delivered to the captains the spears and shields that
had been King David’s, which were in the house of the LORD; 11and the
guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side
of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house.t
12Then he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave
him the covenant; and they proclaimed him king, and anointed him; and
they clapped their hands, and said, “Long live the king!”
Death of Athaliah
13 When Athali'ah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went
into the house of the LORD to the people; 14and when she looked, there was
the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains
and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing
and blowing trumpets. And Athali'ah tore her clothes, and cried, “Treason!
Treason!” 15Then Jehoi'ada the priest commanded the captains who were
set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks; and slay with the
sword any one who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be slain in
the house of the LORD.” 16So they laid hands on her; and she went through
the horses’ entrance to the king’s house, and there she was slain.
17 And Jehoi'ada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and
people, that they should be the LORD’s people; and also between the king
and the people. 18Then all the people of the land went to the house of Ba'al,
and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they
slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted
watchmen over the house of the LORD. 19And he took the captains, the
Cari'tes, the guards, and all the people of the land; and they brought the
king down from the house of the LORD, marching through the gate of the
guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings.
20So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet after
Athali'ah had been slain with the sword at the king’s house.
Reign of Jehoash and the Repair of the Temple
21 u Jeho'ash was seven years old when he began to reign.
12 In the seventh year of Je'hu Jeho'ash began to reign, and he reigned
forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zib'iah of Be'er-she'ba.
2And Jeho'ash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days,
because Jehoi'ada the priest instructed him. 3Nevertheless the high places
were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense on
the high places.
4 Jeho'ash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things which is
brought into the house of the LORD, the money for which each man is
assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money
which a man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the LORD, 5let
the priests take, each from his acquaintance; and let them repair the house
wherever any need of repairs is discovered.” 6But by the twenty-third year
of King Jeho'ash the priests had made no repairs on the house. 7Therefore
King Jeho'ash summoned Jehoi'ada the priest and the other priests and said
to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no
more money from your acquaintances, but hand it over for the repair of the
house.” 8So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from
the people, and that they should not repair the house.
9 Then Jehoi'ada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it,
and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the
LORD; and the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that
was brought into the house of the LORD. 10And whenever they saw that
there was much money in the chest, the king’s secretary and the high priest
came up and they counted and tied up in bags the money that was found in
the house of the LORD. 11Then they would give the money that was weighed
out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the
LORD; and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked
upon the house of the LORD, 12and to the masons and the stonecutters, as
well as to buy timber and quarried stone for making repairs on the house of
the LORD, and for any outlay upon the repairs of the house. 13But there were
not made for the house of the LORD basins of silver, snuffers, bowls,
trumpets, or any vessels of gold, or of silver, from the money that was
brought into the house of the LORD, 14for that was given to the workmen
who were repairing the house of the LORD with it. 15And they did not ask an
accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay
out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly. 16The money from the guilt
offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the
house of the LORD; it belonged to the priests.
Hazael of Syria Threatens Jerusalem
17 At that time Haz'ael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and
took it. But when Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem, 18Jeho'ash
king of Judah took all the votive gifts that Jehosh'aphat and Jeho'ram and
Ahazi'ah, his fathers, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own votive
gifts, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the
LORD and of the king’s house, and sent these to Haz'ael king of Syria. Then
Hazael went away from Jerusalem.
Death of Joash
19 Now the rest of the acts of Jo'ash, and all that he did, are they not
written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20His servants
arose and made a conspiracy, and slew Jo'ash in the house of Millo, on the
way that goes down to Silla. 21It was Jo'zacar the son of Shim'eath and
Jeho'zabad the son of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that
he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and
Amazi'ah his son reigned in his stead.
Jehoahaz Reigns over Israel
13 In the twenty-third year of Jo'ash the son of Ahazi'ah, king of Judah,
Jeho'ahaz the son of Je'hu began to reign over Israel in Samar'ia, and he
reigned seventeen years. 2He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and
followed the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, which he made Israel to
sin; he did not depart from them. 3And the anger of the LORD was kindled
against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Haz'ael king of
Syria and into the hand of Ben-ha'dad the son of Hazael. 4Then Jeho'ahaz
besought the LORD, and the LORD listened to him; for he saw the oppression
of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them. 5(Therefore the LORD gave
Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians; and the
sons of Israel dwelt in their homes as formerly. 6Nevertheless they did not
depart from the sins of the house of Jerobo'am, which he made Israel to sin,
but walked v in them; and the Ashe'rah also remained in Samar'ia.) 7For
there was not left to Jeho'ahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten
chariots and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them
and made them like the dust at threshing. 8Now the rest of the acts of
Jeho'ahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book
of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9So Jeho'ahaz slept with his
fathers, and they buried him in Samar'ia; and Jo'ash his son reigned in his
stead.
Jehoash Reigns over Israel
10 In the thirty-seventh year of Jo'ash king of Judah Jeho'ash the son of
die, Jo'ash king of Israel went down to him, and wept before him, crying,
“My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15And
Eli'sha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows”; so he took a bow and arrows.
16Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow”; and he drew it. And
Eli'sha laid his hands upon the king’s hands. 17And he said, “Open the
window eastward”; and he opened it. Then Eli'sha said, “Shoot”; and he
shot. And he said, “The LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over
Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in A'phek until you have made an end
of them.” 18And he said, “Take the arrows”; and he took them. And he said
to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them”; and he struck three
times, and stopped. 19Then the man of God was angry with him, and said,
“You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck
down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down
Syria only three times.”
20 So Eli'sha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to
invade the land in the spring of the year. 21And as a man was being buried,
behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was cast into the grave of
Eli'sha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and
stood on his feet.
Israel Recaptures Its Cities from Syria
22 Now Haz'ael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jeho'ahaz.
23But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he
turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, and would not destroy them; nor has he cast them from his presence
until now.
24 When Haz'ael king of Syria died, Ben-ha'dad his son became king in his
stead. 25Then Jeho'ash the son of Jeho'ahaz took again from Ben-ha'dad the
son of Haz'ael the cities which he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in
war. Three times Jo'ash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.
Amaziah Reigns over Judah
14 In the second year of Jo'ash the son of Jo'ahaz, king of Israel,
Amazi'ah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign. 2He was twenty-
five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in
Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Je'ho-ad'din of Jerusalem. 3And he did
what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father; he did
in all things as Jo'ash his father had done. 4But the high places were not
removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
5And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand he killed his
servants who had slain the king his father. 6But he did not put to death the
children of the murderers; according to what is written in the book of the
law of Moses, where the LORD commanded, “The fathers shall not be put to
death for the children, or the children be put to death for the fathers; but
every man shall die for his own sin.”
7 He killed ten thousand E'domites in the Valley of Salt and took Se'la by
Je'hu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.”
9And Jeho'ash king of Israel sent word to Amazi'ah king of Judah, “A
how he fought with Amazi'ah king of Judah, are they not written in the
Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16And Jeho'ash slept with his
fathers, and was buried in Samar'ia with the kings of Israel; and Jerobo'am
his son reigned in his stead.
17 Amazi'ah the son of Jo'ash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the
death of Jeho'ash son of Jeho'ahaz, king of Israel. 18Now the rest of the
deeds of Amazi'ah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the
Kings of Judah? 19And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem,
and he fled to La'chish. But they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him
there. 20And they brought him upon horses; and he was buried in Jerusalem
with his fathers in the city of David. 21And all the people of Judah took
Azari'ah, * who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his
father Amazi'ah. 22He built E'lath and restored it to Judah, after the king
slept with his fathers.
Jeroboam II Reigns over Israel
23 In the fifteenth year of Amazi'ah the son of Jo'ash, king of Judah,
Jerobo'am the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samar'ia, and
he reigned forty-one years. 24And he did what was evil in the sight of the
LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat,
which he made Israel to sin. 25He restored the border of Israel from the
entrance of Ha'math as far as the Sea of the Ar'abah, according to the word
of the LORD, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son
of Amit'tai, the prophet, who was from Gath-he'pher. 26For the LORD saw
that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or
free, and there was none to help Israel. 27But the LORD had not said that he
would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by
the hand of Jerobo'am the son of Jo'ash.
28 Now the rest of the acts of Jerobo'am, and all that he did, and his might,
how he fought, and how he recovered for Israel Damascus and Ha'math,
which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the Book of the
Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29And Jerobo'am slept with his fathers,
the kings of Israel, and Zechari'ah his son reigned in his stead.
Azariah Reigns over Judah
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jerobo'am king of Israel Azari'ah the
son of Amazi'ah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2He was sixteen years old
when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His
mother’s name was Jecoli'ah of Jerusalem. 3And he did what was right in
the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amazi'ah had done.
4Nevertheless the high places were not taken away; the people still
sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 5And the LORD struck the
king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he dwelt in a
separate house. And Jo'tham the king’s son was over the household,
governing the people of the land. 6Now the rest of the acts of Azari'ah, and
all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the
Kings of Judah? 7And Azari'ah slept with his fathers, and they buried him
with his fathers in the city of David, and Jo'tham his son reigned in his
stead.
Zechariah Reigns over Israel
8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azari'ah king of Judah Zechari'ah the son of
Jerobo'am reigned over Israel in Samar'ia six months. 9And he did what was
evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not depart from
the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, which he made Israel to sin.
10Shallum the son of Ja'besh conspired against him, and struck him down at
Ib'leam,w and killed him, and reigned in his stead. 11Now the rest of the
deeds of Zechari'ah, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles
of the Kings of Israel. 12(This was the promise of the LORD which he gave
to Je'hu, “Your sons shall sit upon the throne of Israel to the fourth
generation.” And so it came to pass.)
Shallum Reigns over Israel
13 Shallum the son of Ja'besh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of
Uzzi'ah king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samar'ia. 14Then
Men'ahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samar'ia, and
he struck down Shallum the son of Ja'besh in Samaria and slew him, and
reigned in his stead. 15Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the
conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the
Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 16At that time Men'ahem sacked Tap'pu-
ah x and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on; because they did
not open it to him, therefore he sacked it, and he ripped up all the women in
it who were with child.
Menahem Reigns over Israel
17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azari'ah king of Judah Men'ahem the son of
Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samar'ia. 18And
he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart all his days
from all the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, which he made Israel to
sin. 19Pul the king of Assyria came against the land; and Men'ahem gave
Pul * a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold
of the royal power. 20Men'ahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from
all the wealthy men, fifty shekels of silver from every man, to give to the
king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there
in the land. 21Now the rest of the deeds of Men'ahem, and all that he did,
are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
22And Men'ahem slept with his fathers, and Pekahi'ah his son reigned in his
stead.
Pekahiah Reigns over Israel
23 In the fiftieth year of Azari'ah king of Judah Pekahi'ah the son of
Men'ahem began to reign over Israel in Samar'ia, and he reigned two years.
24And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not turn away
from the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, which he made Israel to sin.
25And Pe'kah the son of Remali'ah, his captain, conspired against him with
fifty men of the Gileadites, and slew him in Samar'ia, in the citadel of the
king’s house; y he slew him, and reigned in his stead. 26Now the rest of the
deeds of Pekahi'ah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the Book
of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
Pekah Reigns over Israel
27 In the fifty-second year of Azari'ah king of Judah Pe'kah the son of
Remali'ah began to reign over Israel in Samar'ia, and he reigned twenty
years. 28And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart
from the sins of Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, which he made Israel to sin.
29 In the days of Pe'kah king of Israel Tig'lath-pile'ser king of Assyria
Jo'tham the son of Uzzi'ah, king of Judah, began to reign. 33He was twenty-
five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in
Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jeru'sha the daughter of Za'dok. 34And
he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his
father Uzzi'ah had done. 35Nevertheless the high places were not removed;
the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. He built
the upper gate of the house of the LORD. 36Now the rest of the acts of
Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the
Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 37In those days the LORD began to send
Re'zin the king of Syria and Pe'kah the son of Remali'ah against Judah.
38Jo'tham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city
of David his father; and A'haz his son reigned in his stead.
Ahaz Reigns over Judah
16 In the seventeenth year of Pe'kah the son of Remali'ah, A'haz the son
of Jo'tham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2Ahaz was twenty years old when
he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not
do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God, as his father David had
done, 3but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his
son as an offering,z according to the abominable practices of the nations
whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. * 4And he sacrificed
and burned incense on the high places, and on the hills, and under every
green tree.
5 Then Re'zin king of Syria and Pe'kah the son of Remali'ah, king of
Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged A'haz but
could not conquer him. 6At that time a the king of E'dom b recovered E'lath
for Edom,b and drove the men of Judah from Elath; and the E'domites came
to Elath, where they dwell to this day. 7So A'haz sent messengers to
Tig'lath-pile'ser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son.
Come up, and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the
hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8A'haz also took the
silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasures
of the king’s house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria. 9And the king
of Assyria listened to him; the king of Assyria marched up against
Damascus, and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed
Re'zin.
10 When King A'haz went to Damascus to meet Tig'lath-pile'ser king of
Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to
Uri'ah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details.
11And Uri'ah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King A'haz
had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz
arrived from Damascus. 12And when the king came from Damascus, the
king viewed the altar. Then the king drew near to the altar, and went up on
it, 13and burned his burnt offering and his cereal offering, and poured his
drink offering, and threw the blood of his peace offerings upon the altar.
14And the bronze altar which was before the LORD he removed from the
front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the
LORD, and put it on the north side of his altar. 15And King A'haz
commanded Uri'ah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar burn the
morning burnt offering, and the evening cereal offering, and the king’s
burnt offering, and his cereal offering, with the burnt offering of all the
people of the land, and their cereal offering, and their drink offering; and
throw upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the
sacrifice; but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.” 16Uri'ah the
priest did all this, as King A'haz commanded.
17 And King A'haz cut off the frames of the stands, and removed the laver
from them, and he took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were
under it, and put it upon a pediment of stone. 18And the covered way for the
sabbath which had been built inside the palace, and the outer entrance for
the king he removed fromc the house of the LORD, because of the king of
Assyria. 19Now the rest of the acts of A'haz which he did, are they not
written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20And A'haz
slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David;
and Hezeki'ah his son reigned in his stead.
Hoshea Reigns over Israel
17 In the twelfth year of A'haz king of Judah Hoshe'a the son of E'lah
began to reign in Samar'ia over Israel, and he reigned nine years. 2And he
did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who
were before him. 3Against him came up Shalmane'ser king of Assyria; and
Hoshe'a became his vassal, and paid him tribute. 4But the king of Assyria
found treachery in Hoshe'a; for he had sent messengers to So, king of
Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by
year; therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samar'ia, and
for three years he besieged it. 6In the ninth year of Hoshe'a the king of
Assyria captured Samar'ia, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria,
and placed them in Ha'lah, and on the Ha'bor, the river of Gozan, and in the
cities of the Medes.
Sins of Israel Lead to Deportation
7 And this was so, because the sons of Israel had sinned against the LORD
their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under
the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods 8and walked
in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the sons of
Israel, and in the customs which the kings of Israel had introduced.d 9And
the sons of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were
not right. They built for themselves high places at all their towns, from
watchtower to fortified city; 10they set up for themselves pillars and
Ashe'rim on every high hill and under every green tree; 11and there they
burned incense on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD
carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD
to anger, 12and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, “You
shall not do this.” 13Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet
and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my
commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law which I
commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the
prophets.” 14But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers
had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God. 15They despised his
statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and the warnings
which he gave them. They went after false idols, and became false, and they
followed the nations that were round about them, concerning whom the
LORD had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16And they
forsook all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for
themselves molten images of two calves; and they made an Ashe'rah, and
worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Ba'al. 17And they burned their
sons and their daughters as offerings,e and used divination and sorcery, and
sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
18Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of
his sight; none was left but the tribe of Judah only. *
19 Judah also did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but
walked in the customs which Israel had introduced. 20And the LORD
rejected all the descendants of Israel, and afflicted them, and gave them into
the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
21 When he had torn Israel from the house of David they made Jerobo'am
the son of Ne'bat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD
and made them commit great sin. 22The sons of Israel walked in all the sins
which Jerobo'am did; they did not depart from them, 23until the LORD
removed Israel out of his sight, as he had spoken by all his servants the
prophets. So Israel was exiled from their own land to Assyria until this day.
Assyria Resettles Samaria
24 *And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cu'thah, Avva,
Ha'math, and Sepharva'im, and placed them in the cities of Samar'ia instead
of the sons of Israel; and they took possession of Samaria, and dwelt in its
cities. 25And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the
LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of
them. 26So the king of Assyria was told, “The nations which you have
carried away and placed in the cities of Samar'ia do not know the law of the
god of the land; therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they
are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land.”
27Then the king of Assyria commanded, “Send there one of the priests
whom you carried away from there; and let him f go and dwell there, and
teach them the law of the god of the land.” 28So one of the priests whom
they had carried away from Samar'ia came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught
them how they should fear the LORD.
29 But every nation still made gods of its own, and put them in the shrines
of the high places which the Samar'itans had made, every nation in the
cities in which they dwelt; 30the men of Babylon made Suc'coth-be'noth, the
men of Cuth made Ner'gal, the men of Ha'math made Ashi'ma, 31and the
Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sephar'vites burned their children
in the fire to Adram'melech and Anam'melech, the gods of Sepharva'im.
32They also feared the LORD, and appointed from among themselves all
sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the
shrines of the high places. 33So they feared the LORD but also served their
own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been
carried away. 34To this day they do according to the former manner.
They do not fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes or the
ordinances or the law or the commandment which the LORD commanded
the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35The LORD made a covenant
with them, and commanded them, “You shall not fear other gods or bow
yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them; 36but you shall fear
the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and
with an outstretched arm; you shall bow yourselves to him, and to him you
shall sacrifice. 37And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the
commandment which he wrote for you, you shall always be careful to do.
You shall not fear other gods, 38and you shall not forget the covenant that I
have made with you. You shall not fear other gods, 39but you shall fear the
LORD your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your
enemies.” 40However they would not listen, but they did according to their
former manner.
41 So these nations feared the LORD, and also served their graven images;
their children likewise, and their children’s children—as their fathers did, so
they do to this day.
Hezekiah Reigns over Judah
18 In the third year of Hoshe'a son of E'lah, king of Israel, Hezeki'ah
the son of A'haz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2He was twenty-five years
old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem.
His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechari'ah. 3And he did what
was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had
done. 4He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the
Ashe'rah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made,
for until those days the sons of Israel had burned incense to it; it was called
Nehush'tan. 5He trusted in the LORD the God of Israel; so that there was
none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who
were before him. 6For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from
following him, but kept the commandments which the LORD commanded
Moses. 7And the LORD was with him; wherever he went forth, he prospered.
He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and would not serve him. 8He
struck the Philis'tines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to
fortified city.
9 In the fourth year of King Hezeki'ah, which was the seventh year of
Hoshe'a son of E'lah, king of Israel, Shalmane'ser king of Assyria came up
against Samar'ia and besieged it 10and at the end of three years he took it. In
the sixth year of Hezeki'ah, which was the ninth year of Hoshe'a king of
Israel, Samar'ia was taken. 11The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away
to Assyria, and put them in Ha'lah, and on the Ha'bor, the river of Gozan,
and in the cities of the Medes, 12because they did not obey the voice of the
LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the
servant of the LORD commanded; they neither listened nor obeyed.
Sennacherib Invades Judah
13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezeki'ah Sennach'erib king of Assyria
came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14And
Hezeki'ah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at La'chish, saying, “I
have done wrong; withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will
bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three
hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15And Hezeki'ah gave
him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the
treasuries of the king’s house. 16At that time Hezeki'ah stripped the gold
from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the doorposts which
Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab'saris, and the Rab'shakeh
with a great army from La'chish to King Hezeki'ah at Jerusalem. And they
went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by
the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Fuller’s Field.
18And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eli'akim the
son of Hilki'ah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary,
and Jo'ah the son of A'saph, the recorder.
19 And the Rab'shakeh said to them, “Say to Hezeki'ah, ‘Thus says the
great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this confidence of
yours? 20Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? On
whom do you now rely, that you have rebelled against me? 21Behold, you
are relying now on Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the
hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who
rely on him. 22But if you say to me, “We rely on the LORD our God,” is it
not he whose high places and altars Hezeki'ah has removed, saying to Judah
and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?
23Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give
you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders upon
them. 24How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my
master’s servants, when you rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
25Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to
destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.’ ”
26 Then Eli'akim the son of Hilki'ah, and Shebnah, and Jo'ah, said to the
language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
29Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezeki'ah deceive you, for he will not be
able to deliver you out of my hand. 30Do not let Hezeki'ah make you to rely
on the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will
not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ 31Do not listen to
Hezeki'ah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and
come out to me; then every one of you will eat of his own vine, and every
one of his own fig tree, and every one of you will drink the water of his
own cistern; 32until I come and take you away to a land like your own land,
a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees
and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezeki'ah
when he misleads you by saying, The LORD will deliver us. 33Has any of the
gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of
Assyria? 34Where are the gods of Ha'math and Arpad? Where are the gods
of Sepharva'im, He'na, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samar'ia out of my
hand? 35Who among all the gods of the countries have delivered their
countries out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my
hand?’ ”
36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s
command was, “Do not answer him.” 37Then Eli'akim the son of Hilki'ah,
who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Jo'ah the son of
A'saph, the recorder, came to Hezeki'ah with their clothes torn, and told him
the words of the Rab'shakeh.
Hezekiah Consults Isaiah
19 When King Hezeki'ah heard it, he tore his clothes, and covered
himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. 2And he sent
Eli'akim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the
senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isai'ah the son of
A'moz. 3They said to him, “Thus says Hezeki'ah, This day is a day of
distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the birth, and
there is no strength to bring them forth. 4It may be that the LORD your God
heard all the words of the Rab'shakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria
has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD
your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is
left.” 5When the servants of King Hezeki'ah came to Isai'ah, 6Isai'ah said to
them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because
of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of
Assyria have reviled me. 7Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall
hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the
sword in his own land.’ ”
Sennacherib’s Mockery
8 The Rab'shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against
Libnah; for he heard that the king had left La'chish. 9And when the king
heard concerning Tirha'kah king of Ethiopia, “Behold, he has set out to
fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezeki'ah, saying, 10“Thus
shall you speak to Hezeki'ah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God on whom
you rely deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the
hand of the king of Assyria. 11Behold, you have heard what the kings of
Assyria have done to all lands, destroying them utterly. And shall you be
delivered? 12Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations which
my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who
were in Tel-as'sar? 13Where is the king of Ha'math, the king of Arpad, the
king of the city of Sepharva'im, the king of He'na, or the king of Ivvah?’ ”
Hezekiah’s Prayer
14 Hezeki'ah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read
it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the
LORD. 15And Hezeki'ah prayed before the LORD, and said: “O LORD the God
of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you
alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.
16Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and
hear the words of Sennach'erib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
17Of a truth, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and
their lands, 18and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods,
but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they were
destroyed. 19So now, O LORD our God, save us, I beg you, from his hand,
that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God
alone.”
20 Then Isai'ah the son of A'moz sent to Hezeki'ah, saying, “Thus says the
not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a
shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 33By the way that he came, by the
same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, says the LORD.
34For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of
my servant David.”
Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
35 And that night the angel of the LORD went forth, and slew a hundred
and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; * and when men
arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 36Then
Sennach'erib king of Assyria departed, and went home, and dwelt at
Nin'eveh. 37And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god,
Adram'melech and Share'zer, his sons, slew him with the sword, and
escaped into the land of Ar'arat. And Esarhad'don his son reigned in his
stead.
Hezekiah’s Illness
20 In those days Hezeki'ah became sick and was at the point of death.
And Isai'ah the prophet the son of A'moz came to him, and said to him,
“Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order; for you shall die, you shall
not recover.’ ” 2Then Hezeki'ah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to
the LORD, saying, 3“Remember now, O LORD, I beg you, how I have walked
before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is
good in your sight.” And Hezeki'ah wept bitterly. 4And before Isai'ah had
gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5“Turn
back, and say to Hezeki'ah the prince of my people, Thus says the LORD, the
God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears;
behold, I will heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the
LORD. 6And I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this
city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my
own sake and for my servant David’s sake.” 7And Isai'ah said, “Bring a
cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.”
8 And Hezeki'ah said to Isai'ah, “What shall be the sign that the LORD will
heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?”
9And Isai'ah said, “This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will
do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or
go back ten steps?” 10And Hezeki'ah answered, “It is an easy thing for the
shadow to lengthen ten steps; rather let the shadow go back ten steps.”
11And Isai'ah the prophet cried to the LORD; and he brought the shadow
back ten steps, by which the sun g had declined on the dial of A'haz.
Envoys from Babylon
12 At that time Mer'odach-bal'adan the son of Bal'adan, king of Babylon,
sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezeki'ah; for he heard that
Hezekiah had been sick. 13And Hezeki'ah welcomed them, and he showed
them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil,
his armory, all that was found in his storehouses; there was nothing in his
house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 14Then Isai'ah
the prophet came to King Hezeki'ah, and said to him, “What did these men
say? And from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They
have come from a far country, from Babylon.” 15He said, “What have they
seen in your house?” And Hezeki'ah answered, “They have seen all that is
in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”
16 Then Isai'ah said to Hezeki'ah, “Hear the word of the LORD: 17Behold,
the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your
fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall
be left, says the LORD. 18And some of your own sons, who are born to you,
shall be taken away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of
Babylon.” 19Then said Hezeki'ah to Isai'ah, “The word of the LORD which
you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace
and security in my days?”
Death of Hezekiah
20 The rest of the deeds of Hezeki'ah, and all his might, and how he made
the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written
in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 21And Hezeki'ah slept
with his fathers; and Manas'seh his son reigned in his stead.
Manasseh Reigns over Judah
21 Manas'seh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Heph'zibah.
2And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the
abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the
people of Israel. 3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezeki'ah his father
had destroyed; and he erected altars for Ba'al, and made an Ashe'rah, as
A'hab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and
served them. 4And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the
LORD had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5And he built altars for
all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6And he
burned his son as an offering, and practiced soothsaying and augury, and
dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the
LORD, provoking him to anger. 7And the graven image of Ashe'rah that he
had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to
Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out
of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name for ever; 8and I will not cause
the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave to their
fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have
commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses
commanded them.” 9But they did not listen, and Manas'seh seduced them to
do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before
the sons of Israel.
10 And the LORD said by his servants the prophets, 11“Because Manas'seh
king of Judah has committed these abominations, and has done things more
wicked than all that the Am'orites did, who were before him, and has made
Judah also to sin with his idols; 12therefore thus says the LORD, the God of
Israel, Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such evil that the
ears of every one who hears of it will tingle. 13And I will stretch over
Jerusalem the measuring line of Samar'ia, and the plummet of the house of
A'hab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning
it upside down. 14And I will cast off the remnant of my heritage, and give
them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a
spoil to all their enemies, 15because they have done what is evil in my sight
and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of
Egypt, even to this day.”
16 Moreover Manas'seh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled
Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin which he made Judah to
sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.
17 Now the rest of the acts of Manas'seh, and all that he did, and the sin
that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the
Kings of Judah? 18And Manas'seh slept with his fathers, and was buried in
the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza; and A'mon his son reigned
in his stead.
Amon Reigns over Judah
19 A'mon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshul'lemeth the
daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20And he did what was evil in the sight of the
LORD, as Manas'seh his father had done. 21He walked in all the way in
which his father walked, and served the idols that his father served, and
worshiped them; 22he forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not
walk in the way of the LORD. 23And the servants of A'mon conspired
against him, and killed the king in his house. 24But the people of the land
slew all those who had conspired against King A'mon, and the people of the
land made Josi'ah his son king in his stead. 25Now the rest of the acts of
A'mon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of
the Kings of Judah? 26And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza;
and Josi'ah his son reigned in his stead.
Josiah Reigns over Judah
22 Josi'ah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedi'dah the daughter
of Adai'ah of Bozkath. 2And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD,
and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to
the right hand or to the left.
Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law
3 In the eighteenth year of King Josi'ah, the king sent Sha'phan the son of
Azali'ah, son of Meshul'lam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying,
4“Go up to Hilki'ah the high priest, that he may reckon the amount of the
money which has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the
keepers of the threshold have collected from the people; 5and let it be given
into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the
LORD; and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the
LORD, repairing the house, 6that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders,
and to the masons, as well as for buying timber and quarried stone to repair
the house. 7But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money
which is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”
8 And Hilki'ah the high priest said to Sha'phan the secretary, “I have found
the book of the law * in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book
to Shaphan, and he read it. 9And Sha'phan the secretary came to the king,
and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that
was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen
who have the oversight of the house of the LORD.” 10Then Sha'phan the
secretary told the king, “Hilki'ah the priest has given me a book.” And
Shaphan read it before the king.
Josiah Hears the Law and Is Penitent
11 And when the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his
clothes. 12And the king commanded Hilki'ah the priest, and Ahi'kam the son
of Sha'phan, and Achbor the son of Micai'ah, and Shaphan the secretary,
and Asai'ah the king’s servant, saying, 13“Go, inquire of the LORD for me,
and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that
has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us,
because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according
to all that is written concerning us.”
14 So Hilki'ah the priest, and Ahi'kam, and Achbor, and Sha'phan, and
Asai'ah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of
Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem
in the Second Quarter); and they talked with her. 15And she said to them,
“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,
16Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon its
inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read.
17Because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods,
that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands,
therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be
quenched. 18But as to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the
LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
Regarding the words which you have heard, 19because your heart was
penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I
spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should
become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept
before me, I also have heard you, says the LORD. 20Therefore, behold, I will
gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace,
and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.’ ”
And they brought back word to the king.
Josiah’s Reforms
23 Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were
gathered to him. 2And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and with
him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the
priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great; and he read in
their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which had been
found in the house of the LORD. 3And the king stood by the pillar and made
a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his
commandments and his covenants and his statutes, with all his heart and all
his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this
book; and all the people joined in the covenant.
4 And the king commanded Hilki'ah, the high priest, and the priests of the
second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of the temple of
the LORD all the vessels made for Ba'al, for Ashe'rah, and for all the host of
heaven; he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and
carried their ashes to Bethel. 5And he deposed the idolatrous priests whom
the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places at the
cities of Judah and round about Jerusalem; those also who burned incense
to Ba'al, to the sun, and the moon, and the constellations, and all the host of
the heavens. 6And he brought out the Ashe'rah from the house of the LORD,
outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron,
and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common
people. 7And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes which
were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the
Ashe'rah. 8And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and
defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Ge'ba to
Be'er-she'ba; and he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the
entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s
left at the gate of the city. 9However, the priests of the high places did not
come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened
bread among their brethren. 10And he defiled To'pheth, which is in the
valley of the sons of Hin'nom, that no one might burn his son or his
daughter as an offering to Mo'lech. 11And he removed the horses that the
kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the
LORD, by the chamber of Na'than-me'lech the chamberlain, which was in
the precincts; h and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12And the
altars on the roof of the upper chamber of A'haz, which the kings of Judah
had made, and the altars which Manas'seh had made in the two courts of the
house of the LORD, he pulled down and broke in pieces,i and cast the dust of
them into the brook Kidron. 13And the king defiled the high places that
were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which
Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ash'toreth the abomination of the
Sido'nians, and for Che'mosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the
abomination of the Am'monites. 14And he broke in pieces the pillars, and
cut down the Ashe'rim, and filled their places with the bones of men.
15 Moreover the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jerobo'am the
son of Ne'bat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he
pulled down and he broke in pieces its stones, j crushing them to dust; also
he burned the Ashe'rah. 16And as Josi'ah turned, he saw the tombs there on
the mount; and he sent and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned
them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of the LORD which
the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. 17Then he said,
“What is yonder monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him,
“It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these
things which you have done against the altar at Bethel.” 18And he said, “Let
him be; let no man move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the
bones of the prophet who came out of Samar'ia. 19And all the shrines also
of the high places that were in the cities of Samar'ia, which kings of Israel
had made, provoking the LORD to anger, Josi'ah removed; he did to them
according to all that he had done at Bethel. 20And he slew all the priests of
the high places who were there, upon the altars, and burned the bones of
men upon them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The Passover Is Celebrated
21 And the king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover to the
LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.” 22For no such
Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or
during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah; 23but in
the eighteenth year of King Josi'ah this Passover was kept to the LORD in
Jerusalem.
24 Moreover Josi'ah put away the mediums and the wizards and the
teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of
Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law which
were written in the book that Hilki'ah the priest found in the house of the
LORD. 25Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD
with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to
all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.
26 Still the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, by
which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations
with which Manas'seh had provoked him. 27And the LORD said, “I will
remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast
off this city which I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said,
My name shall be there.”
Josiah Dies in Battle
28 Now the rest of the acts of Josi'ah, and all that he did, are they not
written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 29In his days
Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river
Euphra'tes. King Josi'ah went to meet him; and Pharaoh Neco slew him at
Megid'do, when he saw him. 1And his servants carried him dead in a chariot
from Megid'do, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own
tomb. And the people of the land took Jeho'ahaz the son of Josi'ah, and
anointed him, and made him king in his father’s stead.
31 Jeho'ahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamu'tal the
daughter of Jeremi'ah of Libnah. 32And he did what was evil in the sight of
the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. 33And Pharaoh Neco
put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Ha'math, that he might not reign in
Jerusalem, and laid upon the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and
a talent of gold. 34And Pharaoh Ne'co made Eli'akim the son of Josi'ah king
in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoi'akim. But he
took Jeho'ahaz away; and he came to Egypt, and died there. 35And
Jehoi'akim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to
give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the
silver and the gold of the people of the land, from every one according to
his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.
Jehoiakim Reigns over Judah
36 Jehoi'akim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebi'dah the
daughter of Pedai'ah of Ru'mah. 37And he did what was evil in the sight of
the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
Judah Overrun by Enemies
24 In his days Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon came up, and
Jehoi'akim became his servant three years; then he turned and rebelled
against him. 2And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chalde'ans, and
bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the
Am'monites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the
word of the LORD which he spoke by his servants the prophets. 3Surely this
came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his
sight, for the sins of Manas'seh, according to all that he had done, 4and also
for the innocent blood that he had shed; for he filled Jerusalem with
innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon. 5Now the rest of the deeds
of Jehoi'akim, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the
Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 6So Jehoi'akim slept with his fathers, and
Jehoi'achin his son reigned in his stead. 7And the king of Egypt did not
come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that
belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the river
Euphrates.
Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin
8 Jehoi'achin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned
three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehush'ta the daughter
of Elna'than of Jerusalem. 9And he did what was evil in the sight of the
LORD, according to all that his father had done.
Babylon Conquers Jerusalem
10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon came up
stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chalde'ans
broke in pieces, and carried the bronze to Babylon. 14And they took away
the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the dishes for incense and all
the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, 15the firepans also, and the
bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and
what was of silver, as silver. 16As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the
stands, which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of
all these vessels was beyond weight. 17The height of the one pillar was
eighteen cubits, and upon it was a capital of bronze; the height of the capital
was three cubits; a network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were upon the
capital round about. And the second pillar had the like, with the network.
18 And the captain of the guard took Serai'ah the chief priest, and
Zephani'ah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold; 19and
from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of
war, and five men of the king’s council who were found in the city; and the
secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the
land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city.
20And Nebu''zarad'an the captain of the guard took them, and brought them
to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21And the king of Babylon struck them,
and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Ha'math. So Judah was taken
into exile out of its land.
Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah
22 And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom
arose, and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chalde'ans.
Jehoiachin Is Freed by Evil-merodach
27 And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoi'achin king of Judah,
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1 Chronicles
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29
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FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES
From Adam to Abraham
1 *Adam, Seth, E'nosh; 2Ke'nan, Ma-hal'alel, Jar'ed; 3E'noch,
Methu'selah, La'mech; 4Noah, Shem, Ham, and Ja'pheth.
5 The sons of Ja'pheth: Gomer, Ma'gog, Ma'dai, Ja'van, Tu'bal, Me'shech,
and Ti'ras. 6The sons of Gomer: Ash'kenaz, Di'phath, and Togar'mah. 7The
sons of Ja'van: Eli'shah, Tar'shish, Kittim, and Ro'danim.
8 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 9The sons of Cush:
Seba, Hav'ilah, Sabta, Ra'ama, and Sab'teca. The sons of Ra'amah: Sheba
and De'dan. 10Cush was the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one
in the earth.
11 Egypt was the father of Lu'dim, An'amim, Leha'bim, Naph'tuhim,
12Pathru'sim, Caslu'him (from whom came the Philis'tines), and Caph'torim.
13 Canaan was the father of Si'don his first-born, and Heth, 14and the
Jeb'usites, the Am'orites, the Gir'gashites, 15the Hi'vites, the Arkites, the
Si'nites, 16the Ar'vadites, the Zem'arites, and the Ha'mathites.
17 The sons of Shem: E'lam, Asshur, Arpach'shad, Lud, Ar'am, Uz, Hul,
Ge'ther, and Me'shech. 18Arpach'shad was the father of She'lah; and Shelah
was the father of E'ber. 19To E'ber were born two sons: the name of the one
was Pe'leg (for in his days the earth was divided), and the name of his
brother Joktan. 20Joktan was the father of Almo'dad, She'leph,
Ha''zarma'veth, Je'rah, 21Hador'am, U'zal, Diklah, 22E'bal, Abim'a-el, Sheba,
23O'phir, Hav'ilah, and Jo'bab; all these were the sons of Joktan.
24 Shem, Arpach'shad, She'lah; 25E'ber, Pe'leg, Re'u; 26Se'rug, Na'hor,
Di'shan. 39The sons of Lo'tan: Ho'ri and Homam; and Lotan’s sister was
Timna. 40The sons of Sho'bal: Al'ian, Man'ahath, E'bal, She'phi, and O'nam.
The sons of Zib'eon: Ai'ah and An'ah. 41The sons of An'ah: Di'shon. The
sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Che'ran. 42The sons of E'zer:
Bilhan, Za'avan, and Ja'akan. The sons of Di'shan: Uz and A'ran.
43 These are the kings who reigned in the land of E'dom before any king
reigned over the Israelites: Be'la the son of Beor, the name of whose city
was Din'habah. 44When Be'la died, Jobab the son of Ze'rah of Bozrah
reigned in his stead. 45When Jobab died, Hu'sham of the land of the
Te'manites reigned in his stead. 46When Hu'sham died, Ha'dad the son of
Be'dad, who defeated Mid'ian in the country of Moab, reigned in his stead;
and the name of his city was A'vith. 47When Ha'dad died, Samlah of
Masre'kah reigned in his stead. 48When Samlah died, Sha'ul of Reho'both
on the Euphra'tes reigned in his stead. 49When Sha'ul died, Ba'al-ha'nan, the
son of Achbor, reigned in his stead. 50When Ba'al-ha'nan died, Ha'dad
reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Pa'i, and his wife’s name
Mehet'abel the daughter of Ma'tred, the daughter of Me'zahab. 51And
Ha'dad died.
The chiefs of E'dom were: chiefs Timna, Al'iah, Je'theth, 52Oholiba'mah,
E'lah, Pi'non, 53Ke'naz, Te'man, Mibzar, 54Mag'di-el, and I'ram; these are
the chiefs of E'dom.
Sons of Israel and Descendants of Judah
2 These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Is'sachar,
Zeb'ulun, 2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naph'tali, Gad, and Ash'er. 3The sons of
Judah: Er, O'nan, and She'lah; these three Bath-shu'a the Canaanitess bore
to him. Now Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD,
and he slew him. 4His daughter-in-law Ta'mar also bore him Per'ez and
Ze'rah. Judah had five sons in all.
5 The sons of Per'ez: Hezron and Ha'mul. 6The sons of Ze'rah: Zimri,
Ethan, He'man, Calcol, and Dara, five in all. 7The sons of Carmi: A'char,
the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the matter of the devoted thing;
8and Ethan’s son was Azari'ah.
9 The sons of Hezron, that were born to him: Jerah'meel, Ram, and
Chelu'bai. 10Ram was the father of Ammin'adab, and Amminadab was the
father of Nahshon, prince of the sons of Judah. 11Nahshon was the father of
Salma, Salma of Boaz, 12Boaz of O'bed, Obed of Jesse. 13Jesse was the
father of Eli'ab his first-born, Abin'adab the second, Shim'e-a the third,
14Nethan'el the fourth, Raddai the fifth, 15Ozem the sixth, David the
seventh; 16and their sisters were Zeru'iah and Ab'igail. The sons of Zeruiah:
Abi'shai, Jo'ab, and As'ahel, three. 17Ab'igail bore Ama'sa, and the father of
Amasa was Je'ther the Ish'maelite.
18 Caleb the son of Hezron had children by his wife Azu'bah, and by
Jer'ioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19When
Azu'bah died, Caleb married Eph'rath, who bore him Hur. 20Hur was the
father of U'ri, and Uri was the father of Bez'alel.
21 Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Ma'chir the father of
Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him
Segub; 22and Segub was the father of Ja'ir, who had twenty-three cities in
the land of Gilead. 23But Ge'shur and Ar'am took from them Hav'voth-ja'ir,
Ke'nath and its villages, sixty towns. All these were descendants of Ma'chir,
the father of Gilead. 24After the death of Hezron, Caleb went in to
Eph'rathah, a the wife of Hezron his father, and she bore him Ash'hur, the
father of Teko'a.
25 The sons of Jerah'meel, the first-born of Hezron: Ram, his first-born,
Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahi'jah. 26Jerah'meel also had another wife, whose
name was At'arah; she was the mother of O'nam. 27The sons of Ram, the
first-born of Jerah'meel: Ma'az, Ja'min, and E'ker. 28The sons of O'nam:
Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Na'dab and Abi'shur. 29The name
of Abi'shur’s wife was Ab'ihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. 30The
sons of Na'dab: Se'led and Ap'pa-im; and Seled died childless. 31The sons
of Ap'pa-im: Ishi. The sons of Ishi: Sheshan. The sons of Sheshan: Ahlai.
32The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother: Je'ther and Jonathan; and Jether
died childless. 33The sons of Jonathan: Pe'leth and Zaza. These were the
descendants of Jerah'meel. 34Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters; but
Sheshan had an Egyptian slave, whose name was Jarha. 35So Sheshan gave
his daughter in marriage to Jarha his slave; and she bore him Attai. 36Attai
was the father of Nathan, and Nathan of Zabad. 37Zabad was the father of
Ephlal, and Ephlal of O'bed. 38O'bed was the father of Je'hu, and Jehu of
Azari'ah. 39Azari'ah was the father of He'lez, and Helez of E'le-a'sah. 40Ele-
a'sah was the father of Sismai, and Sismai of Shallum. 41Shallum was the
father of Jekami'ah, and Jekamiah of Elish'ama.
42 The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerah'meel: Mare'shah b his first-born,
who was the father of Ziph. The sons of Mareshah: He'bron. c 43The sons of
He'bron: Ko'rah, Tap'pu-ah, Re'kem, and Shema. 44Shema was the father of
Raham, the father of Jor'ke-am; and Re'kem was the father of Shammai.
45The son of Shammai: Maon; and Maon was the father of Beth-zur.
46E'phah also, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran
was the father of Gazez. 47The sons of Jahdai: Re'gem, Jo'tham, Geshan,
Pe'let, E'phah, and Sha'aph. 48Ma'acah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and
Tir'hanah. 49She also bore Sha'aph the father of Madman'nah, Sheva the
father of Machbe'nah and the father of Gib'e-a; and the daughter of Caleb
was Achsah. 50These were the descendants of Caleb.
The sons d of Hur the first-born of Eph'rathah: Sho'bal the father of
Kir'iath-je'arim, 51Salma, the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of
Beth-ga'der. 52Sho'bal the father of Kir'iath-je'arim had other sons: Haro'eh,
half of the Menu'hoth. 53And the families of Kir'iath-je'arim: the Ithrites, the
Puthites, the Shu'mathites, and the Mish'raites; from these came the
Zorathites and the Esh'taolites. 54The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the
Netoph'athites, At'roth-beth-jo'ab, and half of the Man''aha'thites, the
Zorites. 55The families also of the scribes that dwelt at Ja'bez: the
Ti'rathites, the Shim'e-athites, and the Su'cathites. These are the Kenites
who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Re'chab.
Descendants of David and Solomon
3 These are the sons of David that were born to him in He'bron: the
first-born Amnon, by Ahin'o-am the Jezre'elitess; the second Daniel, by
Ab'igail the Car'melitess, 2the third Ab'salom, whose mother was Ma'acah,
the daughter of Talmai, king of Ge'shur; the fourth Adoni'jah, whose mother
was Haggith; 3the fifth Shephati'ah, by Abi'tal; the sixth Ith're-am, by his
wife Eglah; 4six were born to him in He'bron, where he reigned for seven
years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
5These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shim'e-a, Sho'bab, Nathan, and
Solomon, four by Bath-shu'a, the daughter of Am'mi-el; 6then Ibhar,
Elish'ama, Eliph'elet, 7No'gah, Ne'pheg, Japhi'a, 8Elish'ama, Eli'ada, and
Eliph'elet, nine. 9All these were David’s sons, besides the sons of the
concubines; and Ta'mar was their sister.
10 The descendants of Solomon: Rehobo'am, Abi'jah his son, Asa his son,
Jehosh'aphat his son, 11Jo'ram his son, Ahazi'ah his son, Jo'ash his son,
12Amazi'ah his son, Azari'ah his son, Jo'tham his son, 13A'haz his son,
Hezeki'ah his son, Manas'seh his son, 14A'mon his son, Josi'ah his son.
15The sons of Josi'ah: Joha'nan the first-born, the second Jehoi'akim, the
I'gal, Bari'ah, Neari'ah, and Sha'phat, six. 23The sons of Neari'ah: El'i-o-
e'nai, Hizki'aj, and Azri'kam, three. 24The sons of El'i-o-e'nai: Hod''avi'ah,
Eli'ashib, Pelai'ah, Akkub, Joha'nan, Delai'ah, and Ana'ni, seven.
Descendants of Judah
4 The sons of Judah: Per'ez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Sho'bal. 2Re-ai'ah
the son of Sho'bal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath was the father of
Ahu'mai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zo'rathites. 3These were
the sons f of E'tam: Jezre'el, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister
was Hazzelelpo'ni, 4and Penu'el was the father of Gedor, and E'zer the
father of Hu'shah. These were the sons of Hur, the first-born of Eph'rathah,
the father of Bethlehem. 5Ash'hur, the father of Teko'a, had two wives,
He'lah and Na'arah; 6Na'arah bore him Ahuz'zam, He'pher, Te'meni, and
Ha-a-hash'tari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7The sons of He'lah: Ze'reth,
Izhar, and Ethnan. 8Koz was the father of A'nub, Zobe'bah, and the families
of Ahar'hel the son of Harum. 9Ja'bez was more honorable than his brothers;
and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”
10Ja'bez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me
and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you
would keep me from harm so that it might not hurt me!” And God granted
what he asked. 11Che'lub, the brother of Shu'hah, was the father of Me'hir,
who was the father of Eshton. 12Eshton was the father of Bethra'pha,
Pase'ah, and Tehin'nah the father of Irna'hash. These are the men of Re'cah.
13The sons of Ke'naz: Oth'ni-el and Serai'ah; and the sons of Othni-el:
Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zo'heth. 21The sons of She'lah the son of Judah: Er the
father of Lecah, La'adah the father of Mare'shah, and the families of the
house of linen workers at Beth-ashbe'a; 22and Jokim, and the men of
Coze'ba, and Jo'ash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to
Lehem k (now the records l are ancient). 23These were the potters and
inhabitants of Neta'im and Gede'rah; they dwelt there with the king for his
work.
Descendants of Simeon
24 The sons of Simeon: Nem'u-el, Ja'min, Ja'rib, Ze'rah, Sha'ul; 25Shallum
was his son, Mib'sam his son, Mishma his son. 26The sons of Mishma:
Ham'mu-el his son, Zaccur his son, Shim'e-i his son. 27Shim'e-i had sixteen
sons and six daughters; but his brothers had not many children, nor did all
their family multiply like the men of Judah. 28They dwelt in Be'er-she'ba,
Mo'ladah, Ha'zar-shu'al, 29Bilhah, E'zem, To'lad, 30Bethu'el, Hormah,
Zik'lag, 31Beth-mar'caboth, Ha'zar-su'sim, Beth-bir'i, and Sha-ara'im. These
were their cities until David reigned. 32And their villages were E'tam, A'in,
Rimmon, Tochen, and A'shan, five cities, 33along with all their villages
which were round about these cities as far as Ba'al. These were their
settlements, and they kept a genealogical record.
34 Mesho'bab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amazi'ah, 35Joel, Je'hu the son
Carmi. 4The sons of Joel: Shemai'ah his son, Gog his son, Shim'e-i his son,
5Micah his son, Re-ai'ah his son, Ba'al his son, 6Beer'ah his son, whom
Til'gath-pilne'ser king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was a chieftain
of the Reubenites. 7And his kinsmen by their families, when the genealogy
of their generations was reckoned: the chief, Je-i'el, and Zechari'ah, 8and
Be'la the son of A'zaz, son of She'ma, son of Joel, who dwelt in Aro'er, as
far as Nebo and Ba'al-me'on. 9He also dwelt to the east as far as the
entrance of the desert this side of the Euphrates, because their cattle had
multiplied in the land of Gilead. 10And in the days of Saul they made war
on the Hag'rites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents
throughout all the region east of Gilead.
Descendants of Gad
11 The sons of Gad dwelt over against them in the land of Bashan as far as
Sal'ecah: 12Joel the chief, Sha'pham the second, Ja'nai, and Sha'phat in
Bashan. 13And their kinsmen according to their fathers’ houses: Michael,
Meshul'lam, Sheba, Jo'rai, Ja'can, Zia, and E'ber, seven. 14These were the
sons of Ab'ihail the son of Huri, son of Jaro'ah, son of Gilead, son of
Michael, son of Jeshish'ai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz; 15A'hi the son of
Ab'di-el, son of Gu'ni, was chief in their fathers’ houses; 16and they dwelt in
Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon to
their limits. 17All of these were enrolled by genealogies in the days of
Jo'tham king of Judah, and in the days of Jerobo'am king of Israel.
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas'seh had valiant
men, who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, forty-
four thousand seven hundred and sixty, ready for service. 19They made war
upon the Hag'rites, Je'tur, Na'phish, and No'dab; 20and when they received
help against them, the Hag'rites and all who were with them were given into
their hands, for they cried to God in the battle, and he granted their entreaty
because they trusted in him. 21They carried off their livestock: fifty
thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two
thousand donkeys, and a hundred thousand men alive. 22For many fell slain,
because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their place until the exile.
The Half-tribe of Manasseh
23 The members of the half-tribe of Manas'seh dwelt in the land; they were
names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shim'e-i. 18The sons of Ko'hath:
Amram, Izhar, He'bron, and Uz'ziel. 19The sons of Merar'i: Mah'li and
Mu'shi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. 20Of
Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21Jo'ah his son,
Iddo his son, Ze'rah his son, Je-ath'erai his son. 22The sons of Ko'hath:
Ammin'adab his son, Ko'rah his son, Assir his son, 23Elka'nah his son,
Ebi'asaph his son, Assir his son, 24Ta'hath his son, Uri'el his son, Uzzi'ah his
son, and Sha'ul his son. 25The sons of Elka'nah: Ama'sai and Ahi'moth,
26Elka'nah his son, Zo'phai his son, Na'hath his son, 27Eli'ab his son,
Jero'ham his son, Elka'nah his son. 28The sons of Samuel: Joel p his first-
born, the second Abi'jah. q 29The sons of Merar'i: Mah'li, Libni his son,
Shim'e-i his son, Uzzah his son, 30Shim'e-a his son, Haggi'ah his son, and
Asai'ah his son.
Musicians Appointed by David
31 These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in
the house of the LORD, after the ark rested there. 32They ministered with
song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built
the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they performed their service in due
order. 33These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the
Ko'hathites: He'man the singer the son of Joel, son of Samuel, 34son of
Elka'nah, son of Jero'ham, son of Eli'el, son of To'ah, 35son of Zuph, son of
Elka'nah, son of Mahath, son of Ama'sai, 36son of Elka'nah, son of Joel, son
of Azari'ah, son of Zephani'ah, 37son of Ta'hath, son of Assir, son of
Ebi'asaph, son of Ko'rah, 38son of Izhar, son of Ko'hath, son of Levi, son of
Israel; 39and his brother A'saph, who stood on his right hand, namely,
Asaph the son of Berechi'ah, son of Shim'e-a, 40son of Michael, son of Ba-
ase'iah, son of Malchi'jah, 41son of Ethni, son of Ze'rah, son of Adai'ah,
42son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shim'e-i, 43son of Jahath, son of
Gershom, son of Levi. 44On the left hand were their brethren the sons of
Merar'i: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Mal'luch, 45son of
Hashabi'ah, son of Amazi'ah, son of Hilki'ah, 46son of Amzi, son of Ba'ni,
son of She'mer, 47son of Mah'li, son of Mu'shi, son of Merar'i, son of Levi;
48and their brethren the Levites were appointed for all the service of the
tabernacle of the house of God.
49 But Aaron and his sons made offerings upon the altar of burnt offering
and upon the altar of incense for all the work of the most holy place, and to
make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God
had commanded. 50These are the sons of Aaron: Elea'zar his son, Phin'ehas
his son, Abishu'a his son, 51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahi'ah his son,
52Mera'ioth his son, Amari'ah his son, Ahi'tub his son, 53Za'dok his son,
their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the families of Ko'hathites, for theirs
was the lot, 55to them they gave He'bron in the land of Judah and its
surrounding pasture lands, 56but the fields of the city and its villages they
gave to Caleb the son of Jephun'neh. 57To the sons of Aaron they gave the
cities of refuge: He'bron, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jat'tir, Eshtemo'a
with its pasture lands, 58Hilen with its pasture lands, De'bir with its pasture
lands, 59A'shan with its pasture lands, and Beth-she'mesh with its pasture
lands; 60and from the tribe of Benjamin, Ge'ba with its pasture lands,
Al'emeth with its pasture lands, and An'athoth with its pasture lands. All
their cities throughout their families were thirteen.
61 To the rest of the Ko'hathites were given by lot out of the family of the
tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manas'seh, ten cities. 62To the
Ger'shomites according to their families were allotted thirteen cities out of
the tribes of Is'sachar, Asher, Naph'tali, and Manas'seh in Bashan. 63To the
Merar'ites according to their families were allotted twelve cities out of the
tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zeb'ulun. 64So the sons of Israel gave the
Levites the cities with their pasture lands. 65They also gave them by lot out
of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin these cities which are
mentioned by name.
66 And some of the families of the sons of Ko'hath had cities of their
territory out of the tribe of E'phraim. 67They were given the cities of refuge:
She'chem with its pasture lands in the hill country of E'phraim, Gezer with
its pasture lands, 68Jok'me-am with its pasture lands, Beth-ho'ron with its
pasture lands, 69Ai'jalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rim'mon with its
pasture lands, 70and out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh, A'ner with its
pasture lands, and Bil'e-am with its pasture lands, for the rest of the families
of the Ko'hathites.
71 To the Ger'shomites were given out of the half-tribe of Manas'seh:
Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ash'taroth with its pasture lands;
72and out of the tribe of Is'sachar: Ke'desh with its pasture lands, Dab'erath
with its pasture lands, 73Ra'moth with its pasture lands, and A'nem with its
pasture lands; 74out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands,
Abdon with its pasture lands, 75Hukok with its pasture lands, and Re'hob
with its pasture lands; 76and out of the tribe of Naph'tali: Ke'desh in Galilee
with its pasture lands, Ham'mon with its pasture lands, and Kir''iatha'im
with its pasture lands. 77To the rest of the Merar'ites were allotted out of the
tribe of Zeb'ulun: Rim'mono with its pasture lands, Ta'bor with its pasture
lands, 78and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out
of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the steppe with its pasture lands, Jah'zah
with its pasture lands, 79Ked'emoth with its pasture lands, and Meph'a-ath
with its pasture lands; 80and out of the tribe of Gad: Ra'moth in Gilead with
its pasture lands, Ma''hana'im with its pasture lands, 81Hesh'bon with its
pasture lands, and Ja'zer with its pasture lands.
Descendants of Issachar
7 The sons r of Is'sachar: To'la, Puah, Jash'ub, and Shim'ron, four. 2The
sons of To'la: Uzzi, Rephai'ah, Je'ri-el, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemu'el, heads
of their fathers’ houses, namely of Tola, mighty warriors of their
generations, their number in the days of David being twenty-two thousand
six hundred. 3The sons of Uzzi: Izrahi'ah. And the sons of Izrahiah:
Michael, Obadi'ah, Joel, and Isshi'ah, five, all of them chief men; 4and
along with them, by their generations, according to their fathers’ houses,
were units of the army for war, thirty-six thousand, for they had many wives
and sons. 5Their kinsmen belonging to all the families of Is'sachar were in
all eighty-seven thousand mighty warriors, enrolled by genealogy.
Descendants of Benjamin
6 The sons of Benjamin: Be'la, Be'cher, and Jedi'a-el, three. 7The sons of
Be'la: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uz'ziel, Jer'imoth, and Iri, five, heads of fathers’ houses,
mighty warriors; and their enrollment by genealogies was twenty-two
thousand and thirty-four. 8The sons of Be'cher: Zemi'rah, Jo'ash, Elie'zer,
El'i-o-e'nai, Omri, Jer'emoth, Abi'jah, An'athoth, and Al'emeth. All these
were the sons of Becher; 9and their enrollment by genealogies, according to
their generations, as heads of their fathers’ houses, mighty warriors, was
twenty thousand two hundred. 10The sons of Jedi'a-el: Bilhan. And the sons
of Bilhan: Je'ush, Benjamin, E'hud, Chena'anah, Zethan, Tar'shish, and
Ahish'ahar. 11All these were the sons of Jedi'a-el according to the heads of
their fathers’ houses, mighty warriors, seventeen thousand and two
hundred, ready for service in war. 12And Shuppim and Huppim were the
sons of Ir, Hu'shim the sons of A'her.
Descendants of Naphtali
13 The sons of Naph'tali: Jah'zi-el, Gu'ni, Je'zer, and Shallum, the offspring
of Bilhah.
Descendants of Manasseh
14 The sons of Manas'seh: As'ri-el, whom his Arame'an concubine bore;
she bore Ma'chir the father of Gilead. 15And Ma'chir took a wife for
Huppim and for Shuppim. The name of his sister was Ma'acah. And the
name of the second was Zeloph'ehad; and Zelophehad had daughters. 16And
Ma'acah the wife of Ma'chir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh; and
the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.
17The sons of Ulam: Be'dan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of
Ma'chir, son of Manas'seh. 18And his sister Hammo'lecheth bore Ish'hod,
Abie'zer, and Mahlah. 19The sons of Shemi'da were Ahi'an, She'chem,
Likhi, and Ani'am.
Descendants of Ephraim
20 The sons of E'phraim: Shuthe'lah, and Be'red his son, Ta'hath his son,
Ele-a'dah his son, Tahath his son, 21Zabad his son, Shuthe'lah his son, and
E'zer and E'le-ad, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land slew,
because they came down to raid their cattle. 22And E'phraim their father
mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. 23And E'phraim
went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son; and he called his
name Beri'ah, because evil had befallen his house. 24His daughter was
She'erah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-ho'ron, and Uz'zen-
she'erah. 25Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Te'lah his son, Ta'han his
son, 26Ladan his son, Ammi'hud his son, Elish'ama his son, 27Nun his son,
Joshua his son. 28Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its
towns, and eastward Na'aran, and westward Gezer and its towns, She'chem
and its towns, and Ayyah and its towns; 29also along the borders of the
Manas'sites, Beth-she'an and its towns, Ta'anach and its towns, Megid'do
and its towns, Dor and its towns. In these dwelt the sons of Joseph the son
of Israel.
Descendants of Asher
30 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beri'ah, and their sister Se'rah.
31The sons of Beri'ah: He'ber and Mal'chi-el, who was the father of
Bir'zaith. 32He'ber was the father of Japhlet, Shomer, Ho'tham, and their
sister Shua. 33The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are
the sons of Japhlet. 34The sons of She'mer his brother: Rohgah, Jehub'bah,
and Ar'am. 35The sons of He'lem his brother: Zo'phah, Imna, Shelesh, and
A'mal. 36The sons of Zo'phah: Su'ah, Har'nepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,
37Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Be-e'ra. 38The sons of Je'ther:
Jephun'neh, Pispa, and Ar'a. 39The sons of Ulla: A'rah, Han'niel, and Rizi'a.
40All of these were men of Asher, heads of fathers’ houses, approved,
was Ma'acah. 30His first-born son: Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Ba'al, Na'dab,
31Gedor, Ahi'o, Zecher, 32and Mikloth (he was the father of Shim'e-ah).
Now these also dwelt opposite their kinsmen in Jerusalem, with their
kinsmen. 33Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan,
Mal''chishu'a, Abin'adab, and Eshba'al; 34and the son of Jonathan was
Mer'ib-ba'al; and Merib-baal was the father of Micah. 35The sons of Micah:
Pithon, Melech, Tare'a, and A'haz. 36A'haz was the father of Jeho'addah;
and Jehoaddah was the father of Al'emeth, Az'maveth, and Zimri; Zimri
was the father of Moza. 37Moza was the father of Bin'e-a; Ra'phah was his
son, El-e-a'sah his son, A'zel his son. 38A'zel had six sons, and these are
their names: Azri'kam, Bo'cheru, Ish'mael, Sheari'ah, Obadi'ah, and Ha'nan.
All these were the sons of Azel. 39The sons of E'shek his brother: Ulam his
first-born, Je'ush the second, and Eliph'elet the third. 40The sons of Ulam
were men who were mighty warriors, bowmen, having many sons and
grandsons, one hundred and fifty. All these were Benjaminites.
9 So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and these are written in the
Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon
because of their unfaithfulness. 2Now the first to dwell again in their
possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the
temple servants. 3And some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, E'phraim,
and Manas'seh dwelt in Jerusalem: 4Uthai the son of Ammi'hud, son of
Omri, son of Imri, son of Ba'ni, from the sons of Per'ez the son of Judah.
5And of the Shi'lonites: Asai'ah the first-born, and his sons. 6Of the sons of
Ze'rah: Jeu'el and their kinsmen, six hundred and ninety. 7Of the
Benjaminites: Sallu the son of Meshul'lam, son of Hod''avi'ah, son of
Hassenu'ah, 8Ibne'iah the son of Jero'ham, E'lah the son of Uzzi, son of
Michri, and Meshul'lam the son of Shephati'ah, son of Reu'el, son of
Ibni'jah; 9and their kinsmen according to their generations, nine hundred
and fifty-six. All these were heads of fathers’ houses according to their
fathers’ houses.
Priestly Families
10 Of the priests: Jedai'ah, Jehoi'arib, Ja'chin, 11and Azari'ah the son of
hundred and sixty, very able men for the work of the service of the house of
God.
Levitical Families
14 Of the Levites: Shemai'ah the son of Hasshub, son of Azri'kam, son of
kinsmen of his fathers’ house, the Ko'rahites, were in charge of the work of
the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, as their fathers had been in
charge of the camp of the LORD, keepers of the entrance. 20And Phin'ehas
the son of Elea'zar was the ruler over them in time past; the LORD was with
him. 21Zechari'ah the son of Meshelemi'ah was gatekeeper at the entrance
of the tent of meeting. 22All these, who were chosen as gatekeepers at the
thresholds, were two hundred and twelve. They were enrolled by
genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer established them in
their office of trust. 23So they and their sons were in charge of the gates of
the house of the LORD, that is, the house of the tent, as guards. 24The
gatekeepers were on the four sides, east, west, north, and south; 25and their
kinsmen who were in their villages were obliged to come in every seven
days, from time to time, to be with these; 26for the four chief gatekeepers,
who were Levites, were in charge of the chambers and the treasures of the
house of God. 27And they lodged round about the house of God; for upon
them lay the duty of watching, and they had charge of opening it every
morning.
28 Some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they were
required to count them when they were brought in and taken out. 29Others
of them were appointed over the furniture, and over all the holy utensils,
also over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices.
30Others, of the sons of the priests, prepared the mixing of the spices, 31and
Mattithi'ah, one of the Levites, the first-born of Shallum the Ko'rahite, was
in charge of making the flat cakes. 32Also some of their kinsmen of the
Ko'hathites had charge of the showbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
33 Now these are the singers, the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites,
dwelling in the chambers of the temple free from other service, for they
were on duty day and night. 34These were heads of fathers’ houses of the
Levites, according to their generations, leaders, who lived in Jerusalem.
The Family of Saul
35 In Gib'eon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Je-i'el, and the name of his wife
was Ma'acah, 36and his first-born son Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Ba'al, Ner,
Na'dab, 37Gedor, Ahi'o, Zechari'ah, and Mikloth; 38and Mikloth was the
father of Shim'e-am; and these also dwelt opposite their kinsmen in
Jerusalem, with their kinsmen. 39Ner was the father of Kish, Kish of Saul,
Saul of Jonathan, Mal''chishu'a, Abin'adab, and Eshba'al; 40and the son of
Jonathan was Mer'ib-ba'al; and Merib-baal was the father of Micah. 41The
sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tah're-a, and A'haz; v 42and A'haz was the
father of Jarah, and Jarah of Al'emeth, Az'maveth, and Zimri; and Zimri
was the father of Moza. 43Moza was the father of Bin'e-a; and Rephai'ah
was his son, Ele-a'sah his son, A'zel his son. 44A'zel had six sons and these
are their names: Azri'kam, Bo'cheru, Ish'mael, Sheari'ah, Obadi'ah, and
Ha'nan; these were the sons of Azel.
The Death of Saul and His Sons
10 Now the Philis'tines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled
before the Philis'tines, and fell slain on Mount Gilbo'a. 2And the Philis'tines
overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abin'adab
and Mal''chishu'a, the sons of Saul. 3The battle pressed hard upon Saul, and
the archers found him; and he was wounded by the archers. 4Then Saul said
to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest
these uncircumcised come and make sport of me.” But his armor-bearer
would not; for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword, and
fell upon it. 5And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also
fell upon his sword, and died. 6Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all
his house died together. 7And when all the men of Israel who were in the
valley saw that the army w had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead,
they forsook their cities and fled; and the Philis'tines came and dwelt in
them.
8 The next day, when the Philis'tines came to strip the slain, they found
Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilbo'a. 9And they stripped him and took
his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the
Philis'tines, to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. 10And
they put his armor in the temple of their gods, and fastened his head in the
temple of Da'gon. 11But when all Ja'besh-gil'ead heard all that the
Philis'tines had done to Saul, 12all the valiant men arose, and took away the
body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Ja'besh. And
they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was unfaithful to the LORD in
that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a
medium, seeking guidance, 14and did not seek guidance from the LORD.
Therefore the LORD slew him, and turned the kingdom over to David the
son of Jesse.
David Anointed King of All Israel
11 Then all Israel gathered together to David at He'bron, and said,
“Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2In times past, even when Saul was
king, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the LORD your God
said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be
prince over my people Israel.’ ” 3So all the elders of Israel came to the king
at He'bron; and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the
LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of
the LORD by Samuel.
David’s Army Captures Jerusalem
4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is Je'bus, where the
Jeb'usites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5The inhabitants of Je'bus said
to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless David took the
stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 6David said, “Whoever shall
strike the Jeb'usites first shall be chief and commander.” And Jo'ab the son
of Zeru'iah went up first, so he became chief. 7And David dwelt in the
stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David. 8And he built the city
round about from the Millo in complete circuit; and Jo'ab repaired the rest
of the city. 9And David became greater and greater, for the LORD of hosts
was with him.
David’s Mighty Men and Their Exploits
10 Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong
support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king,
according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel. 11This is an account of
David’s mighty men: Jasho'be-am, a Hach'monite, was chief of the three;x
he wielded his spear against three hundred whom he slew at one time.
12 And next to him among the three mighty men was Elea'zar the son of
Dodo, the Aho'hite. 13He was with David at Pas-dam'mim when the
Philis'tines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of
barley, and the men fled from the Philistines. 14But he y took his y stand in
the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philis'tines; and the
LORD saved them by a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David at the
cave of Adul'lam, when the army of Philis'tines was encamped in the valley
of Reph'aim. 16David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the
Philis'tines was then at Bethlehem. 17And David said longingly, “O that
some one would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which
is by the gate!” 18Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the
Philis'tines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem which was by the
gate, and took and brought it to David. But David would not drink of it; he
poured it out to the LORD, 19and said, “Far be it from me before my God
that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk
of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things
did the three mighty men.
20 Now Abi'shai, the brother of Jo'ab, was chief of the thirty. z And he
wielded his spear against three hundred men and slew them, and won a
name beside the three. 21He was the most renowned a of the thirty, z and
became their commander; but he did not attain to the three.
22 And Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada was a valiant man b of Kab'zeel, a
doer of great deeds; he struck two Ariels c of Moab. He also went down and
slew a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. 23And he slew an
Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his
hand a spear like a weaver’s beam; but Bena'iah went down to him with a
staff, and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with
his own spear. 24These things did Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada, and won a
name beside the three mighty men. 25He was renowned among the thirty,
but he did not attain to the three. And David set him over his bodyguard.
26 The mighty men of the armies were As'ahel the brother of Jo'ab,
He'led the son of Ba'anah of Netophah, 31Ithai the son of Ri'bai of Gib'e-ah
of the Benjaminites, Bena'iah of Pir'athon, 32Hurai of the brooks of Ga'ash,
Abi'el the Ar'bathite, 33Az'maveth of Baha'rum, Eli'ahba of Sha-al'bon,
34Hasheme the Gi'zonite, Jonathan the son of Sha'gee the Har'arite,
35Ahi'am the son of Sachar the Har'arite, Eli'phal the son of Ur, 36He'pher
the Meche'rathite, Ahi'jah the Pel'onite, 37Hezro of Carmel, Na'arai the son
of Ezbai, 38Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39Zelek the
Am'monite, Na'harai of Be-er'oth, the armor-bearer of Jo'ab the son of
Zeru'iah, 40Ira the Ithrite, Ga'reb the Ithrite, 41Uri'ah the Hittite, Zabad the
son of Ahlai, 42Ad'ina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the
Reubenites, and thirty with him, 43Ha'nan the son of Ma'acah, and
Josh'aphat the Mithnite, 44Uzzi'a the Ash'terathite, Shama and Je-i'el the
sons of Ho'tham the Aro'erite, 45Jedi'a-el the son of Shimri, and Joha his
brother, the Ti'zite, 46Eli'el the Ma'havite, and Jer'ibai, and Joshavi'ah, the
sons of El'na-am, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47Eli'el, and O'bed, and Ja-asi'el
the Mezo'baite.
David’s Followers in the Wilderness
12 Now these are the men who came to David at Zik'lag, while he could
not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were
among the mighty men who helped him in war. 2They were bowmen, and
could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand;
they were Benjaminites, Saul’s kinsmen. 3The chief was Ahie'zer, then
Jo'ash, both sons of Shema'ah of Gib'e-ah; also Je'zi-el and Pe'let the sons of
Az'maveth; Ber'acah, Je'hu of An'athoth, 4Ishma'iah of Gib'eon, a mighty
man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremi'ah, f Jaha'ziel,
Joha'nan, Joz'abad of Gede'rah, 5Elu'zai, g Jer'imoth, Beali'ah, Shemari'ah,
Shephati'ah the Har'uphite; 6Elka'nah, Isshi'ah, Az'arel, Jo-e'zer, and
Jasho'be-am, the Ko'rahites; 7and Jo-e'lah and Zebadi'ah, the sons of
Jero'ham of Gedor.
8 From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the
wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear,
whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as gazelles
upon the mountains: 9E'zer the chief, Obadi'ah second, Eli'ab third,
10Mishman'nah fourth, Jeremi'ah fifth, 11Attai sixth, Eli'el seventh,
12Joha'nan eighth, Elza'bad ninth, 13Jeremi'ah tenth, Mach'bannai eleventh.
14These Gadites were officers of the army, the lesser over a hundred and the
greater over a thousand. 15These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the
first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those
in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
16 And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to
David. 17David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come
to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be knit to you; but if to betray
me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong in my hands, then may
the God of our fathers see and rebuke you.” 18Then the Spirit came upon
Ama'sai, chief of the thirty, and he said,
00“We are yours, O David;
intent to make David king over all Israel; likewise all the rest of Israel were
of a single mind to make David king. 39And they were there with David for
three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had made preparation for
them. 40And also their neighbors, from as far as Is'sachar and Zeb'ulun and
Naph'tali, came bringing food on donkeys and on camels and on mules and
on oxen, abundant provisions of meal, cakes of figs, clusters of raisins, and
wine and oil, oxen and sheep, for there was joy in Israel.
The Ark Brought from Kiriath-jearim
13 David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds,
with every leader. 2And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems
good to you, and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send abroad to
our brethren who remain in all the land of Israel, and with them to the
priests and Levites in the cities that have pasture lands, that they may come
together to us. 3Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we
neglected it in the days of Saul.” 4All the assembly agreed to do so, for the
thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
5 So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance
of Ha'math, to bring the ark of God from Kir'iath-je'arim. 6And David and
all Israel went up to Ba'alah, that is, to Kir'iath-je'arim which belongs to
Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of
the LORD who sits enthroned above the cherubim. 7And they carried the ark
of God upon a new cart, from the house of Abin'adab, and Uzzah and
Ahi'o j were driving the cart. 8And David and all Israel were making merry
before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and
tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.
9 And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his
hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10And the anger of the LORD
was kindled against Uzzah; and he struck him because he put forth his hand
to the ark; and he died there before God. 11And David was angry because
the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Pe'rez-
uzza k to this day. 12And David was afraid of God that day; and he said,
“How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” 13So David did not take the
ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of O'bed-
e'dom the Gittite. 14And the ark of God remained with the household of
O'bed-e'dom in his house three months; and the LORD blessed the household
of Obed-edom and all that he had.
David Established in Jerusalem
14 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees,
also masons and carpenters to build a house for him. 2And David perceived
that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that his kingdom
was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
3 And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David begot more sons
and daughters. 4These are the names of the children whom he had in
Jerusalem: Sham'mu-a, Sho'bab, Nathan, Solomon, 5Ibhar, Eli'shu-a,
El'pelet, 6No'gah, Ne'pheg, Japhi'a, 7Elish'ama, Beeli'ada, and Eliph'elet.
Defeat of the Philistines
8 When the Philis'tines heard that David had been anointed king over all
Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David; and David heard of it
and went out against them. 9Now the Philis'tines had come and made a raid
in the valley of Reph'aim. 10And David inquired of God, “Shall I go up
against the Philis'tines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD
said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” 11And he went up
to Ba'al-pera'zim, and David defeated them there; and David said, “God has
broken throughl my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore
the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. m 12And they left their gods
there, and David gave command, and they were burned.
13 And the Philis'tines yet again made a raid in the valley. 14And when
David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after
them; go around and come upon them opposite the balsam trees. 15And
when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then
go out to battle; for God has gone out before you to strike the army of the
Philis'tines.” 16And David did as God commanded him, and they struck the
Philis'tine army from Gib'eon to Gezer. 17And the fame of David went out
into all lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
15 David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared
a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. 2Then David said, “No
one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD chose them to
carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him for ever.” 3And David
assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to its
place, which he had prepared for it. 4And David gathered together the sons
of Aaron and the Levites: 5of the sons of Ko'hath, Uri'el the chief, with a
hundred and twenty of his brethren; 6of the sons of Merar'i, Asai'ah the
chief, with two hundred and twenty of his brethren; 7of the sons of
Gershom, Joel the chief, with a hundred and thirty of his brethren; 8of the
sons of Eliza'phan, Shemai'ah the chief, with two hundred of his brethren;
9of the sons of He'bron, Eli'el the chief, with eighty of his brethren; 10of the
sons of Uz'ziel, Ammin'adab the chief, with a hundred and twelve of his
brethren. 11Then David summoned the priests Za'dok and Abi'athar, and the
Levites Uri'el, Asai'ah, Joel, Shemai'ah, Eli'el, and Ammin'adab, 12and said
to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify
yourselves, you and your brethren, so that you may bring up the ark of the
LORD, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13Because
you did not carry it the first time, n the LORD our God broke forth upon us,
because we did not care for it in the way that is ordained.” 14So the priests
and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the
God of Israel. 15And the Levites carried the ark of God upon their shoulders
with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the
LORD.
16 David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their
brethren as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on
harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. 17So the Levites
appointed He'man the son of Joel; and of his brethren A'saph the son of
Berechi'ah; and of the sons of Merar'i, their brethren, Ethan the son of
Kusha'iah; 18and with them their brethren of the second order, Zechari'ah,
Ja-a'ziel, Shemir'amoth, Jehi'el, Unni, Eli'ab, Bena'iah, Ma''asei'ah,
Mattithi'ah, Eliph'elehu, and Mikne'iah, and the gatekeepers O'bed-e'dom
and Je-i'el. 19The singers, He'man, A'saph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze
cymbals; 20Zechari'ah, A'zi-el, Shemir'amoth, Jehi'el, Unni, Eli'ab,
Ma''asei'ah, and Bena'iah were to play harps according to Al'amoth; 21but
Mattithi'ah, Eliph'elehu, Mikne'iah, O'bed-e'dom, Je-i'el, and Azazi'ah were
to lead with lyres according to the Shem'inith. 22Chenani'ah, leader of the
Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it. 23Berechi'ah
and Elka'nah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. 24Shebani'ah, Josh'aphat,
Nethan'el, Ama'sai, Zechari'ah, Bena'iah, and Elie'zer, the priests, should
blow the trumpets before the ark of God. O'bed-e'dom and Jehi'ah also were
to be gatekeepers for the ark.
25 So David and the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands,
went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of
O'bed-e'dom with rejoicing. 26And because God helped the Levites who
were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven
bulls and seven rams. 27David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also
were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and
Chenani'ah the leader of the music of the singers; and David wore a linen
ephod. 28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with
shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud
music on harps and lyres.
29 And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David,
Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David
dancing and making merry; and she despised him in her heart.
The Ark Placed in a Tent
16 And they brought in the ark of God, and set it inside the tent which
David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings before God. 2And when David had finished offering the burnt
offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the
LORD, 3and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of
bread, a portion of meat, o and a cake of raisins.
4 Moreover he appointed certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark
of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel.
5A'saph was the chief, and second to him were Zechari'ah, Je-i'el,
do my prophets no harm!”
23Sing to the LORD, all the earth!
and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
32Let the sea roar, and all that fills it,
covenant of the LORD to minister continually before the ark as each day
required, 38and also O'bed-e'dom and his p sixty-eight brethren; while
Obed-edom, the son of Jedu'thun, and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39And
he left Za'dok the priest and his brethren the priests before the tabernacle of
the LORD in the high place that was at Gib'eon, 40to offer burnt offerings to
the LORD upon the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening,
according to all that is written in the law of the LORD which he commanded
Israel. 41With them were He'man and Jedu'thun, and the rest of those chosen
and expressly named to give thanks to the LORD, for his mercy endures for
ever. 42He'man and Jedu'thun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and
instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the
gate.
43 Then all the people departed each to his house, and David went home to
my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: You shall not build me a house to
dwell in. 5For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I led up Israel to this
day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. 6In all
places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of
the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying,
“Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’ 7Now therefore thus shall
you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from
the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my
people Israel; 8and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut
off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a name, like
the name of the great ones of the earth. 9And I will appoint a place for my
people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place,
and be disturbed no more; and violent men shall waste them no more, as
formerly, 10from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and
I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I declare to you that the LORD will
build you a house. 11When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your
fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I
will establish his kingdom. 12He shall build a house for me, and I will
establish his throne for ever. 13I will be his father, and he shall be my son; I
will not take my merciful love from him, as I took it from him who was
before you, 14but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom for
ever and his throne shall be established for ever.’ ” 15In accordance with all
these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer
16 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am
I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
17And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God; you have also spoken of
your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future
generations, q O LORD God! 18And what more can David say to you for
honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19For your servant’s
sake, O LORD, and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this
greatness, in making known all these great things. 20There is none like you,
O LORD, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have
heard with our ears. 21What otherr nation on earth is like your people Israel,
whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for
great and terrible things, in driving out nations before your people whom
you redeemed from Egypt? 22And you made your people Israel to be your
people for ever; and you, O LORD, became their God. 23And now, O LORD,
let the word which you have spoken concerning your servant and
concerning his house be established for ever, and do as you have spoken;
24and your name will be established and magnified for ever, saying, ‘The
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God,’ and the house of your
servant David will be established before you. 25For you, my God, have
revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him; therefore your
servant has found courage to pray before you. 26And now, O LORD, you are
God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; 27now
therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may
continue for ever before you; for what you, O LORD, have blessed is blessed
for ever.”
David’s Kingdom Established and Extended
18 After this David defeated the Philis'tines and subdued them, and he
took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David and
brought tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadade'zer king of Zobah, toward Ha'math, as he
went to set up his monument s at the river Euphrates. 4And David took from
him a thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand
foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough
for a hundred chariots. 5And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help
Hadade'zer king of Zobah, David slew twenty-two thousand men of the
Syrians. 6Then David put garrisons t in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians
became servants to David, and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory
to David wherever he went. 7And David took the shields of gold which
were carried by the servants of Hadade'zer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadade'zer, David took very
much bronze; with it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the
vessels of bronze.
9 When To'u king of Ha'math heard that David had defeated the whole
army of Hadade'zer, king of Zobah, 10he sent his son Hador'am to King
David, to greet him, and to congratulate him because he had fought against
Hadade'zer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with
To'u. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze;
11these also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and
gold which he had carried off from all the nations, from E'dom, Moab, the
Am'monites, the Philis'tines, and Am'alek.
David’s Just Administration
12 And Abi'shai, the son of Zeru'iah, slew eighteen thousand E'domites in
the Valley of Salt. 13And he put garrisons in E'dom; and all the E'domites
became David’s servants. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he
went.
14 So David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and equity
to all his people. 15And Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah was over the army; and
Jehosh'aphat the son of Ahi'lud was recorder; 16and Za'dok the son of
Ahi'tub and Ahim'elech the son of Abi'athar were priests; and Shavsha was
secretary; 17and Bena'iah the son of Jehoi'ada was over the Cher'ethites and
the Pel'ethites; and David’s sons were the chief officials in the service of the
king.
Defeat of the Ammonites and Syrians
19 Now after this Na'hash the king of the Am'monites died, and his son
reigned in his stead. 2And David said, “I will deal loyally with Ha'nun the
son of Na'hash, for his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent
messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants
came to Ha'nun in the land of the Am'monites, to console him. 3But the
princes of the Am'monites said to Ha'nun, “Do you think, because David
has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not his
servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”
4So Ha'nun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their
garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away; 5and they
departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent to meet them,
for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho
until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 When the Am'monites saw that they had made themselves odious to
David, Ha'nun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire
chariots and horsemen from Mesopota'mia, from Ar'am-ma'acah, and from
Zobah. 7They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Ma'acah
with his army, who came and encamped before Med'eba. And the
Am'monites were mustered from their cities and came to battle. 8When
David heard of it, he sent Jo'ab and all the army of the mighty men. 9And
the Am'monites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the
city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
10 When Jo'ab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in
the rear, he chose some of the picked men of Israel, and arrayed them
against the Syrians; 11the rest of his men he put in the charge of Abi'shai his
brother, and they were arrayed against the Am'monites. 12And he said, “If
the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the
Am'monites are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13Be of good
courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our
God; and may the LORD do what seems good to him.” 14So Jo'ab and the
people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle; and they
fled before him. 15And when the Am'monites saw that the Syrians fled, they
likewise fled before Abi'shai, Jo'ab’s brother, and entered the city. Then
Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they
sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the
Euphra'tes, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadade'zer at
their head. 17And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together,
and crossed the Jordan, and came to them, and drew up his forces against
them. And when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they
fought with him. 18And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the
Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand foot
soldiers, and killed also Shophach the commander of their army. 19And
when the servants of Hadade'zer saw that they had been defeated by Israel,
they made peace with David, and became subject to him. So the Syrians
were not willing to help the Am'monites any more.
The Siege and Capture of Rabbah
20 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle, Jo'ab
led out the army, and ravaged the country of the Am'monites, and came and
besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Jo'ab struck
Rabbah, and overthrew it. 2And David took the crown of their king u from
his head; he found that it weighed a talent of gold, and in it was a precious
stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of
the city, a very great amount. 3And he brought forth the people who were in
it, and set them to labor v with saws and iron picks and axes; w and thus
David did to all the cities of the Am'monites. Then David and all the people
returned to Jerusalem.
War with the Philistines
4 And after this there arose war with the Philis'tines at Gezer; then
Sib'becai the Hu'shathite slew Sippai, who was one of the descendants of
the giants; and the Philistines were subdued. 5And there was again war with
the Philis'tines; and Elha'nan the son of Ja'ir slew Lahmi the brother of
Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
6And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature,
who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in
number; and he also was descended from the giants. 7And when he taunted
Israel, Jonathan the son of Shim'e-a, David’s brother, slew him. 8These were
descended from the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and
by the hand of his servants.
The Census and the Pestilence
21 *Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel.
2So David said to Jo'ab and the commanders of the army, “Go, number
Israel, from Be'er-she'ba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know
their number.” 3But Jo'ab said, “May the LORD add to his people a hundred
times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my
lord’s servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should he
bring guilt upon Israel?” 4But the king’s word prevailed against Jo'ab. So
Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came back to Jerusalem.
5And Jo'ab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David. In all
Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who drew the
sword, and in Judah four hundred and seventy thousand who drew the
sword. 6But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the
king’s command was abhorrent to Jo'ab.
7 But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. 8And David
said to God, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, I
pray you, take away the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very
foolishly.” 9And the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, 10“Go and
say to David, ‘Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you; choose one of
them, that I may do it to you.’ ” 11So Gad came to David and said to him,
“Thus says the LORD, ‘Take which you will: 12either three years of famine;
or three months of devastation by your foes, while the sword of your
enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of the LORD,
pestilence upon the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout
all the territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I shall return to him
who sent me.” 13Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; let me fall
into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but let me not fall
into the hand of man.”
14 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell seventy
thousand men of Israel. 15And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it;
but when he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw, and he repented of the
evil; and he said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now stay your
hand.” And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of
Ornan the Jeb'usite. 16And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the
LORD standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword
stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in
sackcloth, fell upon their faces. 17And David said to God, “Was it not I who
gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done very
wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray you,
O LORD my God, be against me and against my father’s house; but let not
the plague be upon your people.”
David’s Altar and Sacrifice
18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David
should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan
the Jeb'usite. 19So David went up at Gad’s word, which he had spoken in
the name of the LORD. 20Now Ornan was threshing wheat; he turned and
saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21As
David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went forth from the
threshing floor, and did obeisance to David with his face to the ground.
22And David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing floor that I
Israel, and he set stonecutters to prepare dressed stones for building the
house of God. 3David also provided great stores of iron for nails for the
doors of the gates and for clamps, as well as bronze in quantities beyond
weighing, 4and cedar timbers without number; for the Sido'nians and
Ty'rians brought great quantities of cedar to David. 5For David said,
“Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be
built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory
throughout all lands; I will therefore make preparation for it.” So David
provided materials in great quantity before his death.
David’s Charge to Solomon
and the Leaders of Israel
6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house
for the LORD, the God of Israel. 7David said to Solomon, “My son, I had it
in my heart to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. 8But the
word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have
waged great wars; you shall not build a house to my name, because you
have shed so much blood before me upon the earth. 9Behold, a son shall be
born to you; he shall be a man of peace. I will give him peace from all his
enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace
and quiet to Israel in his days. 10He shall build a house for my name. He
shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne
in Israel for ever.’ 11Now, my son, the LORD be with you, so that you may
succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as he has spoken
concerning you. 12Only, may the LORD grant you discretion and
understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the
law of the LORD your God. 13Then you will prosper if you are careful to
observe the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses
for Israel. Be strong, and of good courage. Fear not; be not dismayed.
14With great pains I have provided for the house of the LORD a hundred
thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron
beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone too I have
provided. To these you must add. 15You have an abundance of workmen:
stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without
number, skilled in working 16gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and be
doing! The LORD be with you!”
17 David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his
son, saying, 18“Is not the LORD your God with you? And has he not given
you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land
into my hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD and his people.
19Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Arise and build
the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that the ark of the covenant of the LORD
and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name
of the LORD.”
Families of the Levites and Their Duties
23 When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son
king over Israel.
2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel and the priests and the Levites.
3The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total
Jehi'el the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9The sons of Shim'e-i:
Shelo'moth, Ha'zi-el, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’
houses of Ladan. 10And the sons of Shim'e-i: Jahath, Zina, and Je'ush, and
Beri'ah. These four were the sons of Shim'e-i. 11Jahath was the chief, and
Zizah the second; but Je'ush and Beri'ah had not many sons, therefore they
became a father’s house in one reckoning.
12 The sons of Ko'hath: Amram, Izhar, He'bron, and Uz'ziel, four. 13The
sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to consecrate the
most holy things, that he and his sons for ever should burn incense before
the LORD, and minister to him and pronounce blessings in his name for ever.
14But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of
Levi. 15The sons of Moses: Gershom and Elie'zer. 16The sons of Gershom:
Shebu'el the chief. 17The sons of Elie'zer: Rehabi'ah the chief; Eliezer had
no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18The sons of
Izhar: Shelo'mith the chief. 19The sons of He'bron: Jeri'ah the chief,
Amari'ah the second, Jaha'ziel the third, and Jekame'am the fourth. 20The
sons of Uz'ziel: Micah the chief and Isshi'ah the second.
21 The sons of Merar'i: Mah'li and Mu'shi. The sons of Mahli: Elea'zar and
Kish. 22Elea'zar died having no sons, but only daughters; their kinsmen, the
sons of Kish, married them. 23The sons of Mu'shi: Mah'li, E'der, and
Jer'emoth, three.
24 These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses, the heads of
the fourth to Se-o'rim, 9the fifth to Malchi'jah, the sixth to Mi'jamin, 10the
seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abi'jah, 11the ninth to Jesh'ua, the tenth to
Shecani'ah, 12the eleventh to Eli'ashib, the twelfth to Ja'kim, 13the thirteenth
to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jesheb'e-ab, 14the fifteenth to Bilgah, the
sixteenth to Immer, 15the seventeenth to He'zir, the eighteenth to
Hap'pizzez, 16the nineteenth to Pethahi'ah, the twentieth to Jehez'kel, 17the
twenty-first to Ja'chin, the twenty-second to Gamul, 18the twenty-third to
Delai'ah, the twenty-fourth to Ma-azi'ah. 19These had as their appointed
duty in their service to come into the house of the LORD according to the
procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the LORD God of
Israel had commanded him.
Other Levites
20 And of the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shu'ba-el; of
his brethren and his sons, twelve; 10the third to Zaccur, his sons and his
brethren, twelve; 11the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 12the
fifth to Nethani'ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 13the sixth to
Bukki'ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 14the seventh to Jeshare'lah, his
sons and his brethren, twelve; 15the eighth to Jesha'iah, his sons and his
brethren, twelve; 16the ninth to Mattani'ah, his sons and his brethren,
twelve; 17the tenth to Shim'e-i, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 18the
eleventh to Az'arel, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 19the twelfth to
Hashabi'ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 20to the thirteenth, Shu'ba-el,
his sons and his brethren, twelve; 21to the fourteenth, Mattithi'ah, his sons
and his brethren, twelve; 22to the fifteenth, to Jer'emoth, his sons and his
brethren, twelve; 23to the sixteenth, to Hanani'ah, his sons and his brethren,
twelve; 24to the seventeenth, to Joshbekash'ah, his sons and his brethren,
twelve; 25to the eighteenth, to Hana'ni, his sons and his brethren, twelve;
26to the nineteenth, to Mallo'thi, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 27to the
twentieth, to Eli'athah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 28to the twenty-
first, to Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 29to the twenty-second, to
Giddal'ti, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 30to the twenty-third, to
Maha'zi-oth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 31to the twenty-fourth, to
Romam'ti-e'zer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.
The Divisions of the Gatekeepers
26 As for the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Ko'rahites,
Meshelemi'ah the son of Ko're, of the sons of A'saph. 2And Meshelemi'ah
had sons: Zechari'ah the first-born, Jedi'a-el the second, Zebadi'ah the third,
Jath'ni-el the fourth, 3E'lam the fifth, Je'ho-ha'nan the sixth, El'ie-ho-e'nai
the seventh. 4And O'bed-e'dom had sons: Shemai'ah the first-born,
Jeho'zabad the second, Jo'ah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethan'el the fifth,
5Am'mi-el the sixth, Is'sachar the seventh, Pe-ul'lethai the eighth; for God
blessed him. 6Also to his son Shemai'ah were sons born who were rulers in
their fathers’ houses, for they were men of great ability. 7The sons of
Shemai'ah: Othni, Reph'a-el, O'bed, and Elza'bad, whose brethren were able
men, Eli'hu and Semachi'ah. 8All these were of the sons of O'bed-e'dom
with their sons and brethren, able men qualified for the service; sixty-two of
Obed-edom. 9And Meshelemi'ah had sons and brethren, able men, eighteen.
10And Ho'sah, of the sons of Merar'i, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though
he was not the first-born, his father made him chief), 11Hilki'ah the second,
Tebali'ah the third, Zechari'ah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Ho'sah
were thirteen.
12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their chief men,
had duties, just as their brethren did, ministering in the house of the LORD;
13and they cast lots by fathers’ houses, small and great alike, for their gates.
14The lot for the east fell to Shelemi'ah. They cast lots also for his son
Zechari'ah, a shrewd counselor, and his lot came out for the north. 15O'bed-
e'dom’s came out for the south, and to his sons was allotted the storehouse.
16For Shuppim and Ho'sah it came out for the west, at the gate of
Shal'lecheth on the road that goes up. Watch corresponded to watch. 17On
the east there were six each day, b on the north four each day, on the south
four each day, as well as two and two at the storehouse; 18and for the
parbar c on the west there were four at the road and two at the parbar.
19These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the Ko'rahites and the
sons of Merar'i.
The Treasurers, Officers, and Judges
20 And of the Levites, Ahi'jah had charge of the treasuries of the house of
God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts. 21The sons of Ladan, the sons
of the Ger'shonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers’ houses
belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehi'eli. d
22 The sons of Jehi'eli, Zetham and Joel his brother, were in charge of the
treasuries of the house of the LORD. 23Of the Am'ramites, the Iz'harites, the
He'bronites, and the Uz'zielites— 24and Shebu'el the son of Gershom, son
of Moses, was chief officer in charge of the treasuries. 25His brethren: from
Elie'zer were his son Rehabi'ah, and his son Jeshai'ah, and his son Jo'ram,
and his son Zich'ri, and his son Shelo'moth. 26This Shelo'moth and his
brethren were in charge of all the treasuries of the dedicated gifts which
David the king, and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and the officers of the
thousands and the hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had
dedicated. 27From spoil won in battles they dedicated gifts for the
maintenance of the house of the LORD. 28Also all that Samuel the seer, and
Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Jo'ab the son of
Zeru'iah had dedicated—all dedicated gifts were in the care of Shelo'moth e
and his brethren.
29 Of the Iz'harites, Chenani'ah and his sons were appointed to outside
duties for Israel, as officers and judges. 30Of the He'bronites, Hashabi'ah
and his brethren, one thousand seven hundred men of ability, had the
oversight of Israel westward of the Jordan for all the work of the LORD and
for the service of the king. 31Of the He'bronites, Jeri'jah was chief of the
Hebronites of whatever genealogy or fathers’ houses. (In the fortieth year of
David’s reign search was made and men of great ability among them were
found at Ja'zer in Gilead.) 32King David appointed him and his brethren,
two thousand seven hundred men of ability, heads of fathers’ houses, to
have the oversight of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the
Manas'sites for everything pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.
The Military Divisions
27 This is the list of the people of Israel, the heads of fathers’ houses,
the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served
the king in all matters concerning the divisions that came and went, month
after month throughout the year, each division numbering twenty-four
thousand:
2 Jasho'beam the son of Zab'diel was in charge of the first division in the
was chief officer; for the Simeonites, Shephati'ah the son of Ma'acah; 17for
Levi, Hashabi'ah the son of Kemu'el; for Aaron, Za'dok; 18for Judah, Eli'hu,
one of David’s brothers; for Is'sachar, Omri the son of Michael; 19for
Zeb'ulun, Ishma'iah the son of Obadi'ah; for Naph'tali, Jer'emoth the son of
Az'ri-el; 20for the E'phraimites, Hoshe'a the son of Azazi'ah; for the half-
tribe of Manas'seh, Joel the son of Pedai'ah; 21for the half-tribe of
Manas'seh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechari'ah; for Benjamin, Ja-asi'el the
son of Abner; 22for Dan, Az'arel the son of Jero'ham. These were the
leaders of the tribes of Israel. 23David did not number those below twenty
years of age, for the LORD had promised to make Israel as many as the stars
of heaven. 24Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah began to number, but did not finish;
yet wrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered in the
chronicles of King David.
Stewards and Counselors
25 Over the king’s treasuries was Az'maveth the son of Ad'i-el; and over
the treasuries in the country, in the cities, in the villages and in the towers,
was Jonathan the son of Uzzi'ah; 26and over those who did the work of the
field for tilling the soil was Ezri the son of Che'lub; 27and over the
vineyards was Shim'e-i the Ra'mathite; and over the produce of the
vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite. 28Over the olive
and sycamore trees in the Shephe'lah was Ba'al-ha'nan the Gede'rite; and
over the stores of oil was Jo'ash. 29Over the herds that pastured in Sharon
was Shitrai the Sharonite; over the herds in the valleys was Sha'phat the son
of Ad'lai. 30Over the camels was Obil the Ish'maelite; and over the she-
donkeys was Jehde'iah the Meron'othite. Over the flocks was Jaziz the
Hag'rite. 31All these were stewards of King David’s property.
32 Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, being a man of understanding
and a scribe; he and Jehi'el the son of Hach'moni attended the king’s sons.
33Ahith'ophel was the king’s counselor, and Hu'shai the Ar'chite was the
with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all
hearts, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be
found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever. 10Take
heed now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary;
be strong, and do it.”
11 Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the
temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner
chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat; 12and the plan of all that he
had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, all the surrounding
chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for
dedicated gifts; 13for the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and all
the work of the service in the house of the LORD; for all the vessels for the
service in the house of the LORD, 14the weight of gold for all golden vessels
for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, 15the weight
of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each
lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps,
according to the use of each lampstand in the service, 16the weight of gold
for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, 17and pure
gold for the forks, the basins, and the cups; for the golden bowls and the
weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; 18for the altar of
incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden
chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the
covenant of the LORD. 19All this he made clear by the writing from the hand
of the LORD concerning it, h all the work to be done according to the plan.
20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and of good courage,
and do it. Fear not, be not dismayed; for the LORD God, even my God, is
with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, until all the work for the
service of the house of the LORD is finished. 21And behold the divisions of
the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with
you in all the work will be every willing man who has skill for any kind of
service; also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your
command.”
Provisions for Building the Temple
29 And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son,
whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is
great; for the palace will not be for man but for the LORD God. 2So I have
provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the
things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the
things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of
wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony,
colored stones, all sorts of precious stones, and marble. 3Moreover, in
addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of
my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my
God I give it to the house of my God: 4three thousand talents of gold, of the
gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for overlaying
the walls of the house, 5and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold
for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer
willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?”
6 Then the heads of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did
and David said: “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, for
ever and ever. 11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the
glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and in
the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as
head above all. 12Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over
all. In your hand are power and might; and in your hand it is to make great
and to give strength to all. 13And now we thank you, our God, and praise
your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to
offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we
given you. 15For we are strangers before you, and sojourners, as all our
fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no
abiding. i 16O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for
building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all
your own. 17I know, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in
uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these
things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering
freely and joyously to you. 18O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel, our fathers, keep for ever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of
your people, and direct their hearts toward you. 19Grant to Solomon my son
that with a whole heart he may keep your commandments, your covenants,
and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for
which I have made provision.”
The People Offer Sacrifice and Anoint Solomon
20 Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the LORD your God.” And
all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed their
heads, and worshiped the LORD, and did obeisance to the king. 21And they
performed sacrifices to the LORD, and on the next day offered burnt
offerings to the LORD, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand
lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel;
22and they ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness.
And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they
anointed him as prince for the LORD, and Za'dok as priest. 23Then Solomon
sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father; and he
prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24All the leaders and the mighty men,
and also all the sons of King David, pledged their allegiance to King
Solomon. 25And the LORD gave Solomon great repute in the sight of all
Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any
king before him in Israel.
Summary of David’s Reign
26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27The time that he
reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in He'bron, and
thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 28Then he died in a good old age, full of
days, riches, and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his stead. 29Now
the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of
Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the
Chronicles of Gad the seer, 30with accounts of all his rule and his might and
of the circumstances that came upon him and upon Israel, and upon all the
kingdoms of the countries.
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2 Chronicles
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
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SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES
Solomon Requests Wisdom
1 Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the
LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. *
2 Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of
hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of
fathers’ houses. 3And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the
high place that was at Gib'eon; for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses
the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness, was there. 4(But David
had brought up the ark of God from Kir'iath-je'arim to the place that David
had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) 5Moreover
the bronze altar that Bez'alel the son of U'ri, son of Hur, had made, was
there before the tabernacle of the LORD. And Solomon and the assembly
sought the LORD. 6And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the
LORD, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt
offerings upon it.
7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I
shall give you.” 8And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and
merciful love to David my father, and have made me king in his stead. 9O
LORD God, let your promise to David my father be now fulfilled, for you
have made me king over a people as many as the dust of the earth. 10Give
me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people,
for who can rule this your people, that is so great?” 11God answered
Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked
possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not
even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself
that you may rule my people over whom I have made you king, 12wisdom
and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions,
and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none
after you shall have the like.” 13So Solomon came from a the high place at
Gib'eon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over
Israel.
Solomon’s Acquisitions
14 Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; he had fourteen
Solomon, “Because the LORD loves his people he has made you king over
them.” 12Hu'ram also said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made
heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endued with
discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD, and a
royal palace for himself.
13 “Now I have sent a skilled man, endued with understanding, Hu'ram-
a'bi, 14the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a
man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and
wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all
sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with
your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. 15Now
therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which my lord has spoken,
let him send to his servants; 16and we will cut whatever timber you need
from Lebanon, and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may
take it up to Jerusalem.”
Census of the Aliens
17 Then Solomon took a census of all the aliens who were in the land of
Israel, after the census of them which David his father had taken; and there
were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18Seventy
thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry in
the hill country, and three thousand six hundred as overseers to make the
people work.
Solomon Builds the Temple
3 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on
Mount Mori'ah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the
place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the
Jeb'usite. 2He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his
reign. 3These are Solomon’s measurements d for building the house of God:
the length, in cubits of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth
twenty cubits. 4The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty
cubits long, equal to the width of the house; e and its height was a hundred
and twenty cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. 5The nave he
lined with cypress, and covered it with fine gold, and made palms and
chains on it. 6He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The
gold was gold of Parva'im. 7So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its
thresholds, its walls, and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the most holy place; its length, corresponding to the
breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits;
he overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. 9The weight of the nails
was one shekel f to fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper
chambers with gold.
10 In the most holy place he made two cherubim of wood g and overlaid h
them with gold. 11The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty
cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house,
and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub;
12and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house,
and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first
cherub. 13The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; the
cherubim i stood on their feet, facing the nave. 14And he made the veil of
blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and worked cherubim
on it.
15 In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a
capital of five cubits on the top of each. 16He made chains like a necklace j
and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred
pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17He set up the pillars in front of
the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he
called Ja'chin, and that on the north Boaz.
Furnishings of the Temple
4 He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits
wide, and ten cubits high. 2Then he made the molten sea; it was round, ten
cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits
measured its circumference. 3Under it were figures of gourds, k for thirty l
cubits, compassing the sea round about; the gourds k were in two rows, cast
with it when it was cast. 4It stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north,
three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the sea was set
upon them, and all their posterior parts were inward. 5Its thickness was a
handbreadth; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower
of a lily; it held over three thousand baths. 6He also made ten lavers in
which to wash, and set five on the south side, and five on the north side. In
these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the
sea was for the priests to wash in.
7 And he made ten golden lampstands as prescribed, and set them in the
temple, five on the south side and five on the north. 8He also made ten
tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the
north. And he made a hundred basins of gold. 9He made the court of the
priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors
with bronze; 10and he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.
11 Hu'ram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Huram
finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: 12the
two pillars, the bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the
two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of
the pillars; 13and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two
rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the
capitals that were upon the pillars. 14He made the stands also, and the lavers
upon the stands, 15and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it. 16The
pots, the shovels, the forks, and all the equipment for these Hu'ram-a'bi
made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the LORD. 17In
the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between
Succoth and Zer'edah. 18Solomon made all these things in great quantities,
so that the weight of the bronze was not ascertained.
19 So Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God: the
golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, 20the lampstands and
their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed;
21the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 22the snuffers,
basins, dishes for incense, and firepans, of pure gold; and the sockets m of
the temple, for the inner doors to the most holy place and for the doors of
the nave of the temple were of gold.
5 Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of the LORD was
finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had
dedicated, and stored the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries
of the house of God.
The Ark of the Covenant Brought into the Temple
2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the
tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the sons of Israel, in Jerusalem,
to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David,
which is Zion. 3And all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the
feast which is in the seventh month. 4And all the elders of Israel came, and
the Levites took up the ark. 5And they brought up the ark, the tent of
meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the
Levites brought them up. 6And King Solomon and all the congregation of
Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark, sacrificing so
many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 7So the
priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, in the inner
sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the
cherubim. 8For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the
ark, so that the cherubim made a covering above the ark and its poles. 9And
the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy
place before the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside;
and they are there to this day. 10There was nothing in the ark except the two
tables which Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant
with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. 11Now when the
priests came out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present had
sanctified themselves, without regard to their divisions; 12and all the
Levitical singers, A'saph, He'man, and Jedu'thun, their sons and kinsmen,
arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar
with a hundred and twenty priests who were trumpeters; 13and it was the
duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in
praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with
trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD,
00“For he is good,
for his mercy endures for ever,”
the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, 14so that the
priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the
LORD filled the house of God.
Dedication of the Temple
6 Then Solomon said,
“The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.
2I have built you an exalted house,
all the assembly of Israel stood. 4And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the
God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his
mouth to David my father, saying, 5‘Since the day that I brought my people
out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city in all the tribes of Israel in which to
build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince
over my people Israel; 6but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be
there and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’ 7Now it was in
the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the
God of Israel. 8But the LORD said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in
your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your
heart; 9nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be
born to you shall build the house for my name.’ 10Now the LORD has
fulfilled his promise which he made; for I have risen in the place of David
my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and I have
built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 11And there I
have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which he made with
the sons of Israel.”
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all
the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands. 13Solomon had made a
bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high,
and had set it in the court; and he stood upon it. Then he knelt upon his
knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his
hands toward heaven; 14and said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God
like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing mercy to
your servants who walk before you with all their heart; 15who have kept
with your servant David my father what you declared to him; yes, you
spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 16Now
therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father
what you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall never fail you a man
before me to sit upon the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to
their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ 17Now
therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you
have spoken to your servant David.
18 “But will God dwell indeed with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and
the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house which I
have built! 19Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his
supplication, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer which
your servant prays before you; 20that your eyes may be open day and night
toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name,
that you may listen to the prayer which your servant offers toward this
place. 21And listen to the supplications of your servant and of your people
Israel, when they pray toward this place; yes, hear from heaven * your
dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.
22 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and
comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 23then hear from
heaven, and act, and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing
his conduct upon his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding
him according to his righteousness.
24 “If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have
sinned against you, when they turn again and acknowledge your name, and
pray and make supplication to you in this house, 25then hear from heaven,
and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land
which you gave to them and to their fathers.
26 “When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned
against you, if they pray toward this place, and acknowledge your name,
and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, 27then hear in heaven, and
forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them
the good wayn in which they should walk; and grant rain upon your land,
which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
28 “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew
from a far country for the sake of your great name, and your mighty hand,
and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house,
33hear from heaven your dwelling place, and do according to all for which
the foreigner calls to you; in order that all the peoples of the earth may
know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may
know that this house which I have built is called by your name.
34 “If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way
you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have
chosen and the house which I have built for your name, 35then hear from
heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
36 “If they sin against you—for there is no man who does not sin—and
you are angry with them, and give them to an enemy, so that they are
carried away captive to a land far or near; 37yet if they lay it to heart in the
land to which they have been carried captive, and repent, and make
supplication to you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned,
and have acted perversely and wickedly’; 38if they repent with all their
mind and with all their heart in the land of their captivity, to which they
were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their
fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built
for your name, 39then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer
and their supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive your people
who have sinned against you. 40Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and
your ears attentive to a prayer of this place.
41“And now arise, O LORD God, and go to your resting place,
house of the LORD; for there he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the
peace offerings, because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold
the burnt offering and the cereal offering and the fat.
8 At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with
him, a very great congregation, from the entrance of Ha'math to the Brook
of Egypt. 9And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly; for they had
kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. 10On
the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their
homes, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown
to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people.
The Lord’s Second Appearance to Solomon
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s house; all
that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the LORD and in his own
house he successfully accomplished. 12Then the LORD appeared to Solomon
in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this
place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13When I shut up the heavens so
that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send
pestilence among my people, 14if my people who are called by my name
humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their
land. 15Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is
made in this place. 16For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that
my name may be there for ever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all
time. 17And as for you, if you walk before me, as David your father walked,
doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes
and my ordinances, 18then I will establish your royal throne, as I
covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man
to rule Israel.’
19 “But if you o turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments
which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,
20then I will pluck you p up from the land which I have given you; p and this
house, which I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight,
and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21And at this
house, which is exalted, every one passing by will be astonished, and say,
‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22Then they
will say, ‘Because they forsook the LORD the God of their fathers who
brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and
worshiped them and served them; therefore he has brought all this evil upon
them.’ ”
Solomon Builds Many Cities
8 At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of
the LORD and his own house, 2Solomon rebuilt the cities which Hu'ram had
given to him, and settled the sons of Israel in them.
3 And Solomon went to Ha'math-zo'bah, and took it. 4He built Tadmor in
the wilderness and all the store-cities which he built in Ha'math. 5He also
built Upper Beth-ho'ron and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls,
gates, and bars, 6and Ba'alath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and
all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever
Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of
his dominion. 7All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Am'orites,
the Per'izzites, the Hi'vites, and the Jeb'usites, who were not of Israel, 8from
their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of
Israel had not destroyed—these Solomon made a forced levy and so they
are to this day. 9But of the sons of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his
work; they were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariots,
and his horsemen. 10And these were the chief officers of King Solomon,
two hundred and fifty, who exercised authority over the people.
11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the
house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the
house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD
has come are holy.”
12 Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the LORD upon the altar of
the LORD which he had built before the vestibule, 13as the duty of each day
required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the
sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts—the feast of
unleavened bread, the feast of weeks, and the feast of tabernacles.
14According to the ordinance of David his father, he appointed the divisions
of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and
ministry before the priests as the duty of each day required, and the
gatekeepers in their divisions for the several gates; for so David the man of
God had commanded. 15And they did not turn aside from what the king had
commanded the priests and Levites concerning any matter and concerning
the treasuries.
16 Thus was accomplished all the work of Solomon from q the day the
foundation of the house of the LORD was laid until it was finished. So the
house of the LORD was completed.
17 Then Solomon went to E'zion-ge'ber and E'loth on the shore of the sea,
in the land of E'dom. 18And Hu'ram sent him by his servants ships and
servants familiar with the sea, and they went to O'phir together with the
servants of Solomon, and fetched from there four hundred and fifty talents
of gold and brought it to King Solomon.
The Visit of the Queen of Sheba
9 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she
came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great
retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones.
When she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 2And
Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from
Solomon which he could not explain to her. 3And when the queen of Sheba
had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4the food of
his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and
their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings
which he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.
5 And she said to the king, “The report was true which I heard in my own
land of your affairs and of your wisdom, 6but I did not believe the r reports
until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and behold, half the greatness of
your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report which I heard. 7Happy
are your wives! s Happy are these your servants, who continually stand
before you and hear your wisdom! 8Blessed be the LORD your God, who has
delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God!
Because your God loved Israel and would establish them for ever, he has
made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness.”
9Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very
great quantity of spices, and precious stones: there were no spices such as
those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 Moreover the servants of Hu'ram and the servants of Solomon, who
brought gold from O'phir, brought algum wood and precious stones. 11And
the king made of the algum wood steps t for the house of the LORD and for
the king’s house, lyres also and harps for the singers; there never was seen
the like of them before in the land of Judah.
12 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired,
whatever she asked besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned
and went back to her own land, with her servants.
Solomon’s Wealth and Wisdom
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six
hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14besides that which the traders and
merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the
land brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15King Solomon made two
hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of beaten gold
went into each shield. 16And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold;
three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield; and the king put them
in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 17The king also made a great ivory
throne, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18The throne had six steps and a
footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the
seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests, 19while
twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like
of it was never made in any kingdom. 20All King Solomon’s drinking
vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of
Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered as anything in the
days of Solomon. 21For the king’s ships went to Tar'shish with the servants
of Hu'ram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come
bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. x
22 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in
wisdom. 23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to
hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 24Every one of them
brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices,
horses, and mules, so much year by year. 25And Solomon had four thousand
stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he
stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26And he ruled
over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philis'tines, and to
the border of Egypt. 27And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as
stone, and cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephe'lah. 28And
horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.
The Death of Solomon
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not
written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahi'jah
the Shi'lonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jerobo'am the
son of Ne'bat? 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David
before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you
advise me to answer this people?” 7And they said to him, “If you will be
kind to this people and please them, and speak good words to them, then
they will be your servants for ever.” 8But he forsook the counsel which the
old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up
with him and stood before him. 9And he said to them, “What do you advise
that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your
father put upon us’?” 10And the young men who had grown up with him
said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your
father made our yoke heavy, but please lighten it for us’; thus shall you say
to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. 11And now,
whereas my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My
father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’ ”
12 So Jerobo'am and all the people came to Rehobo'am the third day, as the
king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13And the king answered them
harshly, and forsaking the counsel of the old men, 14King Rehobo'am spoke
to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father
made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with
whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” 15So the king did not listen
to the people; for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the
LORD might fulfil his word, which he spoke by Ahi'jah the Shi'lonite to
Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat.
16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people
themselves to him from all places where they lived. 14For the Levites left
their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem,
because Jerobo'am and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the
LORD, 15and he appointed his own priests for the high places, and for the
satyrs, and for the calves which he had made. 16And those who had set their
hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of
Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 17They
strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made
Rehobo'am the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in
the way of David and Solomon.
The Wives of Rehoboam
18 Rehobo'am took as wife Ma'halath the daughter of Jer'imoth the son of
David, and of Ab'ihail the daughter of Eli'ab the son of Jesse; 19and she
bore him sons, Je'ush, Shemari'ah, and Zaham. 20After her he took Ma'acah
the daughter of Ab'salom, who bore him Abi'jah, Attai, Ziza, and
Shelo'mith. 21Rehobo'am loved Ma'acah the daughter of Ab'salom above all
his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines,
and had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters); 22and Rehobo'am appointed
Abi'jah the son of Ma'acah as chief prince among his brothers, for he
intended to make him king. 23And he dealt wisely, and distributed some of
his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified
cities; and he gave them abundant provisions, and procured wives for
them. u
Egypt Attacks Judah
12 When the rule of Rehobo'am was established and was strong, he
forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. 2In the fifth year of
King Rehobo'am, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak
king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3with twelve hundred chariots and
sixty thousand horsemen. And the people were without number who came
with him from Egypt—Libyans, Suk'kiim, and Ethiopians. 4And he took the
fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5Then Shemai'ah the
prophet came to Rehobo'am and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered
at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the LORD,
‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’ ”
6Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The
LORD is righteous.” 7When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the
word of the LORD came to Shemai'ah: “They have humbled themselves; I
will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath
shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
8Nevertheless they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service
treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he
took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold which
Solomon had made; 10and King Rehobo'am made in their stead shields of
bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who
kept the door of the king’s house. 11And as often as the king went into the
house of the LORD, the guard came and bore them, and brought them back
to the guardroom. 12And when he humbled himself the wrath of the LORD
turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction; moreover,
conditions were good in Judah.
The Death of Rehoboam
13 So King Rehobo'am established himself in Jerusalem and reigned.
Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all
the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother’s name was Na'amah
the Am'monitess. 14And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the
LORD.
15 Now the acts of Rehobo'am, from first to last, are they not written in the
chronicles of Shemai'ah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? v There were
continual wars between Rehobo'am and Jerobo'am. 16And Rehobo'am slept
with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David; and Abi'jah his son
reigned in his stead.
Abijah’s Reign over Judah
13 In the eighteenth year of King Jerobo'am Abi'jah began to reign over
Judah. 2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was
Micai'ah the daughter of U'riel of Gib'e-ah.
Now there was war between Abi'jah and Jerobo'am. 3Abi'jah went out to
battle having an army of valiant men of war, four hundred thousand picked
men; and Jerobo'am drew up his line of battle against him with eight
hundred thousand picked mighty warriors. 4Then Abi'jah stood up on
Mount Zemara'im which is in the hill country of E'phraim, and said, “Hear
me, O Jerobo'am and all Israel! 5Ought you not to know that the LORD God
of Israel gave the kingship over Israel for ever to David and his sons by a
covenant of salt? 6Yet Jerobo'am the son of Ne'bat, a servant of Solomon
the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord; 7and certain
worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehobo'am the son of
Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not
withstand them.
8 “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand
of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you
the golden calves which Jerobo'am made you for gods. 9Have you not
driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and
made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes
to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of
what are no gods. 10But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not
forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are sons of
Aaron, and Levites for their service. 11They offer to the LORD every
morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set
out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden
lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening; for we keep the charge of
the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him. 12Behold, God is with us at
our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle
against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your
fathers; for you cannot succeed.”
13 Jerobo'am had sent an ambush around to come on them from behind;
thus his troops w were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
14And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was before and behind them;
and they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15Then the
men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted,
God defeated Jerobo'am and all Israel before Abi'jah and Judah. 16The men
of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. 17Abi'jah
and his people slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell slain of Israel
five hundred thousand picked men. 18Thus the men of Israel were subdued
at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the
LORD, the God of their fathers. 19And Abi'jah pursued Jerobo'am, and took
cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jesha'nah with its villages and
E'phronx with its villages. 20Jerobo'am did not recover his power in the days
of Abi'jah; and the LORD struck him, and he died. 21But Abi'jah grew
mighty. And he took fourteen wives, and had twenty-two sons and sixteen
daughters. 22The rest of the acts of Abi'jah, his ways and his sayings, are
written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
Asa’s Good Reign over Judah
14 y So Abi'jah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of
David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land had rest for
ten years. 2 zAnd Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD
his God. 3He took away the foreign altars and the high places, and broke
down the pillars and hewed down the Ashe'rim, 4and commanded Judah to
seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the
commandment. 5He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places
and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6He built
fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years,
for the LORD gave him peace. 7And he said to Judah, “Let us build these
cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars; the land is
still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought him,
and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8And
Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, armed with
bucklers and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand men from
Benjamin, that carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of
valor.
Judah Defeats the Ethiopians
9 Ze'rah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million
men and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mare'shah. 10And Asa
went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the valley of
Zeph'athah at Mare'shah. 11And Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD,
there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O
LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against
this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let man not prevail against you.”
12So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the
Ethiopians fled. 13Asa and the people that were with him pursued them as
far as Ge'rar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive; for they
were broken before the LORD and his army. The men of Judaha carried away
very much booty. 14And they struck all the cities round about Ge'rar, for the
fear of the LORD was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was
much plunder in them. 15And they struck the tents of those who had cattle,b
and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to
Jerusalem.
Azariah’s Prophecy
15 The Spirit of God came upon Azari'ah the son of O'ded, 2and he
went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and
Benjamin: The LORD is with you, while you are with him. If you seek him,
he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3For a
long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest,
and without law; 4but when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the
God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5In those times there
was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great
disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6They were broken in
pieces, nation against nation and city against city, for God troubled them
with every sort of distress. 7But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be
weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”
Asa Has Idols Removed
8 When Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azari'ah the son of
O'ded,c he took courage, and put away the abominable idols from all the
land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the
hill country of E'phraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in
front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD.d 9And he gathered all Judah
and Benjamin, and those from E'phraim, Manas'seh, and Simeon who were
sojourning with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel
when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10They were gathered
at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11They sacrificed to the LORD on that day, from the spoil which they had
brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. 12And they entered
into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their
heart and with all their soul; 13and that whoever would not seek the LORD,
the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or
woman. 14They took oath to the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting,
and with trumpets, and with horns. 15And all Judah rejoiced over the oath;
for they had sworn with all their heart, and had sought him with their whole
desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest round
about.
16 Even Ma'acah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother
because she had made an abominable image for Ashe'rah. Asa cut down her
image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17But the high places
were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was blameless all
his days. 18And he brought into the house of God the votive gifts of his
father and his own votive gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 19And there
was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
Alliance with Syria Condemned
16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Ba'asha king of Israel
went up against Judah, and built Ra'mah, that he might permit no one to go
out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2Then Asa took silver and gold from
the treasures of the house of the LORD and the king’s house, and sent them
to Ben-ha'dad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, 3“Let there be
a league between me and you, as between my father and your father;
behold, I am sending to you silver and gold; go, break your league with
Ba'asha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 4And Ben-ha'dad
listened to King Asa, and sent the commanders of his armies against the
cities of Israel, and they conquered I'jon, Dan, A'bel-ma'im, and all the
store-cities of Naph'tali. 5And when Ba'asha heard of it, he stopped building
Ra'mah, and let his work cease. 6Then King Asa took all Judah, and they
carried away the stones of Ra'mah and its timber, with which Ba'asha had
been building, and with them he built Ge'ba and Mizpah.
7 At that time Hana'ni the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him,
“Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your
God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 8Were not the
Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with exceedingly many chariots
and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your
hand. 9For the eyes of the LORD move back and forth throughout the whole
earth, to show his might in behalf of those whose heart is blameless toward
him. You have done foolishly in this; for from now on you will have wars.”
10Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the stocks, in prison, for
he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon
some of the people at the same time.
Asa’s Disease and Death
11 The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings
of Judah and Israel. 12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased
in his feet, and his disease became severe; yet even in his disease he did not
seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians. 13And Asa slept with his
fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. 14They buried him in the
tomb which he had hewn out for himself in the city of David. They laid him
on a bier which had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the
perfumer’s art; and they made a very great fire in his honor.
Jehoshaphat’s Reign
17 Jehosh'aphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself
against Israel. 2He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set
garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of E'phraim which Asa his
father had taken. 3The LORD was with Jehosh'aphat, because he walked in
the earlier ways of his father; e he did not seek the Ba'als, 4but sought the
God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to
the ways of Israel. 5Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his
hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehosh'aphat; and he had great riches
and honor. 6His heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD; and
furthermore he took the high places and the Ashe'rim out of Judah.
7 In the third year of his reign he sent his princes, Ben-ha'il, Obadi'ah,
Zechari'ah, Nethan'el, and Micai'ah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8and
with them the Levites, Shemai'ah, Nethani'ah, Zebadi'ah, As'ahel,
Shemi'ramoth, Jehon'athan, Adoni'jah, Tobi'jah, and Tobadoni'jah; and with
these Levites, the priests Elish'ama and Jeho'ram. 9And they taught in
Judah, having the book of the law of the LORD with them; they went about
through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.
10 And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that
were round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehosh'aphat.
11Some of the Philis'tines brought Jehosh'aphat presents, and silver for
tribute; and the Arabs also brought him seven thousand seven hundred rams
and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats. 12And Jehosh'aphat grew
steadily greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store-cities, 13and he had
great stores in the cities of Judah. He had soldiers, mighty men of valor, in
Jerusalem. 14This was the muster of them by fathers’ houses: Of Judah, the
commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with three hundred
thousand mighty men of valor, 15and next to him Je'ho-ha'nan the
commander, with two hundred and eighty thousand, 16and next to him
Amasi'ah the son of Zich'ri, a volunteer for the service of the LORD, with
two hundred thousand mighty men of valor. 17Of Benjamin: Eli'ada, a
mighty man of valor, with two hundred thousand men armed with bow and
shield, 18and next to him Jeho'zabad with a hundred and eighty thousand
armed for war. 19These were in the service of the king, besides those whom
the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab
18 Now Jehosh'aphat had great riches and honor; and he made a
marriage alliance with A'hab. 2After some years he went down to A'hab in
Samar'ia. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for
the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ra'moth-
gil'ead. 3A'hab king of Israel said to Jehosh'aphat king of Judah, “Will you
go with me to Ra'moth-gil'ead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my
people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”
4 And Jehosh'aphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of
the LORD.” 5Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four
hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ra'moth-
gil'ead, or shall I forbear?” And they said, “Go up; for God will give it into
the hand of the king.” 6But Jehosh'aphat said, “Is there not here another
prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?” 7And the king of Israel said
to Jehosh'aphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the
LORD, Micai'ah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies
good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the
king say so.” 8Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring
quickly Micai'ah the son of Imlah.” 9Now the king of Israel and
Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, attired in their
robes; and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate
of Samar'ia; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10And
Zedeki'ah the son of Chena'anah made for himself horns of iron, and said,
“Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians until they are
destroyed.’ ” 11And all the prophets prophesied so, and said, “Go up to
Ra'moth-gil'ead and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the
king.”
Micaiah’s Prophecy of Defeat
12 And the messenger who went to summon Micai'ah said to him,
“Behold, the words of the prophets * with one accord are favorable to the
king; let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”
13But Micai'ah said, “As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will
speak.” 14And when he had come to the king, the king said to him,
“Micai'ah, shall we go to Ra'moth-gil'ead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And
he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” 15But
the king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to
me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” 16And he said, “I saw
all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and
the LORD said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in
peace.’ ” 17And the king of Israel said to Jehosh'aphat, “Did I not tell you
that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 18And Micai'ah
said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his
throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left;
19and the LORD said, ‘Who will entice A'hab the king of Israel, that he may
go up and fall at Ra'moth-gil'ead?’ And one said one thing, and another said
another. 20Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I
will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘By what means?’ 21And he
said, ‘I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his
prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go
forth and do so.’ 22Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in
the mouth of these your prophets; the LORD has spoken evil concerning
you.”
23 Then Zedeki'ah the son of Chena'anah came near and struck Micai'ah on
the cheek, and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to
speak to you?” 24And Micai'ah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day
when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” 25And the king of
Israel said, “Seize Micai'ah, and take him back to A'mon the governor of
the city and to Jo'ash the king’s son; 26and say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this
fellow in prison, and feed him with scant fare of bread and water, until I
return in peace.’ ” 27And Micai'ah said, “If you return in peace, the LORD
has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”
The Death of Ahab
28 So the king of Israel and Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah went up to
between the scale armor and the breastplate; therefore he said to the driver
of his chariot, “Turn about, and carry me out of the battle, for I am
wounded.” 34And the battle grew hot that day, and the king of Israel
propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; then at
sunset he died.
The Reforms of Jehoshaphat
19 Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in
Jerusalem. 2But Je'hu the son of Hana'ni the seer went out to meet him, and
said to King Jehosh'aphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who
hate the LORD? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the
LORD. 3Nevertheless some good is found in you, for you destroyed the
Ashe'rahs out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”
4 Jehosh'aphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the
people, from Be'er-she'ba to the hill country of E'phraim, and brought them
back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 5He appointed judges in the land
in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6and said to the judges,
“Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD; he is
with you in giving judgment. 7Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon
you; take heed what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the
LORD our God, or partiality, or taking bribes.”
8 Moreover in Jerusalem Jehosh'aphat appointed certain Levites and
priests and heads of families of Israel, to give judgment for the LORD and to
decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem. 9And he charged
them: “Thus you shall do in the fear of the LORD, in faithfulness, and with
your whole heart: 10whenever a case comes to you from your brethren who
live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or
ordinances, then you shall instruct them, that they may not incur guilt
before the LORD and wrath may not come upon you and your brethren. Thus
you shall do, and you will not incur guilt. 11And behold, Amari'ah the chief
priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadi'ah the son of
Ish'mael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters; and
the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously, and may the LORD
be with the upright!”
Invasion from the East
20 After this the Moabites and Am'monites, and with them some of the
Me-u'nites, f came against Jehosh'aphat for battle. 2Some men came and
told Jehosh'aphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from E'dom, g
from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Haz'azon-ta'mar” (that is, En-
ge'di). 3Then Jehosh'aphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and
proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4And Judah assembled to seek help
from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
Jehoshaphat’s Prayer and Victory
5 And Jehosh'aphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the
house of the LORD, before the new court, 6and said, “O LORD, God of our
fathers, are you not God in heaven? Do you not rule over all the kingdoms
of the nations? In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to
withstand you. 7Did you not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this
land before your people Israel, and give it for ever to the descendants of
Abraham your friend? 8And they have dwelt in it, and have built you in it a
sanctuary for your name, saying, 9‘If evil comes upon us, the sword,
judgment, h or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and
before you, for your name is in this house, and cry to you in our affliction,
and you will hear and save.’ 10And now behold, the men of Ammon and
Moab and Mount Se'ir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they
came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy—
11behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession,
which you have given us to inherit. 12O our God, will you not execute
judgment upon them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that
is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon
you.”
13 Meanwhile all the men of Judah stood before the LORD, with their little
ones, their wives, and their children. 14And the Spirit of the LORD came
upon Jahazi'el the son of Zechari'ah, son of Bena'iah, son of Je-i'el, son of
Mattani'ah, a Levite of the sons of A'saph, in the midst of the assembly.
15And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King
Jehosh'aphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Fear not, and be not dismayed at
this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16Tomorrow go
down against them; behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will
find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeru'el. 17You
will not need to fight in this battle; take your position, stand still, and see
the victory of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Fear not,
and be not dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be
with you.”
18 Then Jehosh'aphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all
Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD,
worshiping the LORD. 19And the Levites, of the Ko'hathites and the
Ko'rahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud
voice.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of
Teko'a; and as they went out, Jehosh'aphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah
and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will
be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21And when he
had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to
the LORD and praise him in holy splendor, as they went before the army, and
say,
00“Give thanks to the LORD,
against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Se'ir, who had come against
Judah, so that they were routed. 23For the men of Ammon and Moab rose
against the inhabitants of Mount Se'ir, destroying them utterly, and when
they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy
one another.
24 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked
toward the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies lying on the
ground; none had escaped. 25When Jehosh'aphat and his people came to
take the spoil from them, they found cattle i in great numbers, goods,
clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they
could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so
much. 26On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Bera'cah, j for
there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place has been
called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27Then they returned, every man of
Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehosh'aphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem
with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28They
came to Jerusalem, with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the
LORD. 29And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries
when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30So the realm of Jehosh'aphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round
about.
The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign over Judah
31 Thus Jehosh'aphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old
done; for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in
the sight of the LORD. 7Yet the LORD would not destroy the house of David,
because of the covenant which he had made with David, and since he had
promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons for ever.
The Revolt of Edom
8 In his days E'dom revolted from the rule of Judah, and set up a king of
their own. 9Then Jeho'ram passed over with his commanders and all his
chariots, and he rose by night and struck the E'domites who had surrounded
him and his chariot commanders. 10So E'dom revolted from the rule of
Judah to this day. At that time Libnah also revolted from his rule, because
he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his fathers.
Elijah’s Letter of Warning
11 Moreover he made high places in the hill country of Judah, and led the
inhabitants of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, and made Judah go astray.
12And a letter came to him from Eli'jah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the
LORD, the God of David your father, ‘Because you have not walked in the
ways of Jehosh'aphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13but
have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have led Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, as the house of A'hab led Israel
into unfaithfulness, and also you have killed your brothers, of your father’s
house, who were better than yourself; 14behold, the LORD will bring a great
plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions,
15and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your
bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.’ ”
16 And the LORD stirred up against Jeho'ram the anger of the Philis'tines
and of the Arabs who are near the Ethiopians; 17and they came up against
Judah, and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions they found that
belonged to the king’s house, and also his sons and his wives, so that no son
was left to him except Jeho'ahaz, his youngest son.
Disease and Death of Jehoram
18 And after all this the LORD struck him in his bowels with an incurable
disease. 19In course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out
because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire
in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers. 20He was thirty-two years
old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem; and he
departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not
in the tombs of the kings.
Ahaziah’s Reign over Judah
22 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahazi'ah his youngest son
king in his stead; for the band of men that came with the Arabs to the camp
had slain all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jeho'ram king of Judah
reigned. 2Ahazi'ah was forty-two years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athali'ah, the
granddaughter of Omri. 3He also walked in the ways of the house of A'hab,
for his mother was his counselor in doing wickedly. 4He did what was evil
in the sight of the LORD, as the house of A'hab had done; for after the death
of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing. 5He even followed
their counsel, and went with Jeho'ram the son of A'hab king of Israel to
make war against Haz'ael king of Syria at Ra'moth-gil'ead. And the Syrians
wounded Jo'ram, 6and he returned to be healed in Jezre'el of the wounds
which he had received at Ra'mah, when he fought against Haz'ael king of
Syria. And Ahazi'ah the son of Jeho'ram king of Judah went down to see
Jo'ram the son of A'hab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
The Downfall of Ahaziah
7 But it was ordained by God that the downfall of Ahazi'ah should come
about through his going to visit Jo'ram. For when he came there he went out
with Jeho'ram to meet Je'hu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had
anointed to destroy the house of A'hab. 8And when Je'hu was executing
judgment upon the house of A'hab, he met the princes of Judah and the sons
of Ahazi'ah’s brothers, who attended Ahaziah, and he killed them. 9He
searched for Ahazi'ah, and he was captured while hiding in Samar'ia, and he
was brought to Je'hu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He
is the grandson of Jehosh'aphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.”
And the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom.
Athaliah Seizes the Throne
10 Now when Athali'ah the mother of Ahazi'ah saw that her son was dead,
she arose and destroyed all the royal family of the house of Judah. 11But
Je'ho-shab'e-ath, the daughter of the king, took Jo'ash the son of Ahazi'ah,
and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be slain,
and she put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. Thus Jeho-shabe-ath, the
daughter of King Jeho'ram and wife of Jehoi'ada the priest, because she was
a sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athali'ah, so that she did not slay him;
12and he remained with them six years, hid in the house of God, while
commanded. They each brought his men, who were to go off duty on the
sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the sabbath; for Jehoiada
the priest did not dismiss the divisions. 9And Jehoi'ada the priest delivered
to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King
David’s, which were in the house of God; 10and he set all the people as a
guard for the king, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the south
side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the
house. 11Then he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him,
and gave him the covenant; and they proclaimed him king, and Jehoi'ada
and his sons anointed him, and they said, “Long live the king.”
Athaliah Slain
12 When Athali'ah heard the noise of the people running and praising the
king, she went into the house of the LORD to the people; 13and when she
looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance, and the
captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land
rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers with their musical
instruments leading in the celebration. And Athali'ah tore her clothes, and
cried, “Treason! Treason!” 14Then Jehoi'ada the priest brought out the
captains who were set over the army, saying to them, “Bring her out
between the ranks; any one who follows her is to be slain with the sword.”
For the priest said, “Do not slay her in the house of the LORD.” 15So they
laid hands on her; and she went into the entrance of the horse gate of the
king’s house, and they slew her there.
Jehoiada’s Covenant
16 And Jehoi'ada made a covenant between himself and all the people and
the king that they should be the LORD’s people. 17Then all the people went
to the house of Ba'al, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke
in pieces, and they slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18And
Jehoi'ada posted watchmen for the house of the LORD under the direction of
the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in
charge of the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, as it is
written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to
the order of David. 19He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of the house
of the LORD so that no one should enter who was in any way unclean. 20And
he took the captains, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the
people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the
LORD, marching through the upper gate to the king’s house. And they set
the king upon the royal throne. 21So all the people of the land rejoiced; and
the city was quiet, after Athali'ah had been slain with the sword.
Joash Restores the Temple
24 Jo'ash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
forty years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Zib'iah of Be'er-she'ba.
2And Jo'ash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of
Jehoi'ada the priest. 3Jehoi'ada got for him two wives, and he had sons and
daughters.
4 After this Jo'ash decided to restore the house of the LORD. 5And he
gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities
of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God
from year to year; and see that you hasten the matter.” But the Levites did
not hasten it. 6So the king summoned Jehoi'ada the chief, and said to him,
“Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and
Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the LORD, on m the
congregation of Israel for the tent of covenant?” 7For the sons of Athali'ah,
that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God; and had also used
all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Ba'als.
8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside the
gate of the house of the LORD. 9And proclamation was made throughout
Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for the LORD the tax that Moses the servant
of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness. 10And all the princes and all the
people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they
had finished. 11And whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers
by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king’s
secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest
and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and
collected money in abundance. 12And the king and Jehoi'ada gave it to
those who had charge of the work of the house of the LORD, and they hired
masons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also workers in
iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD. 13So those who were
engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands,
and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened
it. 14And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before
the king and Jehoi'ada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the
LORD, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for
incense, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in
the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.
15 But Jehoi'ada grew old and full of days, and died; he was a hundred and
thirty years old at his death. 16And they buried him in the city of David
among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and
his house.
Apostasy of Joash
17 Now after the death of Jehoi'ada the princes of Judah came and did
obeisance to the king; then the king listened to them. 18And they forsook
the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Ashe'rim and
the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt.
19Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD; these
Jehoi'ada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus
says God, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that
you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken
you.’ ” 21But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they
stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD. 22Thus Jo'ash
the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoi'ada, Zechari'ah’s
father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said,
“May the LORD see and avenge!”
Death of Joash
23 At the end of the year the army of the Syrians came up against Jo'ash.
They came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the
people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of
Damascus. 24Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the
LORD delivered into their hand a very great army, because they had forsaken
the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Jo'ash.
25 When they had departed from him, leaving him severely wounded, his
houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for all Judah and
Benjamin. He mustered those twenty years old and upward, and found that
they were three hundred thousand picked men, fit for war, able to handle
spear and shield. 6He hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor
from Israel for a hundred talents of silver. 7But a man of God came to him
and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is
not with Israel, with all these E'phraimites. 8But if you suppose that in this
way you will be strong for war, q God will cast you down before the enemy;
for God has power to help or to cast down.” 9And Amazi'ah said to the man
of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given
to the army of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The LORD is able to
give you much more than this.” 10Then Amazi'ah discharged the army that
had come to him from E'phraim, to go home again. And they became very
angry with Judah, and returned home in fierce anger. 11But Amazi'ah took
courage, and led out his people, and went to the Valley of Salt and struck
ten thousand men of Se'ir. 12The men of Judah captured another ten
thousand alive, and took them to the top of a rock and threw them down
from the top of the rock; and they were all dashed to pieces. 13But the men
of the army whom Amazi'ah sent back, not letting them go with him to
battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samar'ia to Beth-ho'ron, and killed
three thousand people in them, and took much spoil.
14 After Amazi'ah came from the slaughter of the E'domites, he brought
the gods of the men of Se'ir, and set them up as his gods, and worshiped
them, making offerings to them. 15Therefore the LORD was angry with
Amazi'ah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you
resorted to the gods of a people, which did not deliver their own people
from your hand?” 16But as he was speaking the king said to him, “Have we
made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?” So
the prophet stopped, but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy
you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
Israel Defeats Judah
17 Then Amazi'ah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Jo'ash the son of
Jeho'ahaz, son of Je'hu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one
another in the face.” 18And Jo'ash the king of Israel sent word to Amazi'ah
king of Judah, “A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying,
‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife’; and a wild beast of Lebanon
passed by and trampled down the thistle. 19You say, ‘See, I have struck
Edom,’ and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. But now stay at
home; why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with
you?”
20 But Amazi'ah would not listen; for it was of God, in order that he might
give them into the hand of their enemies, because they had sought the gods
of E'dom. 21So Jo'ash king of Israel went up; and he and Amazi'ah king of
Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-she'mesh, which belongs to Judah.
22And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his home. 23And
Jo'ash king of Israel captured Amazi'ah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son
of Ahazi'ah, at Beth-she'mesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke
down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits, from the E'phraim Gate
to the Corner Gate. 24And he seized all the gold and silver, and all the
vessels that were found in the house of God, and O'bed-e'dom with them; he
seized also the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and he returned
to Samar'ia.
Death of Amaziah
25 Amazi'ah the son of Jo'ash king of Judah lived fifteen years after the
death of Joash the son of Jeho'ahaz, king of Israel. 26Now the rest of the
deeds of Amazi'ah, from first to last, are they not written in the Book of the
Kings of Judah and Israel? 27From the time when he turned away from the
LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to
La'chish. But they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. 28And they
brought him upon horses; and he was buried with his fathers in the city of
David.
Uzziah’s Reign over Judah
26 And all the people of Judah took Uzzi'ah, who was sixteen years old,
and made him king instead of his father Amazi'ah. 2He built E'loth and
restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. 3Uzzi'ah was
sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in
Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoli'ah of Jerusalem. 4And he did what
was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amazi'ah
had done. 5He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechari'ah, who
instructed him in the fear of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God
made him prosper.
6 He went out and made war against the Philis'tines, and broke down the
wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ash'dod; and he built
cities in the territory of Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. 7God
helped him against the Philis'tines, and against the Arabs that dwelt in
Gurba'al, and against the Me-u'nites. 8The Am'monites paid tribute to
Uzzi'ah, and his fame spread even to the border of Egypt, for he became
very strong. 9Moreover Uzzi'ah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate
and at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them. 10And he built
towers in the wilderness, and hewed out many cisterns, for he had large
herds, both in the Shephe'lah and in the plain, and he had farmers and
vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil.
11Moreover Uzzi'ah had an army of soldiers, fit for war, in divisions
according to the numbers in the muster made by Je-i'el the secretary and
Ma-asei'ah the officer, under the direction of Hanani'ah, one of the king’s
commanders. 12The whole number of the heads of fathers’ houses of mighty
men of valor was two thousand six hundred. 13Under their command was an
army of three hundred and seven thousand five hundred, who could make
war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy. 14And Uzzi'ah
prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and
stones for slinging. 15In Jerusalem he made engines, invented by skilful
men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones.
And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.
Pride and Apostasy
16 But when he was strong he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was
false to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn
incense on the altar of incense. 17But Azari'ah the priest went in after him,
with eighty priests of the LORD who were men of valor; 18and they
withstood King Uzzi'ah, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn
incense to the LORD, but for the priests the sons of Aaron, who are
consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary; for you have done
wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the LORD God.” 19Then Uzzi'ah
was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he
became angry with the priests leprosy broke out on his forehead, in the
presence of the priests in the house of the LORD, by the altar of incense.
20And Azari'ah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked at him, and
behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they thrust him out quickly,
and he himself hastened to go out, because the LORD had struck him down.
21And King Uzzi'ah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper
dwelt in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the LORD.
And Jo'tham his son was over the king’s household, governing the people of
the land.
22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzzi'ah, from first to last, Isai'ah the prophet
the son of A'moz wrote. 23And Uzzi'ah slept with his fathers, and they
buried him with his fathers in the burial field which belonged to the kings,
for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jo'tham his son reigned in his stead.
Jotham’s Reign over Judah
27 Jo'tham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jeru'shah the
daughter of Za'dok. 2And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD
according to all that his father Uzzi'ah had done—only he did not invade the
temple of the LORD. But the people still followed corrupt practices. 3He
built the upper gate of the house of the LORD, and did much building on the
wall of O'phel. 4Moreover he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and
forts and towers on the wooded hills. 5He fought with the king of the
Am'monites and prevailed against them. And the Ammonites gave him that
year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand cors of wheat and ten
thousand of barley. The Ammonites paid him the same amount in the
second and the third years. 6So Jo'tham became mighty, because he ordered
his ways before the LORD his God. 7Now the rest of the acts of Jo'tham, and
all his wars, and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings
of Israel and Judah. 8He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign,
and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. 9And Jo'tham slept with his
fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and A'haz his son reigned
in his stead.
Ahaz’s Reign over Judah
28 A'haz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of
the LORD, like his father David, 2but walked in the ways of the kings of
Israel. He even made molten images for the Ba'als; 3and he burned incense
in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his sons as an offering,
according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove
out before the sons of Israel. 4And he sacrificed and burned incense on the
high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
Syria and Israel Defeat Judah
5 Therefore the LORD his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria,
who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and
brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of
Israel, who defeated him with great slaughter. 6For Pe'kah the son of
Remali'ah slew a hundred and twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all of
them men of valor, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their
fathers. 7And Zich'ri, a mighty man of E'phraim, slew Ma-asei'ah the king’s
son and Azri'kam the commander of the palace and Elka'nah the next in
authority to the king.
The Prophet Oded Intercedes
8 The men of Israel took captive two hundred thousand of their kinsfolk,
women, sons, and daughters; they also took much spoil from them and
brought the spoil to Samar'ia. 9But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose
name was O'ded; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samar'ia,
and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was
angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have slain them in
a rage which has reached up to heaven. 10And now you intend to subjugate
the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. Have
you not sins of your own against the LORD your God? 11Now hear me, and
send back the captives from your kinsfolk whom you have taken, for the
fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.” 12Certain chiefs also of the men of
E'phraim, Azari'ah the son of Joha'nan, Berechi'ah the son of Meshil'lemoth,
Jehizki'ah the son of Shallum, and Ama'sa the son of Hadlai, stood up
against those who were coming from the war, 13and said to them, “You shall
not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring upon us guilt against
the LORD in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already
great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.” 14So the armed men left the
captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly. 15And the
men who have been mentioned by name rose and took the captives, and
with the spoil they clothed all that were naked among them; they clothed
them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed
them; and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought
them to their kinsfolk at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned
to Samar'ia.
16 At that time King A'haz sent to the king r of Assyria for help. 17For the
E'domites had again invaded and defeated Judah, and carried away captives.
18And the Philis'tines had made raids on the cities in the Shephe'lah and the
this same King A'haz. 23For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which
had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped
them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” But they were the
ruin of him, and of all Israel. 24And A'haz gathered together the vessels of
the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he
shut up the doors of the house of the LORD; and he made himself altars in
every corner of Jerusalem. 25In every city of Judah he made high places to
burn incense to other gods, provoking to anger the LORD, the God of his
fathers. 26Now the rest of his acts and all his ways, from first to last, behold,
they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 27And A'haz
slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, in Jerusalem, for they
did not bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel. And Hezeki'ah his
son reigned in his stead.
Hezekiah’s Reign over Judah
29 Hezeki'ah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he
reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi'jah the
daughter of Zechari'ah. 2And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD,
according to all that David his father had done.
The Temple Is Cleansed
3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of
the house of the LORD, and repaired them. 4He brought in the priests and the
Levites, and assembled them in the square on the east, 5and said to them,
“Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of the
LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the holy place.
6For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the
sight of the LORD our God; they have forsaken him, and have turned away
their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs. 7They
also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps, and have not
burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of
Israel. 8Therefore the wrath of the LORD came on Judah and Jerusalem, and
he has made them an object of horror, of astonishment, and of hissing, as
you see with your own eyes. 9For behold, our fathers have fallen by the
sword and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for
this. 10Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of
Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. 11My sons, do not now
be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to
minister to him, and to be his ministers and burn incense to him.”
12 Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Ama'sai, and Joel the son of
Azari'ah, of the sons of the Ko'hathites; and of the sons of Merar'i, Kish the
son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehal'lelel; and of the Ger'shonites,
Jo'ah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; 13and of the sons of
Eliza'phan, Shimri and Jeu'el; and of the sons of A'saph, Zechari'ah and
Mattani'ah; 14and of the sons of He'man, Jehu'el and Shim'e-i; and of the
sons of Jedu'thun, Shemai'ah and Uz'ziel. 15They gathered their brethren,
and sanctified themselves, and went in as the king had commanded, by the
words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD. 16The priests went
into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought
out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the
court of the house of the LORD; and the Levites took it and carried it out to
the brook Kidron. 17They began to sanctify on the first day of the first
month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the
LORD; then for eight days they sanctified the house of the LORD, and on the
sixteenth day of the first month they finished. 18Then they went in to
Hezeki'ah the king and said, “We have cleansed all the house of the LORD,
the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the
showbread and all its utensils. 19All the utensils which King A'haz
discarded in his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and
sanctified; and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.”
Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship
20 Then Hezeki'ah the king rose early and gathered the officials of the city,
and went up to the house of the LORD. 21And they brought seven bulls,
seven rams, seven lambs, and seven he-goats for a sin offering for the
kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the
priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD. 22So they
killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and threw it against the
altar; and they killed the rams and their blood was thrown against the altar;
and they killed the lambs and their blood was thrown against the altar.
23Then the he-goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the
assembly, and they laid their hands upon them, 24and the priests killed them
and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for
all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin
offering should be made for all Israel.
25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals,
harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the
king’s seer and of Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was from the
LORD through his prophets. 26The Levites stood with the instruments of
David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27Then Hezeki'ah commanded that
the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering
began, the song to the LORD began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by
the instruments of David king of Israel. 28The whole assembly worshiped,
and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until
the burnt offering was finished. 29When the offering was finished, the king
and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. 30And
Hezeki'ah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises
to the LORD with the words of David and of A'saph the seer. And they sang
praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.
31 Then Hezeki'ah said, “You have now consecrated yourselves to the
LORD; come near, bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the
LORD.” And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings; and all
who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings. 32The number of the
burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred
rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the
LORD. 33And the consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three
thousand sheep. 34But the priests were too few and could not flay all the
burnt offerings, so until other priests had sanctified themselves their
brethren the Levites helped them, until the work was finished—for the
Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in sanctifying
themselves. 35Besides the great number of burnt offerings there was the fat
of the peace offerings, and there were the libations for the burnt offerings.
Thus the service of the house of the LORD was restored. 36And Hezeki'ah
and all the people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people;
for the thing came about suddenly.
Keeping the Feast of the Passover
30 Hezeki'ah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to
E'phraim and Manas'seh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at
Jerusalem, to keep the Passover * to the LORD the God of Israel. 2For the
king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to
keep the Passover in the second month—3for they could not keep it in its
time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number,
nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem—4and the plan seemed right to
the king and all the assembly. 5So they decreed to make a proclamation
throughout all Israel, from Be'er-she'ba to Dan, that the people should come
and keep the Passover to the LORD the God of Israel, at Jerusalem; for they
had not kept it in great numbers as prescribed. 6So couriers went throughout
all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king
had commanded, saying, “O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you
who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like
your fathers and your brethren, who were faithless to the LORD God of their
fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. 8Do not now be stiff-
necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and come to
his sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever, and serve the LORD your
God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9For if you return to the
LORD, your brethren and your children will find compassion with their
captors, and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and
merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”
10 So the couriers went from city to city through the country of E'phraim
and Manas'seh, and as far as Zeb'ulun; but they laughed them to scorn, and
mocked them. 11Only a few men of Asher, of Manas'seh, and of Zeb'ulun
humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12The hand of God was also
upon Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes
commanded by the word of the LORD.
13 And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the feast of
unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14They set to
work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for
burning incense they took away and threw into the Kidron valley. 15And
they killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month.
And the priests and the Levites were put to shame, so that they sanctified
themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. 16They
took their accustomed posts according to the law of Moses the man of God;
the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the
Levites. 17For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified
themselves; therefore the Levites had to kill the Passover lamb for every
one who was not clean, to make it holy to the LORD. 18For a multitude of
the people, many of them from E'phraim, Manas'seh, Is'sachar, and
Zeb'ulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise
than as prescribed. For Hezeki'ah had prayed for them, saying, “The good
LORD pardon every one 19who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD the God
of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of
cleanness.” 20And the LORD heard Hezeki'ah, and healed the people. 21And
the sons of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of
unleavened bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the
priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with all their might s to the
LORD. 22And Hezeki'ah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed
good skill in the service of the LORD. So the people ate the food of the
festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the
LORD the God of their fathers.
23 Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another
seven days; so they kept it for another seven days with gladness. 24For
Hezeki'ah king of Judah gave the assembly a thousand bulls and seven
thousand sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly a thousand
bulls and ten thousand sheep. And the priests sanctified themselves in great
numbers. 25The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites,
and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who
came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who dwelt in Judah,
rejoiced. 26So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of
Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in
Jerusalem. 27Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people,
and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in
heaven.
Pagan Shrines Destroyed
31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out
to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and hewed down the
Ashe'rim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all
Judah and Benjamin, and in E'phraim and Manas'seh, until they had
destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, every
man to his possession.
2 And Hezeki'ah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites,
division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the
Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of
the camp of the LORD and to give thanks and praise. 3The contribution of
the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings: the burnt
offerings of morning and evening, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths,
the new moons, and the appointed feasts, as it is written in the law of the
LORD. 4And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the
portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves
to the law of the LORD. 5As soon as the command was spread abroad, the
sons of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey,
and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe
of everything. 6And the sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of
Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the dedicated things t
which had been consecrated to the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps.
7In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the
seventh month. 8When Hezeki'ah and the princes came and saw the heaps,
they blessed the LORD and his people Israel. 9And Hezeki'ah questioned the
priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10Azari'ah the chief priest, who was
of the house of Za'dok, answered him, “Since they began to bring the
contributions into the house of the LORD we have eaten and had enough and
have plenty left; for the LORD has blessed his people, so that we have this
great store left.”
Reorganization of the Priests and Levites
11 Then Hezeki'ah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of
the LORD; and they prepared them. 12And they faithfully brought in the
contributions, the tithes and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge
of them was Conani'ah the Levite, with Shim'e-i his brother as second;
13while Jehi'el, Azazi'ah, Na'hath, As'ahel, Jer'imoth, Joz'abad, Eli'el,
Ismachi'ah, Mahath, and Bena'iah were overseers assisting Conani'ah and
Shim'e-i his brother, by the appointment of Hezeki'ah the king and Azari'ah
the chief officer of the house of God. 14And Ko're the son of Imnah the
Levite, keeper of the east gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to
apportion the contribution reserved for the LORD and the most holy
offerings. 15Eden, Mini'amin, Jesh'ua, Shemai'ah, Amari'ah, and Shecani'ah
were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests, to distribute the
portions to their brethren, old and young alike, by divisions, 16except those
enrolled by genealogy, males from three years old and upwards, all who
entered the house of the LORD as the duty of each day required, for their
service according to their offices, by their divisions. 17The enrollment of the
priests was according to their fathers’ houses; that of the Levites from
twenty years old and upwards was according to their offices, by their
divisions. 18The priests were enrolled with all their little children, their
wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole multitude; for they were
faithful in keeping themselves holy. 19And for the sons of Aaron, the
priests, who were in the fields of common land belonging to their cities,
there were men in the several cities who were designated by name to
distribute portions to every male among the priests and to every one among
the Levites who was enrolled.
20 Thus Hezeki'ah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good and
right and faithful before the LORD his God. 21And every work that he
undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law
and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and
prospered.
Invasion of Sennacherib, King of Assyria
32 After these things and these acts of faithfulness Sennach'erib king of
Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities,
thinking to win them for himself. 2And when Hezeki'ah saw that
Sennach'erib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, 3he planned
with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that
were outside the city; and they helped him. 4A great many people were
gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through
the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much
water?” 5He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken
down, and raised towers upon it, u and outside it he built another wall; and
he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and
shields in abundance. 6And he set combat commanders over the people, and
gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke
encouragingly to them, saying, 7“Be strong and of good courage. Do not be
afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with
him; for there is one greater with us than with him. 8With him is an arm of
flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”
And the people took confidence from the words of Hezeki'ah king of Judah.
9 After this Sennach'erib king of Assyria, who was besieging La'chish with
all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezeki'ah king of Judah and
to all the people of Judah that were in Jerusalem, saying, 10“Thus says
Sennach'erib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you relying, that you stand siege
in Jerusalem? 11Is not Hezeki'ah misleading you, that he may give you over
to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, “The LORD our God will
deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? 12Has not this same
Hezeki'ah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah
and Jerusalem, “Before one altar you shall worship, and upon it you shall
burn your sacrifices”? 13Do you not know what I and my fathers have done
to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands
at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? 14Who among all the gods
of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed was able to deliver his
people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my
hand? 15Now therefore do not let Hezeki'ah deceive you or mislead you in
this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom
has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my
fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’ ”
16 And his servants said still more against the Lord GOD and against his
servant Hezeki'ah. 17And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the LORD the
God of Israel and to speak against him, saying, “Like the gods of the
nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so
the God of Hezeki'ah will not deliver his people from my hand.” 18And they
shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of
Jerusalem who were upon the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order
that they might take the city. 19And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as
they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of
men’s hands.
Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
20 Then Hezeki'ah the king and Isai'ah the prophet, the son of A'moz,
prayed because of this and cried to heaven. 21And the LORD sent an angel,
who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the
camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own
land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons
struck him down there with the sword. 22So the LORD saved Hezeki'ah and
the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennach'erib king of Assyria
and from the hand of all his enemies; and he gave them rest on every side.
23And many brought gifts to the LORD to Jerusalem and precious things to
Hezeki'ah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations
from that time onward.
Hezekiah’s Sickness
24 In those days Hezeki'ah became sick and was at the point of death, and
he prayed to the LORD; and he answered him and gave him a sign. 25But
Hezeki'ah did not make return according to the benefit done to him, for his
heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem.
26But Hezeki'ah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon
them in the days of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah’s Prosperity and Good Deeds
27 And Hezeki'ah had very great riches and honor; and he made for
himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for
shields, and for all kinds of costly vessels; 28storehouses also for the yield
of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and sheepfolds.
29He likewise provided cities for himself, and flocks and herds in
abundance; for God had given him very great possessions. 30This same
Hezeki'ah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gi'hon and directed them
down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all
his works. 31And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon,
who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the
land, God left him to himself, in order to try him and to know all that was in
his heart.
32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezeki'ah, and his good deeds, behold, they
are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of A'moz, in the Book
of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33And Hezeki'ah slept with his fathers, and
they buried him in the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David; and all
Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And
Manas'seh his son reigned in his stead.
Manasseh’s Evil Reign over Judah
33 Manas'seh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2He did what was evil in the sight of
the LORD, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the
LORD drove out before the sons of Israel. 3For he rebuilt the high places
which his father Hezeki'ah had broken down, and erected altars to the
Ba'als, and made Ashe'rahs, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and
served them. 4And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the
LORD had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.” 5And he built
altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
6And he burned his sons as an offering in the valley of the son of Hinnom,
and practiced soothsaying and augury and sorcery, and dealt with mediums
and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him
to anger. 7And the image of the idol which he had made he set in the house
of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house,
and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will
put my name for ever; 8and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from
the land which I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to
do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the
ordinances given through Moses.” 9Manas'seh seduced Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than the nations whom
the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.
Manasseh Restored after Repentance
10 The LORD spoke to Manas'seh and to his people, but they gave no heed.
11Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of
the king of Assyria, who took Manas'seh with hooks and bound him with
fetters of bronze and brought him to Babylon. * 12And when he was in
distress he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself
greatly before the God of his fathers. 13He prayed to him, and God received
his entreaty and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem
into his kingdom. Then Manas'seh knew that the LORD was God.
14 Afterwards he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gi'hon,
in the valley, and for the entrance into the Fish Gate, and carried it round
O'phel, and raised it to a very great height; he also put commanders of the
army in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15And he took away the foreign
gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had
built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he
threw them outside of the city. 16He also restored the altar of the LORD and
offered upon it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving; and he
commanded Judah to serve the LORD the God of Israel. 17Nevertheless the
people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.
Death of Manasseh
18 Now the rest of the acts of Manas'seh, and his prayer * to his God, and
the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD the God
of Israel, behold, they are in the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 19And his
prayer, and how God received his entreaty, and all his sin and his
faithlessness, and the sites on which he built high places and set up the
Ashe'rim and the images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are
written in the Chronicles of the Seers. v 20So Manas'seh slept with his
fathers, and they buried him in his house; and A'mon his son reigned in his
stead.
Amon’s Reign and Death
21 A'mon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22He did what was evil in the sight of the
LORD, as Manas'seh his father had done. A'mon sacrificed to all the images
that Manasseh his father had made, and served them. 23And he did not
humble himself before the LORD, as Manas'seh his father had humbled
himself, but this A'mon incurred guilt more and more. 24And his servants
conspired against him and killed him in his house. 25But the people of the
land slew all those who had conspired against King A'mon; and the people
of the land made Josi'ah his son king in his stead.
Josiah’s Reign over Judah
34 Josi'ah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the
LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside
to the right or to the left. 3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was
yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father; and in the twelfth
year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the
Ashe'rim, and the graven and the molten images. 4And they broke down the
altars of the Ba'als in his presence; and he hewed down the incense altars
which stood above them; and he broke in pieces the Ashe'rim and the
graven and the molten images, and he made dust of them and strewed it
over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5He also burned the
bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6And
in the cities of Manas'seh, E'phraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naph'tali, in
their ruins w round about, 7he broke down the altars, and beat the Ashe'rim
and the images into powder, and hewed down all the incense altars
throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The Book of the Law Is Found
8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land
and the house, he sent Sha'phan the son of Azali'ah, and Ma-asei'ah the
governor of the city, and Jo'ah the son of Jo'ahaz, the recorder, to repair the
house of the LORD his God. 9They came to Hilki'ah the high priest and
delivered the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the
Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manas'seh and
E'phraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and
Benjamin and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They delivered it to the
workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and the workmen
who were working in the house of the LORD gave it for repairing and
restoring the house. 11They gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy
quarried stone, and timber for binders and beams for the buildings which
the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. 12And the men did the work faithfully.
Over them were set Jahath and Obadi'ah the Levites, of the sons of Merar'i,
and Zechari'ah and Meshul'lam, of the sons of the Ko'hathites, to have
oversight. The Levites, all who were skilful with instruments of music,
13were over the burden-bearers and directed all who did work in every kind
of service; and some of the Levites were scribes, and officials, and
gatekeepers.
14 While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the
house of the LORD, Hilki'ah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD
given through Moses. 15Then Hilki'ah said to Sha'phan the secretary, “I
have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD”; and Hilkiah
gave the book to Shaphan. 16Sha'phan brought the book to the king, and
further reported to the king, “All that was committed to your servants they
are doing. 17They have emptied out the money that was found in the house
of the LORD and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and the
workmen.” 18Then Sha'phan the secretary told the king, “Hilki'ah the priest
has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 When the king heard the words of the law he tore his clothes. 20And the
king commanded Hilki'ah, Ahi'kam the son of Sha'phan, Abdon the son of
Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asai'ah the king’s servant, saying, 21“Go,
inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah,
concerning the words of the book that has been found; for great is the wrath
of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the
word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
The Prophetess Huldah Consulted
22 So Hilki'ah and those whom the king had sent x went to Huldah the
prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper
of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and
spoke to her to that effect. 23And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the
God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 24Thus says the LORD,
Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the
curses that are written in the book which was read before the king of Judah.
25Because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods,
that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands,
therefore my wrath will be poured out upon this place and will not be
quenched. 26But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD,
thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding
the words which you have heard, 27because your heart was penitent and you
humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place
and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me, and have
torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the LORD.
28Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to
your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will
bring upon this place and its inhabitants.’ ” And they brought back word to
the king.
The Covenant Renewed
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and
Jerusalem. 30And the king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the
men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the
Levites, all the people both great and small; and he read in their hearing all
the words of the book of the covenant which had been found in the house of
the LORD. 31And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the
LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his
covenants and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the
words of the covenant that were written in this book. 32Then he made all
who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin stand to it. And the
inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of
their fathers. 33And Josi'ah took away all the abominations from all the
territory that belonged to the sons of Israel, and made all who were in Israel
serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not turn away from
following the LORD the God of their fathers.
Celebration of the Passover
35 Josi'ah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem; and they killed the
Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month. 2He appointed the
priests to their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of
the LORD. 3And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were
holy to the LORD, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of
David, king of Israel, built; you need no longer carry it upon your
shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel. 4Prepare
yourselves according to your fathers’ houses by your divisions, following
the directions of David king of Israel and the directions of Solomon his son.
5And stand in the holy place according to the groupings of the fathers’
houses of your brethren the lay people, and let there be for each a part of a
father’s house of the Levites. y 6And kill the Passover lamb, and sanctify
yourselves, and prepare for your brethren, to do according to the word of
the LORD by Moses.”
7 Then Josi'ah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all
that were present, lambs and kids from the flock to the number of thirty
thousand, and three thousand bulls; these were from the king’s possessions.
8And his princes contributed willingly to the people, to the priests, and to
the Levites. Hilki'ah, Zechari'ah, and Jehi'el, the chief officers of the house
of God, gave to the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand six
hundred lambs and kids and three hundred bulls. 9Conani'ah also, and
Shemai'ah and Nethan'el his brothers, and Hashabi'ah and Je-i'el and
Joz'abad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover
offerings five thousand lambs and kids and five hundred bulls.
10 When the service had been prepared for, the priests stood in their place,
and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command. 11And
they killed the Passover lamb, and the priests sprinkled the blood which
they received from them while the Levites flayed the victims. 12And they
set aside the burnt offerings that they might distribute them according to the
groupings of the fathers’ houses of the lay people, to offer to the LORD, as it
is written in the book of Moses. And so they did with the bulls. 13And they
roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the ordinance; and they
boiled the holy offerings in pots, in caldrons, and in pans, and carried them
quickly to all the lay people. 14And afterward they prepared for themselves
and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in
offering the burnt offerings and the fat parts until night; so the Levites
prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron. 15The singers,
the sons of A'saph, were in their place according to the command of David,
and Asaph, and He'man, and Jedu'thun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers
were at each gate; they did not need to depart from their service, for their
brethren the Levites prepared for them.
16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared that day, to keep the
Passover and to offer burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to
the command of King Josi'ah. 17And the sons of Israel who were present
kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.
18No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the
prophet; none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as .was kept
by Josi'ah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who
were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19In the eighteenth year of
the reign of Josi'ah this Passover was kept.
Defeat by Pharaoh Neco and the Death of Josiah
20 After all this, when Josi'ah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt
in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the
mouth of God, but joined battle in the plain of Megid'do. 23And the archers
shot King Josi'ah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am
badly wounded.” 24So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried
him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died, and
was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned
for Josi'ah. 25Jeremi'ah also uttered a lament for Josi'ah; and all the singing
men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day.
They made these an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are written in the
Laments. 26Now the rest of the acts of Josi'ah, and his good deeds according
to what is written in the law of the LORD, 27and his acts, first and last,
behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
Jehoahaz’s Reign over Judah
36 The people of the land took Jeho'ahaz the son of Josi'ah and made
him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem. 2Jeho'ahaz was twenty-three
years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in
Jerusalem. 3Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and laid upon
the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4And the
king of Egypt made Eli'akim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem,
and changed his name to Jehoi'akim; but Neco took Jeho'ahaz his brother
and carried him to Egypt.
The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiakim
5 Jehoi'akim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the
LORD his God. 6Against him came up Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon,
and bound him in fetters to take him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnez'zar also
carried part of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them
in his palace in Babylon. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoi'akim, and the
abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they
are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah; and Jehoi'achin his
son reigned in his stead.
The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiachin
9 Jehoi'achin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of
the LORD. 10In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnez'zar sent and
brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the LORD,
and made his brother Zedeki'ah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah’s Reign over Judah
11 Zedeki'ah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12He did what was evil in the sight of the
LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremi'ah the prophet,
who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. 13He also rebelled against King
Nebuchadnez'zar, who had made him swear by God; he stiffened his neck
and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. 14All
the leading priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful,
following all the abominations of the nations; and they polluted the house
of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
The Fall of Jerusalem
15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his
slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and
had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged; he gave them
all into his hand. 18And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small,
and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and
of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19And they burned the house
of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all its palaces
with fire, and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20He took into exile in
Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants
to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21to
fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremi'ah, until the land had
enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to
fulfil seventy years.
Cyrus Proclaims Liberty for the Exiles
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD
by the mouth of Jeremi'ah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the
spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all
his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia,
‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth,
and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with
him. Let him go up.’ ”
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Ezra
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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THE BOOK OF EZRA
The End of the Babylonian Captivity
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by
the mouth of Jeremi'ah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the
spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all
his kingdom and also put it in writing:
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: * The LORD, the God of heaven, has
given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him
a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3Whoever is among you of all his
people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is
in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the
God who is in Jerusalem; 4and let each survivor, in whatever place he
sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with
goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God
which is in Jerusalem.”
5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin,
and the priests and the Levites, every one whose spirit God had stirred to go
up to rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem; 6and all who
were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods,
with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.
7Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD which
Nebuchadnez'zar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house
of his gods. 8Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in charge of Mith'redath
the treasurer, who counted them out to Shesh-baz'zar the prince of Judah.
9And this was the number of them: a thousand a basins of gold, a thousand
hundred and forty-two. 11The sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three.
12The sons of Azgad, one thousand two hundred and twenty-two. 13The
sons of Adoni'kam, six hundred and sixty-six. 14The sons of Bigvai, two
thousand and fifty- six. 15The sons of A'din, four hundred and fifty-four.
16The sons of A'ter, namely of Hezeki'ah, ninety-eight. 17The sons of Bezai,
three hundred and twenty-three. 18The sons of Jo'rah, one hundred and
twelve. 19The sons of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three. 20The sons
of Gibbar, ninety-five. 21The sons of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-
three. 22The men of Netoph'ah, fifty-six. 23The men of An'athoth, one
hundred and twenty-eight. 24The sons of Az'maveth, forty-two. 25The sons
of Kir''iathar'im, Chephi'rah, and Be-er'oth, seven hundred and forty-three.
26The sons of Ra'mah and Ge'ba, six hundred and twenty-one. 27The men of
Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two. 28The men of Bethel and Ai, two
hundred and twenty-three. 29The sons of Nebo, fifty-two. 30The sons of
Magbish, one hundred and fifty-six. 31The sons of the other E'lam, one
thousand two hundred and fifty-four. 32The sons of Harim, three hundred
and twenty. 33The sons of Lod, Ha'did, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-
five. 34The sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five. 35The sons of
Sena'ah, three thousand six hundred and thirty.
36 The priests: the sons of Jedai'ah, of the house of Jesh'ua, nine hundred
and seventy-three. 37The sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two. 38The
sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven. 39The sons of
Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
40 The Levites: the sons of Jesh'ua and Kad'mi-el, of the sons of
of Tabba'oth, 44the sons of Keros, the sons of Si'aha, the sons of Padon,
45the sons of Leba'nah, the sons of Hag'abah, the sons of Akkub, 46the sons
of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Ha'nan, 47the sons of Giddel, the
sons of Gahar, the sons of Re-ai'ah, 48the sons of Re'zin, the sons of
Neko'da, the sons of Gazzam, 49the sons of Uzza, the sons of Pase'ah, the
sons of Besai, 50the sons of Asnah, the sons of Me-u'nim, the sons of
Nephi'sim, 51the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Haku'pha, the sons of Harhur,
52the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehi'da, the sons of Harsha, 53the sons of
Barkos, the sons of Sis'era, the sons of Te'mah, 54the sons of Nezi'ah, and
the sons of Hati'pha.
55 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of
Hasso'phereth, the sons of Peru'da, 56the sons of Ja'alah, the sons of Darkon,
the sons of Giddel, 57the sons of Shephati'ah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of
Po'chereth-hazzeba'im, and the sons of A'mi.
58 All the temple servants d and the sons of Solomon’s servants were three
its vicinity; e and the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived
in their towns, and all Israel in their towns.
Worship Restored at Jerusalem
3 When the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the
towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2Then arose Jesh'ua
the son of Jo'zadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerub'babel the son of She-
al'ti-el with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to
offer burnt offerings upon it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of
God. 3They set the altar in its place, for fear was upon them because of the
peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings upon it to the LORD,
burnt offerings morning and evening. 4And they kept the feast of booths, as
it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to
the ordinance, as each day required, 5and after that the continual burnt
offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of
the LORD, and the offerings of every one who made a freewill offering to
the LORD. 6From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer
burnt offerings to the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD
was not yet laid. 7So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and
food, drink, and oil to the Sido'nians and the Tyr'ians to bring cedar trees
from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant which they had
from Cyrus king of Persia.
Foundation of the Temple Laid
8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at
the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites,
the sons of A'saph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the
directions of David king of Israel; 11and they sang responsively, praising
and giving thanks to the LORD,
00“For he is good,
00for his mercy endures for ever toward Israel.”
And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the
LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12But
many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who
had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the
foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy;
13so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from
the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great
shout, and the sound was heard afar.
Resistance to Rebuilding the Temple
4 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the
returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel, 2they
approached Zerub'babel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them,
“Let us build with you; for we worship your God as you do, and we have
been sacrificing to him ever since the days of E'sar-had'don king of Assyria
who brought us here.” 3But Zerub'babel, Jesh'ua, and the rest of the heads
of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in
building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God
of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”
4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and made
them afraid to build,* 5and hired counselors against them to frustrate their
purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Dari'us
king of Persia.
Letters of Protest against Rebuilding
6 And in the reign of Ahas'u-e'rus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote
province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid.
21Therefore make a decree that these men be made to cease, and that this
city be not rebuilt, until a decree is made by me. 22And take care not to be
slack in this matter; why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?”
23 Then, when the copy of King Ar-ta-xerx'es’ letter was read before
Re'hum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to
the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. 24Then the
work on the house of God which is in Jerusalem stopped; and it ceased until
the second year of the reign of Dari'us king of Persia.
Restoration of the Temple Resumed
5 * Now the prophets, Hag'gai and Zechari'ah the son of Iddo,
prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the
God of Israel who was over them. 2Then Zerub'babel the son of She-al'ti-el
and Jesh'ua the son of Jo'zadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God
which is in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping
them.
3 At the same time Tat'tenai the governor of the province Beyond the
River and She'thar-boz'enai and their associates came to them and spoke to
them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this
structure?” 4They g also asked them this, “What are the names of the men
who are building this building?” 5But the eye of their God was upon the
elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them till a report should reach
Dari'us and then answer be returned by letter concerning it.
6 The copy of the letter which Tat'tenai the governor of the province
Beyond the River and She'thar-boz'enai and his associates the governors
who were in the province Beyond the River sent to Dari'us the king; 7they
sent him a report, in which was written as follows: “To Dari'us the king, all
peace. 8Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to
the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is
laid in the walls; this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.
9Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus, ‘Who gave you a
decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ 10We also asked
them their names, for your information, that we might write down the
names of the men at their head. 11And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the
servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house
that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and
finished. 12But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave
them into the hand of Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon, the Chalde'an,
who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia.
13However in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made
a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. 14And the gold and silver
vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnez'zar had taken out of the
temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these
Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered
to one whose name was Shesh-baz'zar, whom he had made governor; 15and
he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple which is
in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” 16Then this
Shesh-baz'zar came and laid the foundations of the house of God which is
in Jerusalem; and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is
not yet finished.’ 17Therefore, if it seem good to the king, let search be
made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was
issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in
Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.”
The Decree of Darius
6 Then Dari'us the king made a decree, and search was made in
Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored.
2And in Ecbat'ana, the capital which is in the province of Med'ia, a scroll
was found on which this was written: “A record. 3In the first year of Cyrus
the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at
Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices are offered
and burnt offerings are brought; its height shall be sixty cubits and its
breadth sixty cubits, 4with three courses of great stones and one course of
timber; let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. 5And also let the gold
and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnez'zar took out of
the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and
brought back to the temple which is in Jerusalem, each to its place; you
shall put them in the house of God.
6 “Now therefore, Tat'tenai, governor of the province Beyond the River,
She'thar-boz'enai, and your associates the governors who are in the province
Beyond the River, keep away; 7let the work on this house of God alone; let
the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of
God on its site. 8Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for
these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God; the cost is
to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the
tribute of the province from Beyond the River. 9And whatever is needed—
young bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat,
salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to
them day by day without fail, 10that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the
God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11Also I make
a decree that if any one alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his
house, and he shall be impaled upon it, and his house shall be made a
dunghill. 12May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow
any king or people that shall put forth a hand to alter this, or to destroy this
house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Dari'us make a decree; let it be done
with all diligence.”
Completion and Dedication of the Temple
13 Then, according to the word sent by Dari'us the king, Tat'tenai, the
governor of the province Beyond the River, She'thar-boz'enai, and their
associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. 14And
the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of
Hag'gai the prophet and Zechari'ah the son of Iddo. They finished their
building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and
Dari'us and Ar-ta-xerx'es king of Persia; 15and this house was finished on
the third day of the month of Adar', in the sixth year of the reign of Dari'us
the king.
16 And the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the
returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
17They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel
twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18And they
set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the
service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
The Passover Is Celebrated
19 On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles kept the
Passover. 20For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together;
all of them were clean. So they killed the Passover lamb for all the returned
exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves; 21it was eaten by the
sons of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had
joined them and separated himself from the pollutions of the peoples of the
land to worship the LORD, the God of Israel. 22And they kept the feast of
unleavened bread seven days with joy; for the LORD had made them joyful,
and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided
them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
The Arrival and Work of Ezra
7 * Now after this, in the reign of Ar-ta-xerx'es king of Persia, Ezra the
son of Serai'ah, son of Azari'ah, son of Hilki'ah, 2son of Shallum, son of
Za'dok, son of Ahi'tub, 3son of Amari'ah, son of Azari'ah, son of Mera'ioth,
4son of Zerahi'ah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5son of Abishu'a, son of
Phin'ehas, son of Elea'zar, son of Aaron the chief priest—6this Ezra went up
from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses which the
LORD the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he
asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
7 And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Ar-ta-xerx'es
the king, some of the sons of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the
singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants. 8And he came to
Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king; 9for
on the first day of the first month he began h to go up from Babylonia, and
on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand
of his God was upon him. 10For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of
the LORD, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel.
The Letter of Ar-ta-xerxes to Ezra
11 This is a copy of the letter which King Ar-ta-xerx'es gave to Ezra the
priest, the scribe, learned in matters of the commandments of the LORD and
his statutes for Israel: 12 “Ar-ta-xerx'es, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the
scribe of the law of the God of heaven. x And now 13I make a decree that
any one of the sons of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who
freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14For you are sent by the
king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem
according to the law of your God, which is in your hand, 15and also to
convey the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely
offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16with all the
silver and gold which you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia,
and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed
willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem. 17With this
money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with
their cereal offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them
upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18Whatever
seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and
gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19The vessels that
have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall
deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20And whatever else is required for the
house of your God, which you have occasion to provide, you may provide it
out of the king’s treasury.
21 “And I, Ar-ta-xerx'es the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the
province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law
of the God of heaven, requires of you, be it done with all diligence, 22up to
a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of
wine, a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for
the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the
king and his sons. 24We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose
tribute, custom, or toll upon any one of the priests, the Levites, the singers,
the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your
hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the
province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and
those who do not know them, you shall teach. 26Whoever will not obey the
law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed
upon him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his
goods or for imprisonment.”
27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as
this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in
Jerusalem, 28and who extended to me his merciful love before the king and
his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for
the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered leading men
from Israel to go up with me.
Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra
8 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses, and this is the genealogy
of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of Ar-ta-xerx'es
the king: 2Of the sons of Phin'ehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ith'amar,
Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush, 3of the sons of Shecani'ah. Of the
sons of Pa'rosh, Zechari'ah, with whom were registered one hundred and
fifty men. 4Of the sons of Pa'hath-mo'ab, El'ie-ho-e'nai the son of Zerahi'ah,
and with him two hundred men. 5Of the sons of Zattu, i Shecani'ah the son
of Jaha'ziel, and with him three hundred men. 6Of the sons of A'din, E'bed
the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty men. 7Of the sons of E'lam,
Jeshai'ah the son of Athali'ah, and with him seventy men. 8Of the sons of
Shephati'ah, Zebadi'ah the son of Michael, and with him eighty men. 9Of
the sons of Jo'ab, Obadi'ah the son of Jehi'el, and with him two hundred and
eighteen men. 10Of the sons of Ba'ni, j Shelo'mith the son of Josiphi'ah, and
with him a hundred and sixty men. 11Of the sons of Bebai, Zechari'ah, the
son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight men. 12Of the sons of Azgad,
Joha'nan the son of Hak'katan, and with him a hundred and ten men. 13Of
the sons of Adoni'kam, those who came later, their names being Eliph'elet,
Jeu'el, and Shemai'ah, and with them sixty men. 14Of the sons of Bigvai,
Uthai and Zaccur, and with them seventy men.
Ministers for the Temple
15 I gathered them to the river that runs to Aha'va, and there we encamped
three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of
the sons of Levi. 16Then I sent for Elie'zer, Ar'iel, Shemai'ah, Elna'than,
Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechari'ah, and Meshul'lam, leading men, and for
Joi'arib and Elnathan, who were men of insight, 17and sent them to Iddo, the
leading man at the place Casiphi'a, telling them what to say to Iddo and his
brethren the temple servants k at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us
ministers for the house of our God. 18And by the good hand of our God
upon us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mah'li the son
of Levi, son of Israel, namely, Sherebi'ah with his sons and kinsmen,
eighteen; 19also Hashabi'ah and with him Jeshai'ah of the sons of Merar'i,
with his kinsmen and their sons, twenty; 20besides two hundred and twenty
of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend
the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.
Fasting and Prayer for Protection
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Aha'va, that we might
humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for
ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22For I was ashamed to ask the
king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on
our way; since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good upon
all that seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all that forsake him.”
23So we fasted and besought our God for this, and he listened to our
entreaty.
Gifts for the Temple
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebi'ah, Hashabi'ah,
and ten of their kinsmen with them. 25And I weighed out to them the silver
and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God which
the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had
offered; 26I weighed out into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of
silver, and silver vessels worth a hundred talents, and a hundred talents of
gold, 27twenty bowls of gold worth a thousand darics, and two vessels of
fine bright bronze as precious as gold. 28And I said to them, “You are holy
to the LORD, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a
freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers. 29Guard them and
keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and
the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of
the house of the LORD.” 30So the priests and the Levites took over the
weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to
Jerusalem, to the house of our God.
The Return to Jerusalem
31 Then we departed from the river Aha'va on the twelfth day of the first
month, to go to Jerusalem; the hand of our God was upon us, and he
delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way.
32We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. 33On the fourth
day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels
were weighed into the hands of Mer'emoth the priest, son of Uri'ah, and
with him was Elea'zar the son of Phin'ehas, and with them were the Levites,
Joz'abad the son of Jesh'ua and No-adi'ah the son of Bin'nui. 34The whole
was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.
35 At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles,
offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel,
ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve he-goats;
all this was a burnt offering to the LORD. 36They also delivered the king’s
commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the province
Beyond the River; and they aided the people and the house of God.
Denunciation of Intermarriage; Ezra’s Prayer
9 *After these things had been done, the officials approached me and
said, “The sons of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated
themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Per'izzites, the Jeb'usites, the Am'monites, the
Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Am'orites. 2For they have taken some of
their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons; so that the
holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this
faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.”
3When I heard this, I tore my garments and my mantle, and pulled hair from
my head and beard, and sat appalled. 4Then all who trembled at the words
of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles,
gathered round me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5And at
the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garments and my
mantle torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD
my God, 6saying:
“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for
our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted
up to the heavens. 7From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in
great guilt; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been
given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to
plundering, and to utter shame, as at this day. 8But now for a brief moment
favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant, and to
give us a secure hold l within his holy place, that our God may brighten our
eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9For we are bondmen; yet
our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended to us his
mercy before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the
house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection m in Judea
and Jerusalem.
10 “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have
you have said. 13But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we
cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a work for one day or for two; for we
have greatly transgressed in this matter. 14Let our officials stand for the
whole assembly; let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at
appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, till the
fierce wrath of our God over this matter be averted from us.” 15Only
Jonathan the son of As'ahel and Jahzei'ah the son of Tikvah opposed this,
and Meshul'lum and Shab'bethai the Levite supported them.
16 Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, o heads of
Ma-asei'ah, Elie'zer, Ja'rib, and Gedali'ah, of the sons of Jesh'ua the son of
Jo'zadak and his brethren. 19They pledged themselves to put away their
wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt. 20Of the
sons of Immer: Hana'ni and Zebadi'ah. 21Of the sons of Harim: Ma-asei'ah,
Eli'jah, Shemai'ah, Jehi'el, and Uzzi'ah. 22Of the sons of Pashhur: El'i-o-
e'nai, Ma-asei'ah, Ish'mael, Nethan'el, Joz'abad, and Ela'sah.
23 Of the Levites: Joz'abad, Shim'e-i, Kelai'ah (that is, Keli'ta), Peth'a-
hi'ah, Judah, and Elie'zer. 24Of the singers: Eli'ashib. Of the gatekeepers:
Shallum, Telem, and U'ri.
25 And of Israel: of the sons of Pa'rosh: Rami'ah, Izzi'ah, Malchi'jah,
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Nehemiah
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
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THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH
Nehemiah’s Prayers
1 The words of Nehemi'ah the son of Hacali'ah. Now it happened in the
month of Chis'lev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the capital, 2that
Hana'ni, one of my brethren, came with certain men out of Judah; and I
asked them concerning the Jews that survived, who had escaped exile, and
concerning Jerusalem. 3And they said to me, “The survivors there in the
province who escaped exile are in great trouble and shame; the wall of
Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
4 When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days;
and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5And I said,
“O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God who keeps covenant
and merciful love with those who love him and keep his commandments;
6let your ear be attentive, and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your
servant which I now pray before you day and night for the sons of Israel
your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel, which we have
sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned. 7We have
acted very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, the
statutes, and the ordinances which you commanded your servant Moses.
8Remember the word which you commanded your servant Moses, saying,
‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; 9but if you
return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your
dispersed be under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and
bring them to the place which I have chosen, to make my name dwell
there.’ 10They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed
by your great power and by your strong hand. 11O Lord, let your ear be
attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants
who delight to fear your name; and give success to your servant today, and
grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
2 In the month of Ni'san, in the twentieth year of King Ar-ta-xerx'es,
when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now
I had not been sad in his presence. 2And the king said to me, “Why is your
face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing else but sadness of the
heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3I said to the king, “Let the king live
for ever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my
fathers’ sepulchres, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4Then the king said to me, “For what do you make request?” So I prayed to
the God of heaven. 5And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if
your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the
city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may rebuild it.” 6And the king said to
me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when
will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the
governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass
through until I come to Judah; 8and a letter to A'saph, the keeper of the
king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the
fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house which I
shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of
my God was upon me.
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
9 Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and
gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the
army and horsemen. 10But when Sanbal'lat the Hor'onite and Tobi'ah the
servant, the Am'monite, heard this, it displeased them greatly that some one
had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
Nehemiah’s Inspection of the Walls
11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12Then I arose in the
night, I and a few men with me; and I told no one what my God had put into
my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no beast with me but the beast on
which I rode. 13I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Jackal’s Well
and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem which were
broken down and its gates which had been destroyed by fire. 14Then I went
on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool; but there was no place for
the beast that was under me to pass. 15Then I went up in the night by the
valley and inspected the wall; and I turned back and entered by the Valley
Gate, and so returned. 16And the officials did not know where I had gone or
what I was doing; and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the
officials, and the rest that were to do the work.
Decision to Restore the Walls
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies
in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that
we may no longer suffer disgrace.” 18And I told them of the hand of my
God which had been upon me for good, and also of the words which the
king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they
strengthened their hands for the good work. 19But when Sanbal'lat the
Hor'onite and Tobi'ah the servant, the Am'monite, and Geshem the Arab
heard of it, they derided us and despised us and said, “What is this thing
that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20Then I replied to
them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will
arise and build; but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
Organization of the Work
3 Then Eli'ashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and
they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors; they
consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of
Hanan'el. 2And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them a
Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3 And the sons of Hassena'ah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and
set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 4And next to them Mer'emoth the son of
Uri'ah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshul'lam the son of
Berechi'ah, son of Meshez'abel repaired. And next to them Za'dok the son
of Ba'ana repaired. 5And next to them the Teko'ites repaired; but their
nobles did not put their necks to the work of their Lord. b
6 And Joi'ada the son of Pase'ah and Meshul'lam the son of Besodei'ah
repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its
bars. 7And next to them repaired Melati'ah the Gib'eonite and Ja'don the
Meron'othite, the men of Gib'eon and of Mizpah, who were under the
jurisdiction of the governor of the province Beyond the River. 8Next to
them Uzziel the son of Harhai'ah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him
Hanani'ah, one of the perfumers, repaired; and they restored c Jerusalem as
far as the Broad Wall. 9Next to them Rephai'ah the son of Hur, ruler of half
the district of Jerusalem, repaired. 10Next to them Jedai'a the son of
Haru'maph repaired opposite his house; and next to him Hattush the son of
Hashabnei'ah repaired. 11Malchi'jah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son
of Pa'hath-mo'ab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens.
12Next to him Shallum the son of Hallo'hesh, ruler of half the district of d
Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.
13 Ha'nun and the inhabitants of Zano'ah repaired the Valley Gate; they
rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and repaired a thousand
cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate.
14 Malchi'jah the son of Re'chab, ruler of the district of d Beth-hacche'rem,
repaired the Dung Gate; he rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
15 And Shallum the son of Colho'zeh, ruler of the district of d Mizpah,
repaired the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it and covered it and set its doors, its
bolts, and its bars; and he built the wall of the Pool of She'lah of the king’s
garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. 16After him
Nehemi'ah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of d Beth-zur, repaired
to a point opposite the sepulchres of David, to the artificial pool, and to the
house of the mighty men. 17After him the Levites repaired: Re'hum the son
of Ba'ni; next to him Hashabi'ah, ruler of half the district of d Kei'lah,
repaired for his district. 18After him their brethren repaired: Bavvai the son
of Hen'adad, ruler of half the district of d Kei'lah; 19next to him E'zer the
son of Jeshu'a, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent
to the armory at the Angle. 20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai repaired
another section from the Angle to the door of the house of Eli'ashib the high
priest. 21After him Mer'emoth the son of Uri'ah, son of Hakkoz repaired
another section from the door of the house of Eli'ashib to the end of the
house of Eliashib. 22After him the priests, the men of the Plain, repaired.
23After them Benjamin and Hasshub repaired opposite their house. After
them Azari'ah the son of Ma-asei'ah, son of Anani'ah repaired beside his
own house. 24After him Bin'nui the son of Hen'adad repaired another
section, from the house of Azari'ah to the Angle 25and to the corner. Pa'lal
the son of U'zai repaired opposite the Angle and the tower projecting from
the upper house of the king at the court of the guard. After him Pedai'ah the
son of Pa'rosh 26and the temple servants living e on O'phel repaired to a
point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. 27After
him the Teko'ites repaired another section opposite the great projecting
tower as far as the wall of O'phel.
28 Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own
house. 29After them Za'dok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own
house. After him Shemai'ah the son of Shecani'ah, the keeper of the East
Gate, repaired. 30After him Hanani'ah the son of Shelemi'ah and Ha'nun the
sixth son of Za'laph repaired another section. After him Meshul'lam the son
of Berechi'ah repaired opposite his chamber. 31After him Malchi'jah, one of
the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the
merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, f and to the upper chamber of the
corner. 32And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate
the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.
Hostile Plots Frustrated
4 g Now when Sanbal'lat heard that we were building the wall, he was
angry and greatly enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews. 2And he said in the
presence of his brethren and of the army of Samar'ia, “What are these feeble
Jews doing? Will they restore things? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish
up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and
burned ones at that?” 3Tobi'ah the Am'monite was by him, and he said,
“Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down
their stone wall!” 4Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn back their
taunt upon their own heads, and give them up to be plundered in a land
where they are captives. 5Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be
blotted out from your sight; for they have provoked you to anger before the
builders.
6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its
height. For the people had a mind to work.
7 h But when Sanbal'lat and Tobi'ah and the Arabs and the Am'monites and
the Ash'dodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going
forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very
angry; 8and they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem
and to cause confusion in it. 9And we prayed to our God, and set a guard as
a protection against them day and night.
10 But Judah said, “The strength of the burden-bearers is failing, and there
is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall.” 11And our enemies
said, “They will not know or see till we come into the midst of them and
kill them and stop the work.” 12When the Jews who lived by them came
they said to us ten times, “From all the places where they live i they will
come up against us.” j 13So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall,
in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their
swords, their spears, and their bows. 14And I looked, and arose, and said to
the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be
afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for
your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had
frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 16From
that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the
spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the leaders stood behind all the
house of Judah, 17who were building on the wall. Those who carried
burdens were laden in such a way that each with one hand labored on the
work and with the other held his weapon. 18And each of the builders had his
sword belted at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet
was beside me. 19And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest
of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated
on the wall, far from one another. 20In the place where you hear the sound
of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the
break of dawn till the stars came out. 22I also said to the people at that time,
“Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they
may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” 23So neither I nor
my brethren nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me,
none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his hand. k
Nehemiah Deals with Oppression
5 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against
their Jewish brethren. 2For there were those who said, “With our sons and
our daughters, we are many; let us get grain, that we may eat and keep
alive.” 3There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our
vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4And there
were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax upon our
fields and our vineyards. 5Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our
children are as their children; yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters
to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved; but it is
not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our
vineyards.”
6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7I took
counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the
officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.”
And I held a great assembly against them, 8and said to them, “We, as far as
we are able, have bought back our Jewish brethren who have been sold to
the nations; but you even sell your brethren that they may be sold to us!”
They were silent, and could not find a word to say. 9So I said, “The thing
that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God
to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10Moreover I and my
brethren and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us leave
off this interest. 11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards,
their olive orchards, and their houses, and the hundredth of money, grain,
wine, and oil which you have been exacting of them.” 12Then they said,
“We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you
say.” And I called the priests, and took an oath of them to do as they had
promised. 13I also shook out my garment and said, “So may God shake out
every man from his house and from his labor who does not perform this
promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said
“Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
The Generosity of Nehemiah
14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the
land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Ar-ta-
xerx'es the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brethren ate the food
allowance of the governor. 15The former governors who were before me
laid heavy burdens upon the people, and took from them food and wine,
besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people.
But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. 16I also held to the work on
this wall, and acquired no land; and all my servants were gathered there for
the work. 17Moreover there were at my table a hundred and fifty men, Jews
and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations which were
about us. 18Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six
choice sheep; fowls likewise were prepared for me, and every ten days
skins of wine in abundance; yet with all this I did not demand the food
allowance of the governor, because the servitude was heavy upon this
people. 19Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this
people.
Enemy Plots Avoided
6 Now when it was reported to Sanbal'lat and Tobi'ah and to Geshem
the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that
there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the
doors in the gates), 2Sanbal'lat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and
let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they
intended to do me harm. 3And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am
doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop
while I leave it and come down to you?” 4And they sent to me four times in
this way and I answered them in the same manner. 5In the same way
Sanbal'lat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his
hand. 6In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem l
also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are
building the wall; and you wish to become their king, according to this
report. 7And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in
Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now it will be reported to the
king according to these words. So now come, and let us take counsel
together.” 8Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have
been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9For they all
wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and
it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
10 Now when I went into the house of Shemai'ah the son of Delai'ah, son
of Mehet'abel, who was shut up, he said, “Let us meet together in the house
of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple; for they
are coming to kill you, at night they are coming to kill you.” 11But I said,
“Should such a man as I flee? And what man such as I could go into the
temple and live? m I will not go in.” 12And I understood, and saw that God
had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because
Tobi'ah and Sanbal'lat had hired him. 13For this purpose he was hired, that I
should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me an
evil name, in order to taunt me. 14Remember Tobi'ah and Sanbal'lat, O my
God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess No-
adi'ah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.
The Wall Completed
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month E'lul, in
fifty-two days. 16And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations round
about us were afraid n and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they
perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
17Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobi'ah,
and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18For many in Judah were bound by oath
to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecani'ah the son of A'rah: and
his son Je'ho-ha'nan had taken the daughter of Meshul'lam the son of
Berechi'ah as his wife. 19Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence,
and reported my words to him. And Tobi'ah sent letters to make me afraid.
7 Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the
gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2I gave my
brother Hana'ni and Hanani'ah the governor of the castle charge over
Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many.
3And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun
is hot; and while they are still standing guard o let them shut and bar the
doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each to his
station and each opposite his own house.” 4The city was wide and large, but
the people within it were few and no houses had been built.
Lists of Returned Exiles
5 Then God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles and the officials
and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the
genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it:
6 These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity
of those exiles whom Nebuchadnez'zar the king of Babylon had carried into
exile; they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. 7They came
with Zerub'babel, Jesh'ua, Nehemi'ah, Azari'ah, Raami'ah, Naham'ani,
Mor'decai, Bilshan, Mis'pereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Ba'anah.
The number of the men of the sons of Israel: 8the sons of Pa'rosh, two
thousand a hundred and seventy-two. 9The sons of Shephati'ah, three
hundred and seventy-two. 10The sons of A'rah, six hundred and fifty-two.
11The sons of Pa'hath-mo'ab, namely the sons of Jesh'ua and Jo'ab, two
thousand eight hundred and eighteen. 12The sons of E'lam, a thousand two
hundred and fifty- four. 13The sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five.
14The sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty. 15The sons of Bin'nui, six
hundred and forty-eight. 16The sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight.
17The sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two. 18The
sons of Adoni'kam, six hundred and sixty-seven. 19The sons of Bigvai, two
thousand and sixty-seven. 20The sons of A'din, six hundred and fifty-five.
21The sons of A'ter, namely of Hezeki'ah, ninety-eight. 22The sons of
of Tabba'oth, 47the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Pa'don, 48the
sons of Leba'na, the sons of Hag'aba, the sons of Shalmai, 49the sons of
Ha'nan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Ga'har, 50the sons of Re-ai'ah, the
sons of Re'zin, the sons of Neko'da, 51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza,
the sons of Pase'ah, 52the sons of Besai, the sons of Me-u'nim, the sons of
Nephush'esim, 53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Haku'pha, the sons of
Harhur, 54the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehi'da, the sons of Harsha, 55the
sons of Barkos, the sons of Sis'era, the sons of Te'mah, 56the sons of
Nezi'ah, the sons of Hati'pha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of
So'phereth, the sons of Peri'da, 58the sons of Ja'ala, the sons of Darkon, the
sons of Giddel, 59the sons of Shephati'ah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of
Po'chereth-hazzeba'im, the sons of A'mon.
60 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were three
Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their fathers’ houses
nor their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: 62the sons of Delai'ah,
the sons of Tobi'ah, the sons of Neko'da, six hundred and forty-two. 63Also,
of the priests: the sons of Hobai'ah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of
Barzil'lai (who had taken a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite
and was called by their name). 64These sought their registration among
those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were
excluded from the priesthood as unclean; 65the governor told them that they
were not to partake of the most holy food, until a priest with U'rim and
Thummim should arise.
66 The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and
governor gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, five
hundred and thirty priests’ garments. 71And some of the heads of fathers’
houses gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold
and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. 72And what the rest of the
people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, two thousand minas of
silver, and sixty-seven priests’ garments.
Ezra Opens the Book of the Law
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the
people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their towns.
And when the seventh month had come, the
8 children of Israel were in their towns. * 1And all the people gathered
as one man into the square before the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the
scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to
Israel. 2And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men
and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of
the seventh month. 3And he read from it facing the square before the Water
Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the
women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were
attentive to the book of the law. 4And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden
pulpit which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood
Mattithi'ah, Shema, Anai'ah, Uri'ah, Hilki'ah, and Ma-asei'ah on his right
hand; and Pedai'ah, Mish'a-el, Malchi'jah, Hashum, Hash-bad'danah,
Zechari'ah, and Meshul'lam on his left hand. 5And Ezra opened the book in
the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; and when he
opened it all the people stood. 6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God;
and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands; and
they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the
ground. 7Also Jesh'ua, Ba'ni, Sherebi'ah, Ja'min, Akkub, Shab'bethai,
Hodi'ah, Ma-asei'ah, Keli'ta, Azari'ah, Jo'zabad, Ha'nan, Pelai'ah, the
Levites, r helped the people to understand the law, while the people
remained in their places. 8And they read from the book, from the law of
God, clearly; s and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the
reading.*
9 And Nehemi'ah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe,
and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is
holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept
when they heard the words of the law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your
way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom
nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved,
for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11So the Levites stilled all the
people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12And all
the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make
great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared
to them.
The Feast of Booths Celebrated
13 On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with
the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to
study the words of the law. 14And they found it written in the law that the
LORD had commanded by Moses that the sons of Israel should dwell in
booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15and that they should publish
and proclaim in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and
bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to
make booths, as it is written.” 16So the people went out and brought them
and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in
the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in
the square at the Gate of E'phraim. 17And all the assembly of those who had
returned from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths; for from
the days of Jesh'ua the son of Nun to that day the sons of Israel had not
done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 18And day by day, from the
first day to the last day, he read from the book of the law of God. They kept
the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly,
according to the ordinance.
Public Confession and Worship
9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel were
assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth upon their heads.
2And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and
confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3And they stood up in
their place and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a
fourth of the day; for another fourth of it they made confession and
worshiped the LORD their God. 4Upon the stairs of the Levites stood
Jesh'ua, Ba'ni, Kad'mi-el, Shebani'ah, Bunni, Sherebi'ah, Bani, and
Chena'ni; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5Then the
Levites, Jesh'ua, Kad'mi-el, Ba'ni, Hashabnei'ah, Sherebi'ah, Hodi'ah,
Shebani'ah, and Pethahi'ah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God
from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name which is
exalted above all blessing and praise.”
Ezra’s Prayer to God
6 And Ezra said: t “You are the LORD, you alone; you have made heaven,
the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the
seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of
heaven worships you. 7You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and
brought him forth out of Ur of the Chalde'ans and gave him the name
Abraham; 8and you found his heart faithful before you, and made with him
the covenant to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanite, the
Hittite, the Am'orite, the Per'izzite, the Jeb'usite, and the Gir'gashite; and
you have fulfilled your promise, for you are righteous.
9 “And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at
the Red Sea, 10and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his
servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted
insolently against our fathers; and you got yourself a name, as it is to this
day. 11And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the
midst of the sea on dry land; and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a
stone into mighty waters. 12By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and
by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should
go. 13You came down upon Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven
and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and
commandments, 14and you made known to them your holy sabbath and
commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your
servant. 15You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought
forth water for them from the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go
in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them.
16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck
and did not obey your commandments; 17they refused to obey, and were not
mindful of the wonders which you performed among them; but they
stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in
Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to
anger and abounding in mercy, and did not forsake them. 18Even when they
had made for themselves a molten calf and said, ‘This is your God who
brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, 19you
in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of
cloud which led them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the
pillar of fire by night which lighted for them the way by which they should
go. 20You gave your good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your
manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst. 21Forty years
you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing; their clothes
did not wear out and their feet did not swell. 22And you gave them
kingdoms and peoples, and allotted to them every corner; so they took
possession of the land of Si'hon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of
Bashan. 23You multiplied their descendants as the stars of heaven, and you
brought them into the land which you had told their fathers to enter and
possess. 24So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you
subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave
them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they
might do with them as they would. 25And they captured fortified cities and
a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns
hewn out, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance; so they
ate, and were filled and became fat, and delighted themselves in your great
goodness.
26 “Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast
your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them
in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.
27Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them
suffer; and in the time of their suffering they cried to you and you heard
them from heaven; and according to your great mercies you gave them
saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. 28But after they
had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the
hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them; yet when they
turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you
delivered them according to your mercies. 29And you warned them in order
to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not
obey your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, by the
observance of which a man shall live, and turned a stubborn shoulder and
stiffened their neck and would not obey. 30Many years you bore with them,
and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets; yet they would not
give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31Nevertheless in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or
keep covenant and mercy, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has
come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our
fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this
day. 33Yet you have been just in all that has come upon us, for you have
dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly; 34our kings, our princes, our
priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or heeded your
commandments and your warnings which you gave them. 35They did not
serve you in their kingdom, and in your great goodness which you gave
them, and in the large and rich land which you set before them; and they did
not turn from their wicked works. 36Behold, we are slaves this day; in the
land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold,
we are slaves. 37And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set
over us because of our sins; they have power also over our bodies and over
our cattle at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.”
The Signing of the Covenant
38 u Because of all this we make a firm covenant and write it, and our
princes, our Levites, and our priests set their seal to it.
10 v Those who set their seal are Nehemi'ah the governor, the son of
Hacali'ah, Zedeki'ah, 2Serai'ah, Azari'ah, Jeremi'ah, 3Pashhur, Amari'ah,
Malchi'jah, 4Hattush, Shebani'ah, Malluch, 5Harim, Mer'emoth, Obadi'ah,
6Daniel, Gin'nethon, Baruch, 7Meshul'lam, Abi'jah, Mi'jamin, 8Ma-azi'ah,
Bilgai, Shemai'ah; these are the priests. 9And the Levites: Jesh'ua the son of
Azani'ah, Bin'nui of the sons of Hen'adad, Kad'mi-el; 10and their brethren,
Shebani'ah, Hodi'ah, Keli'ta, Pelai'ah, Hanan, 11Mica, Re'hob, Hashabi'ah,
12Zaccur, Sherebi'ah, Shebani'ah, 13Hodi'ah, Ba'ni, Beni'nu. 14The chiefs of
singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from
the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, their
daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, 29join with their
brethren, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s
law which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do
all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his ordinances and his
statutes. 30We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take
their daughters for our sons; 31and if the peoples of the land bring in wares
or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the
sabbath or on a holy day; and we will forego the crops of the seventh year
and the exaction of every debt.
32 We also lay upon ourselves the obligation to charge ourselves yearly
with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: 33for
the showbread, the continual cereal offering, the continual burnt offering,
the sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the
sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house
of our God. 34We have likewise cast lots, the priests, the Levites, and the
people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God,
according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn
upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law. 35We obligate
ourselves to bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all fruit
of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD; 36also to bring to the
house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the
first-born of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the
firstlings of our herds and of our flocks; 37and to bring the first of our
coarse meal, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the
oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to
the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the
tithes in all our rural towns. 38And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with
the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes; and the Levites shall bring
up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers, to the
storehouse. 39For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the
contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where are the vessels
of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the gatekeepers and the
singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.
The Inhabitants of Jerusalem
11 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem; and the rest of the
people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city,
while nine tenths remained in the other towns. 2And the people blessed all
the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.
3 These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the
towns of Judah every one lived on his property in their towns: Israel, the
priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon’s
servants. 4And in Jerusalem lived certain of the sons of Judah and of the
sons of Benjamin. Of the sons of Judah: Athai'ah the son of Uzzi'ah, son of
Zechari'ah, son of Amari'ah, son of Shephati'ah, son of Ma-hal'alel, of the
sons of Per'ez; 5and Ma-asei'ah the son of Baruch, son of Col-ho'zeh, son of
Hazai'ah, son of Adai'ah, son of Joi'arib, son of Zechari'ah, son of the
Shilon'ite. 6All the sons of Per'ez who lived in Jerusalem were four hundred
and sixty-eight valiant men.
7 And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshul'lam, son of
Jo'ed, son of Pedai'ah, son of Kolai'ah, son of Ma-asei'ah, son of I'thi-el, son
of Jeshai'ah. 8And after him Gabba'i, Sallai, nine hundred and twenty-eight.
9Joel the son of Zich'ri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Hassenu'ah
the gates, were a hundred and seventy-two. 20And the rest of Israel, and of
the priests and the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, every one in his
inheritance. 21But the temple servants lived on O'phel; and Ziha and Gishpa
were over the temple servants.
22 The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Ba'ni, son
lived in Kir'iath-ar'ba and its villages, and in Di'bon and its villages, and in
Jekab'zeel and its villages, 26and in Jesh'ua and in Mo'ladah and Beth-pel'et,
27in Ha'zar-shu'al, in Be'er-she'ba and its villages, 28in Zik'lag, in Meco'nah
Aija, Bethel and its villages, 32An'athoth, Nob, Anani'ah, 33Ha'zor, Ra'mah,
Git'taim, 34Hadid, Zebo'im, Nebal'lat, 35Lod, and Ono, the valley of
craftsmen. 36And certain divisions of the Levites in Judah were joined to
Benjamin.
Lists of Priests and Levites
12 These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerub'babel
the son of She-al'tiel, and Jesh'ua: Serai'ah, Jeremi'ah, Ezra, 2Amari'ah,
Malluch, Hattush, 3Shecani'ah, Re'hum, Mer'emoth, 4Iddo, Gin'nethoi,
Abi'jah, 5Mi'jamin, Ma-adi'ah, Bilgah, 6Shemai'ah, Joi'arib, Jedai'ah, 7Sallu,
A'mok, Hilki'ah, Jedai'ah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their
brethren in the days of Jesh'ua.
8 And the Levites: Jesh'ua, Bin'nui, Kad'mi-el, Sherebi'ah, Judah, and
Jad'du-a, there were recorded the heads of fathers’ houses; also the priests
until the reign of Dari'us the Persian. 23The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’
houses, were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of
Joha'nan the son of Eli'ashib. 24And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabi'ah,
Sherebi'ah, and Jesh'ua the son of Kad'mi-el, with their brethren over
against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment
of David the man of God, watch corresponding to watch. 25Mattani'ah,
Bakbuki'ah, Obadi'ah, Meshul'lam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers
standing guard at the storehouses of the gates. 26These were in the days of
Joi'akim the son of Jesh'ua son of Jo'zadak, and in the days of Nehemi'ah
the governor and of Ezra the priest the scribe.
Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem
27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites
in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication
with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps,
and lyres. 28And the sons of the singers gathered together from the circuit
round Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netoph'athites; 29also from
Beth-gil'gal and from the region of Ge'ba and Az'maveth; for the singers
had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30And the priests and
the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people and the gates
and the wall.
31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed
two great companies which gave thanks and went in procession. One went
to the right upon the wall to the Dung Gate; 32and after them went
Hoshai'ah and half of the princes of Judah, 33and Azari'ah, Ezra,
Meshul'lam, 34Judah, Benjamin, Shemai'ah, and Jeremi'ah, 35and certain of
the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechari'ah the son of Jonathan, son of
Shemai'ah, son of Mattani'ah, son of Micai'ah, son of Zaccur, son of A'saph;
36and his kinsmen, Shemai'ah, Az'arel, Mil'alai, Gil'alai, Ma'ai, Nethan'el,
Judah, and Hana'ni, with the musical instruments of David the man of God;
and Ezra the scribe went before them. 37At the Fountain Gate they went up
straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the
wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.
38 The other company of those who gave thanks went to the left, and I
followed them with half of the people, upon the wall, above the Tower of
the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, 39and above the Gate of E'phraim, and by the
Old Gate, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hanan'el and the Tower of
the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the
Guard. 40So both companies of those who gave thanks stood in the house of
God, and I and half of the officials with me; 41and the priests Eli'akim, Ma-
asei'ah, Mini'amin, Micai'ah, El'i-o-e'nai, Zechari'ah, and Hanani'ah, with
trumpets; 42and Ma-asei'ah, Shemai'ah, Elea'zar, Uzzi, Je'ho-ha'nan,
Malchi'jah, E'lam, and E'zer. And the singers sang with Jezrahi'ah as their
leader. 43And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God
had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also
rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.
Appointments to Temple Responsibilities
44 On that day men were appointed over the chambers for the stores, the
contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions
required by the law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields
of the towns; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who
ministered. 45And they performed the service of their God and the service
of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the
command of David and his son Solomon. 46For in the days of David and
A'saph of old there was a chief of the singers, and there were songs of
praise and thanksgiving to God. 47And all Israel in the days of Zerub'babel
and in the days of Nehemi'ah gave the daily portions for the singers and the
gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the
Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.
Foreigners Separated from Israel
13 On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the
people; and in it was found written that no Am'monite or Moabite should
ever enter the assembly of God; 2for they did not meet the children of Israel
with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our
God turned the curse into a blessing. 3When the people heard the law, they
separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.
Reforms of Nehemiah
4 Now before this, Eli'ashib the priest, who was appointed over the
chambers of the house of our God, and who was connected with Tobi'ah,
5prepared for Tobi'ah a large chamber where they had previously put the
cereal offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine,
and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and
gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. 6While this was taking
place I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Ar-ta-xerx'es
king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the
king 7and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eli'ashib
had done for Tobi'ah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house
of God. 8And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of
Tobi'ah out of the chamber. 9Then I gave orders and they cleansed the
chambers; and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with
the cereal offering and the frankincense.
10 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to
them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to
his field. 11So I remonstrated with the officials and said, “Why is the house
of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their
stations. 12Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into
the storehouses. 13And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses
Shelemi'ah the priest, Za'dok the scribe, and Pedai'ah of the Levites, and as
their assistant Ha'nan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattani'ah, for they were
counted faithful; and their duty was to distribute to their brethren.
14Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good
deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.
Sabbath Reforms Begun
15 In those days I saw in Judah men treading wine presses on the sabbath,
and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys; and also wine,
grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on
the sabbath day; and I warned them on the day when they sold food. 16Men
of Tyre also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of wares and
sold them on the sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17Then I
remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil
thing which you are doing, profaning the sabbath day? 18Did not your
fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this evil on us and on
this city? Yet you bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.”
19 When it began to be dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I
commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should
not be opened until after the sabbath. And I set some of my servants over
the gates, that no burden might be brought in on the sabbath day. 20Then the
merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once
or twice. 21But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge before
the wall? If you do so again I will lay hands on you.” From that time on
they did not come on the sabbath. 22And I commanded the Levites that they
should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the sabbath
day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me
according to the greatness of your mercy.
Intermarriage Condemned
23 In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ash'dod,
Ammon, and Moab; 24and half of their children spoke the language of
Ash'dod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but the language
of each people. 25And I contended with them and cursed them and beat
some of them and pulled out their hair; and I made them take oath in the
name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or
take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26Did not Solomon
king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations
there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made
him king over all Israel; nevertheless foreign women made even him to sin.
27Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously
was the son-in-law of Sanbal'lat the Hor'onite; therefore I chased him from
me. 29Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the
priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the
duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; 31and I provided for the
wood offering, at appointed times, and for the first fruits. Remember me, O
my God, for good.
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Tobit
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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THE BOOK OF TOBIT
1* The book of the acts a of Tobit the son of Tobi'el, son of Anan'iel, son
of Adu'el, son of Gab'ael, of the descendants of As'i-el and the tribe of
Naph'tali, 2who in the days of Shalmane'ser, b king of the Assyrians, was
taken into captivity from Thisbe, which is to the south of Ke'desh Naph'tali
in Galilee above Asher.
Tobit’s Youth and Virtuous Life
3 I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my
life, and I performed many acts of charity to my brethren and countrymen
who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nin'eveh. 4Now when I
was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was still a young man,
the whole tribe of Naph'tali my forefather deserted the house of Jerusalem.
This was the place which had been chosen from among all the tribes of
Israel, where all the tribes should sacrifice and where the temple of the
dwelling of the Most High was consecrated and established for all
generations for ever.
5 All the tribes that joined in apostasy used to sacrifice to the calf c Ba'al,
and so did the house of Naph'tali my forefather. 6But I alone went often to
Jerusalem for the feasts, as it is ordained for all Israel by an everlasting
decree. Taking the first fruits and the tithes of my produce and the first
shearings, I would give these to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar.
7Of all my produce I would give a tenth to the sons of Levi who ministered
at Jerusalem; a second tenth I would sell, and I would go and spend the
proceeds each year at Jerusalem; 8the third tenth I would give to those to
whom it was my duty, as Deborah my father’s mother had commanded me,
for I was left an orphan by my father. 9When I became a man I married
Anna, a member of our family, and by her I became the father of Tobi'as.
Tobit Taken Captive to Nineveh
10 Now when I was carried away captive to Nin'eveh, all my brethren and
my relatives ate the food of the Gentiles; 11but I kept myself from eating it,
12because I remembered God with all my heart. 13Then the Most High gave
me favor and good appearance in the sight of Shalmane'ser, b and I was his
buyer of provisions. 14So I used to go into Med'ia, and once at Ra'ges in
Med'ia I left ten talents of silver in trust with Gab'ael, the brother of
Ga'brias. 15But when Shalmane'ser b died, Sennach'erib his son reigned in
his place; and under him the highways were unsafe, so that I could no
longer go into Med'ia.
Courage in Burying the Dead
16 In the days of Shalmane'ser b I performed many acts of charity to my
brethren. 17I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothing to the
naked; and if I saw any one of my people dead and thrown out behind the
wall of Nin'eveh, I would bury him. 18And if Sennach'erib the king put to
death any who came fleeing from Judea, I buried them secretly. For in his
anger he put many to death. When the bodies were sought by the king, they
were not found. 19Then one of the men of Nin'eveh went and informed the
king about me, that I was burying them; so I hid myself. When I learned
that I was being searched for, to be put to death, I left home in fear. 20Then
all my property was confiscated and nothing was left to me except my wife
Anna and my son Tobi'as.
21 But not fifty d days passed before two of Sennach'erib’s e sons killed
him, and they fled to the mountains of Ar'arat. Then E'sar-had'don, f his son,
reigned in his place; and he appointed Ahi'kar, the son of my brother An'ael,
over all the accounts of his kingdom and over the entire administration.
22Ahi'kar interceded for me, and I returned to Nin'eveh. Now Ahikar was
cupbearer, keeper of the signet, and in charge of administration of the
accounts, for E'sar-had'don f had appointed him second to himself. g He was
my nephew.
2 When I arrived home and my wife Anna and my son Tobi'as were
restored to me, at the feast of Pentecost, which is the sacred festival of the
seven weeks, a good dinner was prepared for me and I sat down to eat.
2Upon seeing the abundance of food I said to my son, “Go and bring
whatever poor man of our brethren you may find among the exiles in
Nineveh, who is mindful of the Lord, and he shall eat together with me. I
will wait for you until you come back.” 3So Tobias went out to look for
some poor person of our people. When he came back, he said, “Father!”
And I replied, “Here I am, my child.” And he went on to say, “Look, Father,
one of our own people has been murdered and thrown into the market place,
and now he lies there strangled.” 4So before I tasted anything I sprang up
and removed the body h to a place of shelter until sunset when I might bury
it. 5And when I returned I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow. 6Then
I remembered the prophecy of Amos, how he said against Bethel,
00“Your feasts shall be turned into mourning,
and all your songs into lamentation.”
And I wept.
Tobit Becomes Blind
7 When the sun had set I went and dug a grave and buried the body. h
8And my neighbors laughed at me and said, “He is still not afraid; he has
already been hunted down to be put to death for doing this, and he ran
away, yet here he is burying the dead again!” 9On the same night after I,
Tobit, returned from burying the dead, I went into my courtyard and slept
by the wall of the courtyard, and my face was uncovered because of the
heat. 10I did not know that there were sparrows on the wall and their fresh
droppings fell into my open eyes and white films formed on my eyes. I
went to physicians to be healed, but the more they treated me with
ointments, the more my vision was obscured by the white films, until I
became completely blind. For four years I remained unable to see. All my
kindred were sorry for me, and Ahi'kar took care of me for two years until
he i went to El''yma'is.
Tobit’s Wife Earns Their Livelihood
11 Then my wife Anna earned money at women’s work. 12She used to send
the product to the owners, and they paid her wages. One day, the seventh of
Dystrus, when she cut off a piece she had woven and sent it to the owners,
they paid her full wages and they also gave her a kid. 13When she returned
to me it began to bleat. So I called her and said to her, “Where did you get
the kid? It is not stolen, is it? Return it to the owners; for it is not right to eat
what is stolen.” 14And she said, “It was given to me as a gift in addition to
my wages.” But I did not believe her, and told her to return it to the owners;
and I blushed for her. Then she replied to me, “Where are your charities and
your righteous deeds? You seem to know everything!”
Tobit’s Prayer
3 Then in my grief I wept, and I prayed in anguish, saying, 2 “Righteous
are you, O Lord; all your deeds are just and all your ways are mercy and
truth, and you render true and righteous judgment for ever. 3And now, O
Lord, remember me and look favorably upon me; do not punish me for my
sins and for my unwitting offenses and those which my fathers committed
before you. 4For we disobeyed your commandments, and you gave us over
to plunder, captivity, and death; you made us the talk, the byword, and an
object of reproach in all the nations among which you have dispersed us.
5And now your many judgments are true in exacting penalty from me for
my sins and those of my fathers, because we did not keep your
commandments. For we did not walk in truth before you. 6And now deal
with me according to your pleasure; command my spirit to be taken up, that
I may be released from the face of the earth and become dust. For it is better
for me to die than to live, because I have heard false reproaches, and great
is the sorrow within me. Command that I now be released from my distress;
release me to go to the eternal abode; and do not, O Lord, turn your face
away from me. For it is better for me to die than to see so much distress in
my life and listen to such insults.”
Sarah Falsely Accused
7 On the same day, at Ecbat'ana in Med'ia, it also happened that Sarah, the
glory of the great God. 17And Ra'phael n was sent to heal the two of them:
to scale away the white films of Tobit’s eyes; to give Sarah the daughter of
Rag'uel in marriage to Tobi'as the son of Tobit, and to bind As''mode'us the
evil demon, because Tobias was entitled to possess her. At that very
moment Tobit returned and entered his house and Sarah the daughter of
Raguel came down from her upper room.
Tobit Gives Instructions to His Son
4 On that day Tobit remembered the money which he had left in trust
with Gab'ael at Ra'ges in Med'ia, and he said to himself: 2 “I have asked for
death. Why do I not call my son Tobi'as so that I may explain to him about
the money o before I die?” 3So he called him and said, “My son, when I die,
bury me, and do not neglect your mother. Honor her all the days of your
life; do what is pleasing to her, and do not grieve her. 4Remember, my son,
that she faced many dangers for you while you were yet unborn. When she
dies, bury her beside me in the same grave.
5 “Remember the Lord our God all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or
to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life,
and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing. 6For if you do what is true,
your ways will prosper through your deeds. 7Give alms from your
possessions to all who live uprightly, and do not let your eye begrudge the
gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from any poor man, and
the face of God will not be turned away from you. 8If you have many
possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be
afraid to give according to the little you have. 9So you will be laying up a
good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. 10For charity*
delivers from death and keeps you from entering the darkness; 11and for all
who practice it charity is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most
High.
12 “Beware, my son, of all immorality. * First of all take a wife from
among the descendants of your fathers and do not marry a foreign woman,
who is not of your father’s tribe; for we are the sons of the prophets.
Remember, my son, that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers of
old, all took wives from among their brethren. They were blessed in their
children, and their posterity will inherit the land. 13So now, my son, love
your brethren, and in your heart do not disdain your brethren and the sons
and daughters of your people by refusing to take a wife for yourself from
among them. For in pride there is ruin and great confusion; and in
shiftlessness there is loss and great want, because shiftlessness is the mother
of famine. 14Do not hold over till the next day the wages of any man who
works for you, but pay him at once; and if you serve God you will receive
payment.
“Watch yourself, my son, in everything you do, and be disciplined in all
your conduct. 15And what you hate, do not do to any one. Do not drink
wine to excess or let drunkenness go with you on your way. 16Give of your
bread to the hungry, and of your clothing to the naked. Give all your surplus
to charity, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it.
17Place your bread * on the grave of the righteous, but give none to sinners.
18Seek advice from every wise man, and do not despise any useful counsel.
19Bless the Lord God on every occasion; ask him that your ways may be
made straight and that all your paths and plans may prosper. For none of the
nations has understanding; but the Lord himself gives all good things, and
according to his will he humbles whomever he wishes.
“So, my son, remember my commands, and do not let them be blotted out
of your mind. 20And now let me explain to you about the ten talents of
silver which I left in trust with Gab'ael the son of Ga'brias at Ra'ges in
Med'ia. 21Do not be afraid, my son, because we have become poor. You
have great wealth if you fear God and refrain from every sin and do what is
pleasing in his sight.”
The Angel Raphael
5 Then Tobi'as answered him, “Father, I will do everything that you
have commanded me; 2but how can I obtain the money when I do not know
the man?” 3Then Tobit gave him the receipt, and said to him, “Find a man
to go with you and I will pay him wages as long as I live; and go and get the
money.” 4So he went to look for a man; and he found Ra'phael, who was an
angel, 5but Tobi'as p did not know it. Tobias p said to him, “Can you go with
me to Ra'ges in Med'ia? Are you acquainted with that region?” 6The angel
replied, “I will go with you; I am familiar with the way, and I have stayed
with our brother Gab'ael.” 7Then Tobi'as said to him, “Wait for me, and I
shall tell my father.” 8And he said to him, “Go, and do not delay.” So he
went in and said to his father, “I have found some one to go with me.” He
said, “Call him to me, so that I may learn to what tribe he belongs, and
whether he is a reliable man to go with you.”
9 So Tobi'as p invited him in; he entered and they greeted each other.
10Then Tobit said to him, “My brother, to what tribe and family do you
belong? Tell me.” 11But he answered, “Are you looking for a tribe and a
family or for a man whom you will pay to go with your son?” And Tobit
said to him, “I should like to know, my brother, your people and your
name.” 12He replied, “I am Azari'as the son of the great Anani'as, one of
your relatives.” 13Then Tobit said to him, “You are welcome, my brother.
Do not be angry with me because I tried to learn your tribe and family. You
are a relative of mine, of a good and noble lineage. For I used to know
Anani'as and Ja'than, the sons of the great Shemai'ah, when we went
together to Jerusalem to worship and offered the first-born of our flocks and
the tithes of our produce. They did not go astray in the error of our brethren.
My brother, you come of good stock. 14But tell me, what wages am I to pay
you—a drachma a day, and expenses for yourself as for my son? 15And
besides, I will add to your wages if you both return safe and sound.” So
they agreed to these terms.
16 Then he said to Tobi'as, “Get ready for the journey, and good success to
you both.” So his son made the preparations for the journey. And his father
said to him, “Go with this man; God who dwells in heaven will prosper
your way, and may his angel attend you.” So they both went out and
departed, and the young man’s dog was with them.
17 But Anna, q his mother, began to weep, and said to Tobit, “Why have
you sent our child away? Is he not the staff of our hands as he goes in and
out before us? 18Do not add money to money, but consider it rubbish as
compared to our child. 19For the life that is given to us by the Lord is
enough for us.” 20And Tobit said to her, “Do not worry, my sister; he will
return safe and sound, and your eyes will see him. 21For a good angel will
go with him; his journey will be successful, and he will come back safe and
sound.” 22So she stopped weeping.
A Miraculous Fish
6 Now as they proceeded on their way they came at evening to the
Tigris river and camped there. 2Then the young man went down to wash
himself. A fish leaped up from the river and would have swallowed the
young man; 3and the angel said to him, “Catch the fish.” So the young man
seized the fish and threw it up on the land. 4Then the angel said to him,
“Cut open the fish and take the heart and liver and gall and put them away
safely.” 5So the young man did as the angel told him; and they roasted and
ate the fish.
And they both continued on their way until they came near to Ecbat'ana. r
6Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azari'as, of what use is the
liver and heart and gall of the fish?” 7He replied, “As for the heart and liver,
if a demon or evil spirit gives trouble to any one, you make a smoke from
these before the man or woman, and that person will never be troubled
again. 8And as for the gall, anoint with it a man who has white films in his
eyes, and he will be cured.”
Raphael’s Instructions
9 When he entered Med'ia and was already approaching Ecbat'ana,
10Ra'phael said to the young man, “Brother Tobi'as!” “Here I am,” he
answered. Then Raphael said to him, “We must stay this night in the home
of Ra'guel. He is your relative, and he has a daughter named Sarah. He has
no male heir and no daughter except Sarah only, and you, as next of kin to
her, have before all other men a hereditary claim on her. 11Also, it is right
for you to inherit her father’s possessions. 12Moreover, the girl is sensible,
brave, and very beautiful, and her father is a good man.”
13 Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azari'as, I have heard
that the girl has been given to seven husbands and that each died in the
bridal chamber. 14Now I am the only son my father has, and I am afraid that
if I go in I will die as those before me did, for a demon is in love with her,
and he harms no one except those who approach her. So now I fear that I
may die and bring the lives of my father and mother to the grave in sorrow
on my account. And they have no other son to bury them.”
15 But the angel said to him, “Do you not remember the words with which
your father commanded you to take a wife from among your own people?
Now listen to me, brother, for she will become your wife; and do not worry
about the demon, for this very night she will be given to you in marriage.
16When you enter the bridal chamber, you shall take live ashes of incense
and lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish so as to make a
smoke. 17Then the demon will smell it and flee away, and will never again
return. And when you approach her, rise up, both of you, and cry out to the
merciful God, and he will save you and have mercy on you. Do not be
afraid, for she was destined for you from eternity. You will save her, and she
will go with you, and I suppose that you will have children by her.” When
Tobi'as heard these things, he fell in love with her and yearned deeply for
her.
Arrival at Raguel’s Home; and a Marriage Contract
7 Now when they reached Ecbat'ana, Tobi'as said to him, “Brother
Azari'ah, take me straight to our brother Rag'uel.” So he took him to the
house of Raguel, and they found Raguel sitting beside the courtyard door.
They greeted him first, and he replied, “Joyous greetings, brothers;
welcome and good health!” Then he brought them into his house. 2Then
Rag'uel said to his wife Edna, “How much the young man resembles my
cousin Tobit!” 3And Rag'uel asked them, “Where are you from, brethren?”
They answered him, “We belong to the sons of Naph'tali, who are captives
in Nin'eveh.” 4So he said to them, “Do you know our brother Tobit?” And
they said, “Yes, we do.” And he asked them, “Is he in good health?” 5They
replied, “He is alive and in good health.” And Tobi'as said, “He is my
father.” 6Then Rag'uel sprang up and kissed him and wept. 7And he blessed
him and exclaimed, “Son of that good and noble man!” When he heard that
Tobit had lost his sight, he was stricken with grief and wept. 8And his wife
Edna and his daughter Sarah wept.
9 Then Rag'uel killed a ram from the flock and received them very
warmly. When they had bathed and washed themselves and had reclined to
dine, Tobi'as said to Ra'phael, “Brother Azari'as, ask Raguel to give me my
kinswoman Sarah.” 10But Rag'uel overheard it and said to Tobi'as, “Eat,
drink, and be merry; for no one except you, brother, has the right to marry
my daughter Sarah. Likewise, I am not at liberty to give her to any other
man than yourself, because you are my nearest relative. 11But let me explain
the true situation to you. I have given my daughter to seven men of our
kinsmen, and when each came to her he died in the night. But for the
present, my child, eat and drink, and the Lord will act on behalf of you
both.” But Tobi'as said, “I will eat nothing here unless you make a binding
agreement with me.” 12So Rag'uel said, “I will do so. She is given to you in
accordance with the decree in the book of Moses, and it has been decreed
from heaven that she be given to you. Take your kinswoman; from now on
you are her brother and she is your sister. She is given to you from today
and for ever. May the Lord of heaven, my child, guide and prosper you both
this night and grant you mercy and peace.” 13Then he called his daughter
Sarah, and taking her by the hand he gave her to Tobi'as to be his wife,
saying, “Here she is; take her to be your wife in accordance with the law
and the decree written in the book of Moses. Take her and bring her safely
to your father. And may the God of heaven prosper your journey with his
peace.” 14Then he called her mother and told her to bring writing material;
and he wrote out a copy of the marriage contract, to the effect that he gave
her to him as wife according to the law of Moses. 15Then they began to eat
and drink.
16 And Rag'uel called his wife Edna and said to her, “Sister, make up the
other room, and take her into it.” 17So she did as he said, and took her there;
and the girl s began to weep. But the mother s comforted her daughter in her
tears, and said to her, 18 “Be brave, my child; the Lord of heaven and earth
grant you joy t in place of this sorrow of yours. Be brave, my daughter.”
Tobias Routs the Demon and
Prays with Sarah
8 When they had finished eating and drinking, they wanted to retire; so
they took the young man and brought him into the bedroom. 2As he went he
remembered the words of Ra'phael, and he took the live ashes of incense
and put the heart and liver of the fish upon them and made a smoke. 3And
when the demon smelled the odor he fled to the remotest parts of Egypt,
and the angel bound him. 4When the door was shut and the two were alone,
Tobi'as got up from the bed and said, “Sister, get up, and let us pray and
implore our Lord that he grant us mercy and safety.” 5And they began to
say,
00“Blessed are you, O God of our fathers,
and blessed be your holy and glorious name for ever.
Let the heavens and all your creatures bless you.
06You made Adam and gave him Eve his wife
with sincerity. Grant that I may find mercy and may grow old together with
her.” 8And they both said, “Amen, amen.” 9Then they both went to sleep for
the night.
But Rag'uel arose and went and dug a grave, 10with the thought, “Perhaps
he too will die.” 11Then Rag'uel went into his house 12and said to his wife
Edna, “Send one of the maids to see whether he is alive; and if he is not, let
us bury him without any one knowing about it.” 13So the maid opened the
door and went in, and found them both asleep. 14And she came out and told
them that he was alive. 15Then Rag'uel blessed God and said,
00“Blessed are you, O God, with every pure and holy blessing.
children.
Show them mercy, O Lord;
and bring their lives to fulfilment in health and happiness and mercy.”
18Then he ordered his servants to fill in the grave.
The Wedding Feast
19 After this he gave a wedding feast for them which lasted fourteen days.
20And before the days of the feast were over, Rag'uel declared by oath to
Tobi'as u that he should not leave until the fourteen days of the wedding
feast were ended, 21that then he should take half of Rag'uel’s v property and
return in safety to his father, and that the rest would be his “when my wife
and I die.”
The Money Recovered from Gabael
9 Then Tobi'as called Ra'phael and said to him, 2“Brother Azari'as, take
a servant and two camels with you and go to Gab'ael at Ra'ges in Med'ia
and get the money for me; and bring him to the wedding feast. 3For Rag'uel
has sworn that I should not leave; 4but my father is counting the days, and if
I delay long he will be greatly distressed.” 5So Ra'phael made the journey
and stayed overnight with Gab'ael. He gave him the receipt, and Gabael w
brought out the money bags with their seals intact and gave them to him.
6In the morning they both got up early and came to the wedding feast. And
caught sight of him coming, and said to his father, “Behold, your son is
coming, and so is the man who went with him!”
Tobit’s Sight Restored
7 Ra'phael said to Tobi'as, before they approached his father, “I know that
his eyes will be opened. 8Smear the gall of the fish on his eyes, and the
medicine will cause the white films to fall away. And your father will
regain his sight and see the light.”
9 Then Anna ran to meet them, and embraced her son, and said to him, “I
have seen you, my child; now I am ready to die.” And she wept. 10Tobit got
up, and came stumbling out through the courtyard door. But his son ran to
him 11with the gall of the fish in his hand, and holding him firmly, he blew
into his eyes, saying, “Take courage, Father.” 12With this he applied the
medicine on his eyes. 13Next, with both his hands, he peeled off the white
films from the corners of his eyes. 14Then he saw his son and embraced
him, and he wept and said, “Here I see my son, the light of my eyes!” Then
he said, “Blessed be God, and blessed be his great name, and blessed be all
his holy angels. May his holy name be blessed throughout all the ages.
15Though he afflicted me, he has had mercy on me. Now I see my son
Tobi'as!”
16 And his son went in rejoicing, and he reported to his father the great
things that had happened to him in Med'ia. Then Tobit went out to meet his
daughter-in-law at the gate of Nin'eveh, rejoicing and praising God. Those
who saw him as he went were amazed because he could see. 17And Tobit
gave thanks before them that God had been merciful to him. When Tobit
came near to Sarah his daughter-in-law, he blessed her, saying, “Welcome,
daughter! Blessed is God who has brought you to us, and blessed are your
father and your mother.” So there was rejoicing among all his brethren in
Nin'eveh. 18Ahi'kar and his nephew Na'dab z came, 19and Tobi'as’ marriage
was celebrated for seven days with great festivity.
Raphael’s Wages
12 Tobit then called his son Tobi'as and said to him, “My son, see to the
wages of the man who went with you; and he must also be given more.”
2He replied, “Father, it would do me no harm to give him half of what I
have brought back. 3For he has led me back to you safely, he cured my
wife, he obtained the money for me, and he also healed you.” 4The old man
said, “He deserves it.” 5So he called the angel and said to him, “Take for
your wages half of all that you two have brought back, and farewell.”
Raphael’s Exhortation
6 Then the angel a called the two of them privately and said to them:
“Praise God and give thanks to him; exalt him and give thanks to him in the
presence of all the living for what he has done for you. It is good to praise
God and to exalt his name, worthily declaring the works of God, and with
fitting honor to acknowledge him. Do not be slow to give him thanks. 7It is
good to guard the secret of a king, but gloriously to reveal the works of
God, and with fitting honor to acknowledge him. Do good, and evil will not
overtake you. 8Prayer is good when accompanied by fasting, almsgiving,
and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with
wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to treasure up gold. 9For
almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin. Those
who perform deeds of charity* and of righteousness will have fulness of
life; 10but those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives.
Raphael Reveals His Identity
11 “I will now declare the whole truth to you and I will not conceal
anything from you. I have said, ‘It is good to guard the secret of a king, but
gloriously to reveal the works of God.’ 12And so, when you and your
daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before
the Holy One; and when you buried the dead, I was likewise present with
you. 13When you did not hesitate to rise and leave your dinner in order to
go and lay out the dead, I was sent to test you. 14So now God sent me to
heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. 15I am Ra'phael, one of the seven
holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence
of the glory of the Lord.”
16 They were both alarmed; and they fell upon their faces, for they were
afraid. 17But he said to them, “Do not be afraid; you will be safe. But praise
God for ever. 18For I did not come as a favor on my part, but by the will of
our God. Therefore praise him for ever. 19All these days I merely appeared
to you and did not eat or drink, but you were seeing a vision. 20And now
bless the Lord upon the earth and give thanks to God, for I am ascending to
him who sent me. Write in a book everything that has happened to you.”
21Then they stood up; but they saw him no more. 22So they confessed the
great and wonderful works of God, and acknowledged that the angel of the
Lord had appeared to them.
Tobit’s Prayer of Thanksgiving
13 Then Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said:
00“Blessed is God who lives for ever,
for they will rejoice for you upon seeing all your glory,
and they will be made glad for ever.
15Let my soul praise God the great King.
16For Jerusalem will be built with sapphires and emeralds,
her c walls with precious stones,
and her towers and battlements with pure gold.
17The streets of Jerusalem will be paved d with beryl and ruby and stones
of O'phir;
18 all her lanes will cry ‘Hallelujah!’ and will give praise,
Nin'eveh, that it will be overthrown. But in Media there will be peace for a
time. Our brethren will be scattered over the earth from the good land, and
Jerusalem will be desolate. The house of God in it will be burned down and
will be in ruins for a time. 5But God will again have mercy on them, and
bring them back into their land; and they will rebuild the house of God, e
though it will not be like the former one until the times of the age are
completed. After this they will return from the places of their captivity, and
will rebuild Jerusalem in splendor. And the house of God will be rebuilt
there with a glorious building for all generations for ever, just as the
prophets said of it. 6Then all the Gentiles will turn to fear the Lord God in
truth, and will bury their idols. 7All the Gentiles will praise the Lord, and
his people will give thanks to God, and the Lord will exalt his people. And
all who love the Lord God in truth and righteousness will rejoice, showing
mercy to our brethren.
8 “So now, my son, leave Nin'eveh, because what the prophet Jonah said
will surely happen. 9But keep the law and the commandments, and be
merciful and just, so that it may be well with you. 10Bury me properly, and
your mother with me. And do not live in Nin'eveh any longer. See, my son,
what Na'dab f did to Ahi'kar who had reared him, how he brought him from
light into darkness, and with what he repaid him. But Ahikar was saved,
and the other received repayment as he himself went down into the
darkness. Ahikar g gave alms and escaped the deathtrap which Nadab h had
set for him; but Nadab f fell into the trap and perished. 11So now, my
children, consider what almsgiving accomplishes and how righteousness
delivers.” As he said this he died in his bed. He was a hundred and fifty-
eight years old; and Tobi'as h gave him a magnificent funeral. 12And when
Anna died he buried her with his father.
Then Tobi'as returned with his wife and his sons to Ecbat'ana, to Rag'uel
his father-in-law. 13He grew old with honor, and he gave his father-in-law
and mother-in-law magnificent funerals. He inherited their property and that
of his father Tobit. 14He died in Ecbat'ana of Med'ia at the age of a hundred
and twenty-seven years. 15But before he died he heard of the destruction of
Nin'eveh, which Nebuchadnez'zar and Ahas'u-erus had captured. Before his
death he rejoiced over Nineveh.
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Judith
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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THE BOOK OF JUDITH
Arphaxad Fortifies Ecbatana
1 In the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnez'zar, who ruled over the
Assyrians in the great city of Nin'eveh, in the days of Arpha'xad, who ruled
over the Medes in Ecbat'ana—2he is the king who built walls about
Ecbat'ana with hewn stones three cubits thick and six cubits long; he made
the walls seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide; 3at the gates he built
towers a hundred cubits high and sixty cubits wide at the foundations; 4and
he made its gates, which were seventy cubits high and forty cubits wide, so
that his armies could march out in force and his infantry form their ranks—
5it was in those days that King Nebuchadnez'zar made war against King
Arpha'xad in the great plain which is on the borders of Ragae. 6He was
joined by all the people of the hill country and all those who lived along the
Euphrates and the Tigris and the Hydas'pes and in the plain where Ar'ioch
ruled the El''ymae'ans. Many nations joined the forces of the Chalde'ans.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Orders Disregarded
7 Then Nebuchadnez'zar king of the Assyrians sent to all who lived in
Persia and to all who lived in the west, those who lived in Cili'cia and
Damascus and Lebanon and An''ti-leb'anon and all who lived along the
seacoast, 8and those among the nations of Carmel and Gilead, and Upper
Galilee and the great Plain of Esdrae'lon, 9and all who were in Samar'ia and
its surrounding towns, and beyond the Jordan as far as Jerusalem and
Beth'any and Chelous and Ka'desh and the river of Egypt, and Tah'panhes
and Ra-am'ses and the whole land of Go'shen, 10even beyond Tanis and
Memphis, and all who lived in Egypt as far as the borders of Ethiopia. 11But
all who lived in the whole region disregarded the orders of Nebuchadnez'zar
king of the Assyrians, and refused to join him in the war; for they were not
afraid of him, but looked upon him as only one man, a and they sent back
his messengers empty-handed and shamefaced.
Arphaxad Is Defeated
12 Then Nebuchadnez'zar was very angry with this whole region, and
swore by his throne and kingdom that he would surely take revenge on the
whole territory of Cili'cia and Damascus and Syria, that he would kill by the
sword all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, and the people of Ammon,
and all Jude'a, and every one in Egypt, as far as the coasts of the two seas.
13In the seventeenth year he led his forces against King Arpha'xad, and
defeated him in battle, and overthrew the whole army of Arphaxad, and all
his cavalry and all his chariots. 14Thus he took possession of his cities, and
came to Ecbat'ana, captured its towers, plundered its markets, and turned its
beauty into shame. 15He captured Arpha'xad in the mountains of Ragae and
struck him down with hunting spears; and he utterly destroyed him, to this
day. 16Then he returned with them to Nin'eveh, he and all his combined
forces, a vast body of troops; and there he and his forces rested and feasted
for one hundred and twenty days.
Revenge against the West
2 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month,
there was talk in the palace of Nebuchadnez'zar king of the Assyrians about
carrying out his revenge on the whole region, just as he said. 2He called
together all his officers and all his nobles and set forth to them his secret
plan and recounted fully, with his own lips, all the wickedness of the
region; b 3and it was decided that every one who had not obeyed his
command should be destroyed. 4When he had finished setting forth his
plan, Nebuchadnez'zar king of the Assyrians called Hol''ofer'nes, the chief
general of his army, second only to himself, and said to him,
5 “Thus says the Great King, the lord of the whole earth: When you leave
my presence, take with you men confident in their strength, to the number
of one hundred and twenty thousand foot soldiers and twelve thousand
cavalry. 6Go and attack the whole west country, because they disobeyed my
orders. 7Tell them to prepare earth and water, for I am coming against them
in my anger, and will cover the whole face of the earth with the feet of my
armies, and will hand them over to be plundered by my troops, c 8till their
wounded shall fill their valleys, and every brook and river shall be filled
with their dead, and overflow; 9and I will lead them away captive to the
ends of the whole earth. 10You shall go and seize all their territory for me in
advance. They will yield themselves to you, and you shall hold them for me
till the day of their punishment. 11But if they refuse, your eye shall not
spare and you shall hand them over to slaughter and plunder throughout
your whole region. 12For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, what I
have spoken my hand will execute. 13And you—take care not to transgress
any of your sovereign’s commands, but be sure to carry them out just as I
have ordered you; and do not delay about it.”
Campaign of Holofernes
14 So Hol''ofer'nes left the presence of his master, and called together all
to the seacoast with his army and stationed garrisons in the hilltop cities and
took picked men from them as his allies. 7And these people and all in the
country round about welcomed him with garlands and dances and
tambourines. 8And he demolished all their shrines f and cut down their
sacred groves; for it had been given to him to destroy all the gods of the
land, so that all nations should worship Nebuchadnez'zar only, and all their
tongues and tribes should call upon him as god.
9 Then he came to the edge of Esdrae'lon, near Do'than, fronting the great
Jude'a were newly gathered together, and the sacred vessels and the altar
and the temple had been consecrated after their profanation. 4So they sent to
every district of Samar'ia, and to Kona and Beth-ho'ron and Bel'main and
Jericho and to Choba and Aeso'ra and the valley of Salem, 5and
immediately seized all the high hilltops and fortified the villages on them
and stored up food in preparation for war—since their fields had recently
been harvested. 6And Jo'akim, the high priest, who was in Jerusalem at that
time, wrote to the people of Beth''uli'a and Bet''omestha'im, which faces
Esdrae'lon opposite the plain near Do'than, 7ordering them to seize the
passes up into the hills, since by them Jude'a could be invaded, and it was
easy to stop any who tried to enter, for the approach was narrow, only wide
enough for two men at the most.
Israel’s Prayer and Penance
8 So the Israelites did as Jo'akim the high priest and the senate of the
whole people of Israel, in session at Jerusalem, had given order. 9And every
man of Israel cried out to God with great fervor, and they humbled
themselves with much fasting. 10They and their wives and their children
and their cattle and every resident alien and hired laborer and purchased
slave—they all clothed themselves with sackcloth. 11And all the men and
women of Israel, and their children, living at Jerusalem, prostrated
themselves before the temple and put ashes on their heads and spread out
their sackcloth before the Lord. 12They even surrounded the altar with
sackcloth and cried out in unison, praying earnestly to the God of Israel not
to give up their infants as prey and their wives as booty, and the cities they
had inherited to be destroyed, and the sanctuary to be profaned and
desecrated to the malicious joy of the Gentiles. 13So the Lord heard their
prayers and looked upon their affliction; for the people fasted many days
throughout Jude'a and in Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord
Almighty. 14And Jo'akim the high priest and all the priests who stood before
the Lord and ministered to the Lord, with their loins clothed with sackcloth,
offered the continual burnt offerings and the vows and freewill offerings of
the people. 15With ashes upon their turbans, they cried out to the Lord with
all their might to look with favor upon the whole house of Israel.
Holofernes’ Council against the Israelites
5 When Hol''ofer'nes, the general of the Assyrian army, heard that the
people of Israel had prepared for war and had closed the passes in the hills
and had fortified all the high hilltops and set up barricades in the plains, 2he
was very angry. So he called together all the princes of Moab and the
commanders of Ammon and all the governors of the coastland, 3and said to
them, “Tell me, you Canaanites, what people is this that lives in the hill
country? What cities do they inhabit? How large is their army, and in what
does their power or strength consist? Who rules over them as king, leading
their army? 4And why have they alone, of all who live in the west, refused
to come out and meet me?”
Achior’s Report
5 Then A'chior, the leader of all the Am'monites, said to him, “Let my lord
now hear a word from the mouth of your servant, and I will tell you the
truth about this people that dwells in the nearby mountain district. No
falsehood shall come from your servant’s mouth. 6This people is descended
from the Chalde'ans. 7At one time they lived in Mesopota'mia, because they
would not follow the gods of their fathers who were in Chaldea. 8For they
had left the ways of their ancestors, and they worshiped the God of heaven,
the God they had come to know; hence they drove them out from the
presence of their gods; and they fled to Mesopota'mia, and lived there for a
long time. 9Then their God commanded them to leave the place where they
were living and go to the land of Canaan. There they settled, and prospered,
with much gold and silver and very many cattle. 10When a famine spread
over Canaan they went down to Egypt and lived there as long as they had
food; and there they became a great multitude—so great that they could not
be counted. 11So the king of Egypt became hostile to them; he took
advantage of them and set them to making bricks, and humbled them and
made slaves of them. 12Then they cried out to their God, and he afflicted the
whole land of Egypt with incurable plagues; and so the Egyptians drove
them out of their sight. 13Then God dried up the Red Sea before them, 14and
he led them by the way of Sinai and Ka'desh-bar'nea, and drove out all the
people of the wilderness. 15So they lived in the land of the Am'orites, and
by their might destroyed all the inhabitants of Heshbon; and crossing over
the Jordan they took possession of all the hill country. 16And they drove out
before them the Canaanites and the Per'izzites and the Jeb'usites and the
She'chemites and all the Ger'gesites, and lived there a long time. 17As long
as they did not sin against their God they prospered, for the God who hates
iniquity is with them. 18But when they departed from the way which he had
appointed for them, they were utterly defeated in many battles and were led
away captive to a foreign country; the temple of their God was razed to the
ground, and their cities were captured by their enemies. 19But now they
have returned to their God, and have come back from the places to which
they were scattered, and have occupied Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is,
and have settled in the hill country, because it was uninhabited. 20Now
therefore, my master and lord, if there is any unwitting error in this people
and they sin against their God and we find out their offense, then we will go
up and defeat them. 21But if there is no transgression in their nation, then let
my lord pass them by; for their Lord will defend them, and their God will
protect them, and we shall be put to shame before the whole world.”
22 When A'chior had finished saying this, all the men standing around the
tent began to complain; Hol''ofer'nes’ officers and all the men from the
seacoast and from Moab insisted that he must be put to death. 23 “For,” they
said, “we will not be afraid of the Israelites; they are a people with no
strength or power for making war. 24Therefore let us go up, Lord
Hol''ofer'nes, and they will be devoured by your vast army.”
Achior Handed over to the Israelites
6 When the disturbance made by the men outside the council died down,
Hol''ofer'nes, the commander of the Assyrian army, said to A'chior and all
the Moabites in the presence of all the foreign contingents:
2 “And who are you, A'chior, and you hirelings of E'phraim, to prophesy
among us as you have done today and tell us not to make war against the
people of Israel because their God will defend them? Who is God except
Nebuchadnez'zar? 3He will send his forces and will destroy them from the
face of the earth, and their God will not deliver them—we the king’s f
servants will destroy them as one man. They cannot resist the might of our
cavalry. 4We will burn them up, g and their mountains will be drunk with
their blood, and their fields will be full of their dead. They h cannot
withstand us, but will utterly perish. So says King Nebuchadnez'zar, the
lord of the whole earth. For he has spoken; none of his words shall be in
vain.
5 “But you, A'chior, you Am'monite hireling, who have said these words
on the day of your iniquity, you shall not see my face again from this day
until I take revenge on this race that came out of Egypt. 6Then the sword of
my army and the spear i of my servants shall pierce your sides, and you
shall fall among their wounded, when I return. 7Now my slaves are going to
take you back into the hill country and put you in one of the cities beside
the passes, 8and you will not die until you perish along with them. 9If you
really hope in your heart that they will not be taken, do not look downcast! I
have spoken and none of my words shall fail.”
10 Then Hol''ofer'nes ordered his slaves, who waited on him in his tent, to
seize A'chior and take him to Beth''uli'a and hand him over to the men of
Israel. 11So the slaves took him and led him out of the camp into the plain,
and from the plain they went up into the hill country and came to the
springs below Beth''uli'a. 12When the men of the city saw them, j they
caught up their weapons and ran out of the city to the top of the hill, and all
the slingers kept them from coming up by casting stones at them.
13However, they got under the shelter of the hill and they bound A'chior and
left him lying at the foot of the hill, and returned to their master.
14 Then the men of Israel came down from their city and found him; and
they untied him and brought him into Beth''uli'a and placed him before the
magistrates of their city, 15who in those days were Uzzi'ah the son of
Micah, of the tribe of Simeon, and Chabris the son of Gotho'niel, and
Charmis the son of Melchi'el. 16They called together all the elders of the
city, and all their young men and their women ran to the assembly; and they
set A'chior in the midst of all their people, and Uzzi'ah asked him what had
happened. 17He answered and told them what had taken place at the council
of Hol''ofer'nes, and all that he had said in the presence of the Assyrian
leaders, and all that Holofernes had said so boastfully against the house of
Israel. 18Then the people fell down and worshiped God, and cried out to
him, and said,
19 “O Lord God of heaven, behold their arrogance, and have pity on the
humiliation of our people, and look this day upon the faces of those who are
consecrated to you.”
20 Then they consoled A'chior, and praised him greatly. 21And Uzzi'ah
took him from the assembly to his own house and gave a banquet for the
elders; and all that night they called on the God of Israel for help.
The Campaign against Bethulia
7 The next day Hol''ofer'nes ordered his whole army, and all the allies
who had joined him, to break camp and move against Beth''uli'a, and to
seize the passes up into the hill country and make war on the Israelites. 2So
all their warriors moved their camp that day; their force of men of war was
one hundred and seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry,
together with the baggage and the foot soldiers handling it, a very great
multitude. 3They encamped in the valley near Beth''uli'a, beside the spring,
and they spread out in breadth over Do'than as far as Balba'im and in length
from Bethulia to Cy'amon, which faces Esdrae'lon.
4 When the Israelites saw their vast numbers they were greatly terrified,
and every one said to his neighbor, “These men will now lick up the face of
the whole land; neither the high mountains nor the valleys nor the hills will
bear their weight.” 5Then each man took up his weapons, and when they
had kindled fires on their towers they remained on guard all that night.
6 On the second day Hol''ofer'nes led out all his cavalry in full view of the
Moabites and the commanders of the coastland came to him and said, 9 “Let
our lord hear a word, lest his army be defeated. 10For these people, the
Israelites, do not rely on their spears but on the height of the mountains
where they live, for it is not easy to reach the tops of their mountains.
11Therefore, my lord, do not fight against them in battle array, and not a
man of your army will fall. 12Remain in your camp, and keep all the men in
your forces with you; only let your servants take possession of the spring of
water that flows from the foot of the mountain—13for this is where all the
people of Beth''uli'a get their water. So thirst will destroy them, and they
will give up their city. We and our people will go up to the tops of the
nearby mountains and camp there to keep watch that not a man gets out of
the city. 14They and their wives and children will waste away with famine,
and before the sword reaches them they will be strewn about in the streets
where they live. 15So you will pay them back with evil, because they
rebelled and did not receive you peaceably.”
16 These words pleased Hol''ofer'nes and all his servants, and he gave
orders to do as they had said. 17So the army of the Am'monites moved
forward, together with five thousand Assyrians, and they encamped in the
valley and seized the water supply and the springs of the Israelites. 18And
the sons of Esau and the sons of Ammon went up and encamped in the hill
country opposite Do'than; and they sent some of their men toward the south
and the east, toward Ac'raba, which is near Chu'si beside the brook
Moch'mur. The rest of the Assyrian army encamped in the plain, and
covered the whole face of the land, and their tents and supply trains spread
out in great number, and they formed a vast multitude.
The Distress of the Israelites
19 The people of Israel cried out to the Lord their God, for their courage
failed, because all their enemies had surrounded them and there was no way
of escape from them. 20The whole Assyrian army, their infantry, chariots,
and cavalry, surrounded them for thirty-four days, until all the vessels of
water belonging to every inhabitant of Beth''uli'a were empty; 21their
cisterns were going dry, and they did not have enough water to drink their
fill for a single day, because it was measured out to them to drink. 22Their
children lost heart, and the women and young men fainted from thirst and
fell down in the streets of the city and in the passages through the gates;
there was no strength left in them any longer.
23 Then all the people, the young men, the women, and the children,
gathered about Uzzi'ah and the rulers of the city and cried out with a loud
voice, and said before all the elders, 24“God be judge between you and us!
For you have done us a great injury in not making peace with the Assyrians.
25For now we have no one to help us; God has sold us into their hands, to
strew us on the ground before them with thirst and utter destruction. 26Now
call them in and surrender the whole city to the army of Hol''ofer'nes and to
all his forces, to be plundered. 27For it would be better for us to be captured
by them; k for we will be slaves, but our lives will be spared, and we shall
not witness the death of our infants before our eyes, or see our wives and
children draw their last breath. 28We call to witness against you heaven and
earth and our God, the Lord of our fathers, who punishes us according to
our sins and the sins of our fathers. Let him not do this day the things which
we have described!”
29 Then great and general lamentation arose throughout the assembly, and
they cried out to the Lord God with a loud voice. 30And Uzzi'ah said to
them, “Have courage, my brothers! Let us hold out for five more days; by
that time the Lord our God will restore to us his mercy, for he will not
forsake us utterly. 31But if these days pass by, and no help comes for us, I
will do what you say.”
32 Then he dismissed the people to their various posts, and they went up
on the walls and towers of their city. The women and children he sent
home. And they were greatly depressed in the city.
The Character of Judith
8 At that time Judith heard about these things: she was the daughter of
Merar'i the son of Ox, son of Joseph, son of O'ziel, son of Elki'ah, son of
Anani'as, son of Gideon, son of Raph'aim, son of Ahi'tub, son of Eli'jah, son
of Hilki'ah, son of Eliab, son of Nathan'a-el, son of Sala'miel, son of
Sara'sadai, son of Israel.* 2Her husband Manas'seh, who belonged to her
tribe and family, had died during the barley harvest. 3For as he stood
overseeing the men who were binding sheaves in the field, he was
overcome by the burning heat, and took to his bed and died in Beth''uli'a his
city. So they buried him with his fathers in the field between Do'than and
Bal'amon. 4Judith had lived at home as a widow for three years and four
months. 5She set up a tent for herself on the roof of her house, and belted
sackcloth about her loins and wore the garments of her widowhood. 6She
fasted all the days of her widowhood, except the day before the sabbath and
the sabbath itself, the day before the new moon and the day of the new
moon, and the feasts and days of rejoicing of the house of Israel. 7She was
beautiful in appearance, and had a very lovely face; she was prudent of
heart, discerning in judgment, and quite virtuous. Her husband Manas'seh,
the son of Joseph, the son of Ahi'tub, the son of Melchis, the son of E'liab,
the son of Nathan'a-el, the son of Sara'sadai, the son of Simeon, had left her
gold and silver, and men and women slaves, and cattle, and fields; and she
maintained this estate. 8No one spoke ill of her, for she feared God with
great devotion.
Judith Rebukes the Elders
9 When Judith heard the wicked words spoken by the people against the
ruler, because they were faint for lack of water, and when she heard all that
Uzziah said to them, and how he promised them under oath to surrender the
city to the Assyrians after five days, 10she sent her maid, who was in charge
of all she possessed, to summon l Chabris and Charmis, the elders of her
city. 11They came to her, and she said to them,
“Listen to me, rulers of the people of Beth''uli'a! What you have said to
the people today is not right; you have even sworn and pronounced this oath
between God and you, promising to surrender the city to our enemies unless
the Lord turns and helps us within so many days. 12Who are you, that have
put God to the test this day, and are setting yourselves up in the place of m
God among the sons of men? 13You are putting the Lord Almighty to the
test—but you will never know anything! 14You cannot plumb the depths of
the human heart, nor find out what a man is thinking; how do you expect to
search out God, who made all these things, and find out his mind or
comprehend his thought? No, my brethren, do not provoke the Lord our
God to anger. 15For if he does not choose to help us within these five days,
he has power to protect us within any time he pleases, or even to destroy us
in the presence of our enemies. 16Do not try to bind the purposes of the
Lord our God; for God is not like man, to be threatened, nor like a human
being, to be won over by pleading. 17Therefore, while we wait for his
deliverance, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it
pleases him.
18 “For never in our generation, nor in these present days, has there been
any tribe or family or people or city of ours which worshiped gods made
with hands, as was done in days gone by—19and that was why our fathers
were handed over to the sword, and to be plundered, and so they suffered a
great catastrophe before our enemies. 20But we know no other god but him,
and therefore we hope that he will not disdain us or any of our nation. 21For
if we are captured all Jude'a will be captured and our sanctuary will be
plundered; and he will exact of us n the penalty for its desecration. 22And
the slaughter of our brethren and the captivity of the land and the desolation
of our inheritance—all this he will bring upon our heads among the
Gentiles, wherever we serve as slaves; and we shall be an offense and a
reproach in the eyes of those who acquire us. 23For our slavery will not
bring us into favor, but the Lord our God will turn it to dishonor.
24 “Now therefore, brethren, let us set an example to our brethren, for their
lives depend upon us, and the sanctuary and the temple and the altar rest
upon us. 25In spite of everything let us give thanks to the Lord our God,
who is putting us to the test as he did our forefathers. 26Remember what he
did with Abraham, and how he tested Isaac, and what happened to Jacob in
Mesopota'mia in Syria, while he was keeping the sheep of La'ban, his
mother’s brother. 27For he has not tried us with fire, as he did them, to
search their hearts, nor has he taken revenge upon us; but the Lord scourges
those who draw near to him, in order to admonish them.”
28 Then Uzzi'ah said to her, “All that you have said has been spoken out of
a true heart, and there is no one who can deny your words. 29Today is not
the first time your wisdom has been shown, but from the beginning of your
life all the people have recognized your understanding, for your heart’s
disposition is right. 30But the people were very thirsty, and they compelled
us to do for them what we have promised, and made us take an oath which
we cannot break. 31So pray for us, since you are a devout woman, and the
Lord will send us rain to fill our cisterns and we will no longer be faint.”
32 Judith said to them, “Listen to me. I am about to do a thing which will
go down through all generations of our descendants. 33Stand at the city gate
tonight, and I will go out with my maid; and within the days after which
you have promised to surrender the city to our enemies, the Lord will
deliver Israel by my hand. 34Only, do not try to find out what I plan; for I
will not tell you until I have finished what I am about to do.”
35 Uzzi'ah and the rulers said to her, “Go in peace, and may the Lord God
go before you, to take revenge upon our enemies.” 36So they returned from
the tent and went to their posts.
The Prayer of Judith
9 Then Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes on her head, and
uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing; and at the very time when that
evening’s incense was being offered in the house of God in Jerusalem,
Judith cried out to the Lord with a loud voice, and said,
2 “O Lord God of my father Simeon, to whom you gave a sword to take
revenge on the strangers who had loosed the girdle o of a virgin to defile
her, and uncovered her thigh to put her to shame, and polluted her womb to
disgrace her; for you have said, ‘It shall not be done’—yet they did it. 3So
you gave up their rulers to be slain, and their bed, which was ashamed of
the deceit they had practiced, to be stained with blood, and you struck down
slaves along with princes, and princes on their thrones; 4and you gave their
wives for a prey and their daughters to captivity, and all their booty to be
divided among your beloved sons, who were zealous for you, and abhorred
the pollution of their blood, and called on you for help—O God, my God,
hear me also, a widow.
5 “For you have done these things and those that went before and those
that followed; you have designed the things that are now, and those that are
to come. Yes, the things you intended came to pass, 6and the things you
willed presented themselves and said, ‘Behold, we are here’; for all your
ways are prepared in advance, and your judgment is with foreknowledge.
7 “Behold now, the Assyrians are increased in their might; they are
exalted, with their horses and riders; they glory in the strength of their foot
soldiers; they trust in shield and spear, in bow and sling, and know not that
you are the Lord who crushes wars; the Lord is your name. 8Break their
strength by your might, and bring down their power in your anger; for they
intend to defile your sanctuary, and to pollute the tabernacle where your
glorious name rests, and to cast down the horn of your altar with the sword.
9Behold their pride, and send your wrath upon their heads; give to me, a
widow, the strength to do what I plan. 10By the deceit of my lips strike
down the slave with the prince and the prince with his servant; crush their
arrogance by the hand of a woman.
11 “For your power depends not upon numbers, nor your might upon men
of strength; for you are God of the lowly, helper of the oppressed, upholder
of the weak, protector of the forlorn, savior of those without hope. 12Hear,
O hear me, God of my father, God of the inheritance of Israel, Lord of
heaven and earth, Creator of the waters, King of all your creation, hear my
prayer! 13Make my deceitful words to be their wound and stripe, for they
have planned cruel things against your covenant, and against your
consecrated house, and against the top of Zion, and against the house
possessed by your children. 14And cause your whole nation and every tribe
to know and understand that you are God, the God of all power and might,
and that there is no other who protects the people of Israel but you alone!”
Judith Prepares to Go to Holofernes
10 When Judith p had ceased crying out to the God of Israel, and had
ended all these words, 2she rose from where she lay prostrate and called her
maid and went down into the house where she lived on sabbaths and on her
feast days; 3and she removed the sackcloth which she had been wearing,
and took off her widow’s garments, and bathed her body with water, and
anointed herself with precious ointment, and combed her hair and put on a
tiara, and arrayed herself in her most festive apparel, which she used to
wear while her husband Manas'seh was living. 4And she put sandals on her
feet, and put on her anklets and bracelets and rings, and her earrings and all
her ornaments,* and made herself very beautiful, to entice the eyes of all
men who might see her. 5And she gave her maid a bottle of wine and a flask
of oil, and filled a bag with parched grain and a cake of dried fruit and fine
bread; and she wrapped up all her vessels and gave them to her to carry.
6 Then they went out to the city gate of Beth''uli'a, and found Uzzi'ah
standing there with the elders of the city, Chabris and Charmis. 7When they
saw her, and noted how her face was altered and her clothing changed, they
greatly admired her beauty, and said to her, 8“May the God of our fathers
grant you favor and fulfil your plans, that the people of Israel may glory and
Jerusalem may be exalted.” And she worshiped God.
9 Then she said to them, “Order the gate of the city to be opened for me,
and I will go out and accomplish the things about which you spoke with
me.” So they ordered the young men to open the gate for her, as she had
said. 10When they had done this, Judith went out, she and her maid with
her; and the men of the city watched her until she had gone down the
mountain and passed through the valley and they could no longer see her.
Judith Is Captured
11 The women q went straight on through the valley; and an Assyrian
patrol met her 12and took her into custody, and asked her, “To what people
do you belong, and where are you coming from, and where are you going?”
She replied, “I am a daughter of the Hebrews, but I am fleeing from them,
for they are about to be handed over to you to be devoured. 13I am on my
way to the presence of Hol''ofer'nes the commander of your army, to give
him a true report; and I will show him a way by which he can go and
capture all the hill country without losing one of his men, captured or
slain.”
14 When the men heard her words, and observed her face—she was in
their eyes marvelously beautiful—they said to her, 15“You have saved your
life by hurrying down to the presence of our lord. Go at once to his tent;
some of us will escort you and hand you over to him. 16And when you stand
before him, do not be afraid in your heart, but tell him just what you have
said, and he will treat you well.”
17 They chose from their number a hundred men to accompany her and her
maid, and they brought them to the tent of Hol''ofer'nes. 18There was great
excitement in the whole camp, for her arrival was reported from tent to tent,
and they came and stood around her as she waited outside the tent of
Hol''ofer'nes while they told him about her. 19And they marveled at her
beauty, and admired the Israelites, judging them by her, and every one said
to his neighbor, “Who can despise these people, who have women like this
among them? Surely not a man of them had better be left alive, for if we let
them go they will be able to ensnare the whole world!”
Judith Is Brought before Holofernes
20 Then Hol''ofer'nes’ companions and all his servants came out and led
her into the tent. 21Hol''ofer'nes was resting on his bed, under a canopy
which was woven with purple and gold and emeralds and precious stones.
22When they told him of her he came forward to the front of the tent, with
silver lamps carried before him. 23And when Judith came into the presence
of Hol''ofer'nes r and his servants, they all marveled at the beauty of her
face; and she prostrated herself and made obeisance to him, and his slaves
raised her up.
11 Then Hol''ofer'nes said to her, “Take courage, woman, and do not be
afraid in your heart, for I have never hurt any one who chose to serve
Nebuchadnez'zar, the king of all the earth. 2And even now, if your people
who live in the hill country had not slighted me, I would never have lifted
my spear against them; but they have brought all this on themselves. 3And
now tell me why you have fled from them and have come over to us—since
you have come to safety. 4Have courage; you will live, tonight and from
now on. No one will hurt you, but all will treat you well, as they do the
servants of my lord King Nebuchadnez'zar.”
Judith Deceives Holofernes
5 Judith replied to him, “Accept the words of your servant, and let your
maidservant speak in your presence, and I will tell nothing false to my lord
this night. 6And if you follow out the words of your maidservant, God will
accomplish something through you, and my lord will not fail to achieve his
purposes. 7Nebuchadnez'zar the king of the whole earth lives, and as his
power endures, who had sent you to direct every living soul, not only do
men serve him because of you, but also the beasts of the field and the cattle
and the birds of the air will live by your power under Nebuchadnezzar and
all his house. 8For we have heard of your wisdom and skill, and it is
reported throughout the whole world that you are the one good man in the
whole kingdom, thoroughly informed and marvelous in military strategy.
9 “Now as for the things A'chior said in your council, we have heard his
words, for the men of Beth''uli'a spared him and he told them all he had said
to you. 10Therefore, my lord and master, do not disregard what he said, but
keep it in your mind, for it is true: our nation cannot be punished, nor can
the sword prevail against them, unless they sin against their God.
11 “And now, in order that my lord may not be defeated and his purpose
frustrated, death will fall upon them, for a sin has overtaken them by which
they are about to provoke their God to anger when they do what is wrong.
12Since their food supply is exhausted and their water has almost given out,
they have planned to kill their cattle and have determined to use all that
God by his laws has forbidden them to eat. 13They have decided to consume
the first fruits of the grain and the tithes of the wine and oil, which they had
consecrated and set aside for the priests who minister in the presence of our
God at Jerusalem—although it is not lawful for any of the people so much
as to touch these things with their hands. 14They have sent men to
Jerusalem, because even the people living there have been doing this, to
bring back to them permission from the senate. 15When the word reaches
them and they proceed to do this, on that day they will be handed over to
you to be destroyed.
16 “Therefore, when I, your servant, learned all this, I fled from them; and
God has sent me to accomplish with you things that will astonish the whole
world, as many as shall hear about them. 17For your servant is religious, and
serves the God of heaven day and night; therefore, my lord, I will remain
with you, and every night your servant will go out into the valley, and I will
pray to God and he will tell me when they have committed their sins. 18And
I will come and tell you, and then you shall go out with your whole army,
and not one of them will withstand you. 19Then I will lead you through the
middle of Jude'a, till you come to Jerusalem; and I will set your throne s in
the midst of it; and you will lead them like sheep that have no shepherd, and
not a dog will so much as open its mouth to growl at you. For this has been
told me, by my foreknowledge; it was announced to me, and I was sent to
tell you.”
20 Her words pleased Hol''ofer'nes and all his servants, and they marveled
at her wisdom and said, 21 “There is not such a woman from one end of the
earth to the other, either for beauty of face or wisdom of speech!” 22And
Hol''ofer'nes said to her, “God has done well to send you before the people,
to lend strength to our hands and to bring destruction upon those who have
slighted my lord. 23You are not only beautiful in appearance, but wise in
speech; and if you do as you have said, your God shall be my God, and you
shall live in the house of King Nebuchadnez'zar and be renowned
throughout the whole world.”
Judith as a Guest of Holofernes
12 Then he commanded them to bring her in where his silver dishes
were kept, and ordered them to set a table for her with some of his own
food and to serve her with his own wine. 2But Judith said, “I cannot eat it,
lest it be an offense; but I will be provided from the things I have brought
with me.” 3Hol''ofer'nes said to her, “If your supply runs out, where can we
get more like it for you? For none of your people is here with us.” 4Judith
replied, “As your soul lives, my lord, your servant will not use up the things
I have with me before the Lord carries out by my hand what he has
determined to do.”
5 Then the servants of Hol''ofer'nes brought her into the tent, and she slept
until midnight. Along toward the morning watch she arose 6and sent to
Hol''ofer'nes and said, “Let my lord now command that your servant be
permitted to go out and pray.” 7So Hol''ofer'nes commanded his guards not
to hinder her. And she remained in the camp for three days, and went out
each night to the valley of Beth''uli'a, and bathed at the spring in the camp. t
8When she came up from the spring she prayed the Lord God of Israel to
direct her way for the raising up of her people. 9So she returned clean and
stayed in the tent until she ate her food toward evening.
Judith Attends Holofernes’ Banquet
10 On the fourth day Hol''ofer'nes held a banquet for his slaves only, and
did not invite any of his officers. 11And he said to Bago'as, the eunuch who
had charge of all his personal affairs, “Go now and persuade the Hebrew
woman who is in your care to join us and eat and drink with us. 12For it will
be a disgrace if we let such a woman go without enjoying her company, for
if we do not embrace her she will laugh at us.” 13So Bago'as went out from
the presence of Hol''ofer'nes, and approached her and said, “This beautiful
maidservant will please come to my lord and be honored in his presence,
and drink wine and be merry with us, and become today like one of the
daughters of the Assyrians who serve in the house of Nebuchadnez'zar.”
14And Judith said, “Who am I, to refuse my lord? Surely whatever pleases
him I will do at once, and it will be a joy to me until the day of my death!”
15So she got up and arrayed herself in all her woman’s finery, and her maid
went and spread on the ground for her before Hol''ofer'nes the soft fleeces
which she had received from Bago'as for her daily use, so that she might
recline on them when she ate.
16 Then Judith came in and lay down, and Hol''ofer'nes’ heart was
ravished with her and he was moved with great desire to possess her; for he
had been waiting for an opportunity to deceive her, ever since the day he
first saw her. 17So Hol''ofer'nes said to her, “Drink now, and be merry with
us!” 18Judith said, “I will drink now, my lord, because my life means more
to me today than in all the days since I was born.” 19Then she took and ate
and drank before him what her maid had prepared. 20And Hol''ofer'nes was
greatly pleased with her, and drank a great quantity of wine, much more
than he had ever drunk in any one day since he was born.
Judith Beheads Holofernes
13 When evening came, his slaves quickly withdrew, and Bago'as
closed the tent from outside and shut out the attendants from his master’s
presence; and they went to bed, for they all were weary because the banquet
had lasted long. 2So Judith was left alone in the tent, with Hol''ofer'nes
stretched out on his bed, for he was overcome with wine.
3 Now Judith had told her maid to stand outside the bedchamber and to
wait for her to come out, as she did every day; for she said she would be
going out for her prayers. And she had said the same thing to Bago'as. 4So
every one went out, and no one, either small or great, was left in the
bedchamber. Then Judith, standing beside his bed, said in her heart, “O
Lord God of all might, look in this hour upon the work of my hands for the
exaltation of Jerusalem. 5For now is the time to help your inheritance, and
to carry out my undertaking for the destruction of the enemies who have
risen up against us.”
6 She went up to the post at the end of the bed, above Hol''ofer'nes’ head,
and took down his sword that hung there. 7She came close to his bed and
took hold of the hair of his head, and said, “Give me strength this day, O
Lord God of Israel!” 8And she struck his neck twice with all her might, and
severed his head from his body. 9Then she tumbled his body off the bed and
pulled down the canopy from the posts; after a moment she went out, and
gave Hol''ofer'nes’ head to her maid, 10who placed it in her food bag.
Then the two of them went out together, as they were accustomed to go
for prayer; and they passed through the camp and circled around the valley
and went up the mountain to Beth''uli'a and came to its gates. 11Judith called
out from afar to the watchmen at the gates, “Open, open the gate! God, our
God, is still with us, to show his power in Israel, and his strength against
our enemies, even as he has done this day!”
Judith Returns to Her People
12 When the men of her city heard her voice, they hurried down to the city
gate and called together the elders of the city. 13They all ran together, both
small and great, for it was unbelievable that she had returned; they opened
the gate and admitted them, and they kindled a fire for light, and gathered
around them. 14Then she said to them with a loud voice, “Praise God, O
praise him! Praise God, who has not withdrawn his mercy from the house
of Israel, but has destroyed our enemies by my hand this very night!”
15 Then she took the head out of the bag and showed it to them, and said,
“See, here is the head of Hol''ofer'nes, the commander of the Assyrian army,
and here is the canopy beneath which he lay in his drunken stupor. The
Lord has struck him down by the hand of a woman. 16As the Lord lives,
who has protected me in the way I went, it was my face that tricked him to
his destruction, and yet he committed no act of sin with me, to defile and
shame me.”
17 All the people were greatly astonished, and bowed down and worshiped
God, and said with one accord, “Blessed are you, our God, who have
brought into contempt this day the enemies of your people.”
18 And Uzzi'ah said to her, “O daughter, you are blessed by the Most High
God above all women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, who created
the heavens and the earth, who has guided you to strike the head of the
leader of our enemies. 19Your hope will never depart from the hearts of
men, as they remember the power of God. 20May God grant this to be a
perpetual honor to you, and may he visit you with blessings, because you
did not spare your own life when our nation was brought low, but have
avenged our ruin, walking in the straight path before our God.” And all the
people said, “So be it, so be it!” *
Judith’s Counsel
14 Then Judith said to them, “Listen to me, my brethren, and take this
head and hang it upon the parapet of your wall. 2And as soon as morning
comes and the sun rises, let every valiant man take his weapons and go out
of the city, and set a captain over them, as if you were going down to the
plain against the Assyrian outpost; only do not go down. 3Then they will
seize their arms and go into the camp and rouse the officers of the Assyrian
army; and they will rush into the tent of Hol''ofer'nes, and will not find him.
Then fear will come over them, and they will flee before you, 4and you and
all who live within the borders of Israel shall pursue them and cut them
down as they flee. 5But before you do all this, bring A'chior the Am'monite
to me, and let him see and recognize the man who despised the house of
Israel and sent him to us as if to his death.”
6 So they summoned A'chior from the house of Uzzi'ah. And when he
came and saw the head of Hol''ofer'nes in the hand of one of the men at the
gathering of the people, he fell down on his face and his spirit failed him.
7And when they raised him up he fell at Judith’s feet, and knelt before her,
and said, “Blessed are you in every tent of Judah! In every nation those who
hear your name will be alarmed. 8Now tell me what you have done during
these days.”
Then Judith described to him in the presence of the people all that she had
done, from the day she left until the moment of her speaking to them. 9And
when she had finished, the people raised a great shout and made a joyful
noise in their city. 10And when A'chior saw all that the God of Israel had
done, he believed firmly in God, and was circumcised, and joined the house
of Israel, remaining so to this day.
Holofernes’ Death Is Discovered
11 As soon as it was dawn they hung the head of Hol''ofer'nes on the wall,
and every man took his weapons, and they went out in companies to the
passes in the mountains. 12And when the Assyrians saw them they sent
word to their commanders, and they went to the generals and the captains
and to all their officers. 13So they came to Hol''ofer'nes’ tent and said to the
steward in charge of all his personal affairs, “Wake up our lord, for the
slaves have been so bold as to come down against us to give battle in order
to be destroyed completely.”
14 So Bago'as went in and knocked at the door of the tent, for he supposed
that he was sleeping with Judith. 15But when no one answered, he opened it
and went into the bedchamber and found him thrown down on the platform
dead, with his head cut off and missing. 16And he cried out with a loud
voice and wept and groaned and shouted, and tore his garments. 17Then he
went to the tent where Judith had stayed, and when he did not find her he
rushed out to the people and shouted, 18 “The slaves have tricked us! One
Hebrew woman has brought disgrace upon the house of King
Nebuchadnez'zar! For look, here is Hol''ofer'nes lying on the ground, and
his head is not on him!”
19 When the leaders of the Assyrian army heard this, they tore their tunics
and were greatly dismayed, and their loud cries and shouts arose in the
midst of the camp.
The Assyrian Army Flees
15 When the men in the tents heard it, they were amazed at what had
happened. 2Fear and trembling came over them, so that they did not wait for
one another, but with one impulse all rushed out and fled by every path
across the plain and through the hill country. 3Those who had camped in the
hills around Beth''uli'a also took to flight. Then the men of Israel, every one
that was a soldier, rushed out upon them. 4And Uzz'iah sent men to
Bet''omastha'im and Bebai and Choba and Ko'la, and to all the frontiers of
Israel, to tell what had taken place and to urge all to rush out upon their
enemies to destroy them. 5And when the Israelites heard it, with one accord
they fell upon the enemy, u and cut them down as far as Cho'ba. Those in
Jerusalem and all the hill country also came, for they were told what had
happened in the camp of the enemy; and those in Gilead and in Galilee
outflanked them with great slaughter, even beyond Damascus and its
borders. 6The rest of the people of Beth''uli'a fell upon the Assyrian camp
and plundered it, and were greatly enriched. 7And the Israelites, when they
returned from the slaughter, took possession of what remained, and the
villages and towns in the hill country and in the plain got a great amount of
booty, for there was a vast quantity of it.
The Israelites Celebrate
8 Then Jo'akim the high priest, and the senate of the people of Israel who
lived at Jerusalem, came to witness the good things which the Lord had
done for Israel, and to see Judith and to greet her. 9And when they met her
they all blessed her with one accord and said to her, “You are the exaltation
of Jerusalem,* you are the great glory of Israel, you are the great pride of
our nation! 10You have done all this singlehanded; you have done great
good to Israel, and God is well pleased with it. May the Almighty Lord
bless you for ever!” And all the people said, “So be it!”
11 So all the people plundered the camp for thirty days. They gave Judith
the tent of Hol''ofer'nes and all his silver dishes and his beds and his bowls
and all his furniture; and she took them and loaded her mule and hitched up
her carts and piled the things on them.
12 Then all the women of Israel gathered to see her, and blessed her, and
some of them performed a dance for her; and she took branches in her
hands and gave them to the women who were with her; 13and they crowned
themselves with olive wreaths, she and those who were with her; and she
went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women, while all the
men of Israel followed, bearing their arms and wearing garlands and with
songs on their lips.
The Song of Praise of Judith
16 Then Judith began this thanksgiving before all Israel, and all the
people loudly sang this song of praise. 2And Judith said,
00Begin a song to my God with tambourines,
and all fat for burnt offerings to you is a very little thing,
00but he who fears the Lord shall be great for ever.
17Woe to the nations that rise up against my people!
went to Beth''uli'a, and remained on her estate, and was honored in her time
throughout the whole country. 22Many desired to marry her, but she
remained a widow all the days of her life after Manas'seh her husband died
and was gathered to his people. 23She became more and more famous, and
grew old in her husband’s house, until she was one hundred and five years
old. She set her maid free. She died in Beth''uli'a, and they buried her in the
cave of her husband Manas'seh, 24and the house of Israel mourned for her
seven days. Before she died she distributed her property to all those who
were next of kin to her husband Manas'seh, and to her own nearest kindred.
25And no one ever again spread terror among the people of Israel in the
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Esther
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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THE BOOK OF ESTHER
Mordecai’s Dream
11 * 2In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the Great, on the first
day of Nisan, Mordecai the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, of the
tribe of Benjamin, had a dream. 3He was a Jew, dwelling in the city of Susa,
a great man, serving in the court of the king. 4He was one of the captives
whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had brought from Jerusalem with
Jeconiah king of Judea. And this was his dream:
5 Behold, noise a and confusion, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the
earth! 6And behold, two great dragons came forward, both ready to fight,
and they roared terribly. 7And at their roaring every nation prepared for
war, to fight against the nation of the righteous. 8And behold, a day of
darkness and gloom, tribulation and distress, affliction and great tumult
upon the earth! 9And the whole righteous nation was troubled; they feared
the evils that threatened them, and were ready to perish. 10Then they cried
to God; and from their cry, as though from a tiny spring, there came a great
river, with abundant water; 11light came, and the sun rose, and the lowly
were exalted and consumed those held in honor.
12 Mordecai saw in this dream what God had determined to do, and after
he awoke he had it on his mind and sought all day to understand it in every
detail.
Mordecai Discovers a Plot
against the King
12 Now Mordecai took his rest in the courtyard with Gabatha and
Tharra, the two eunuchs of the king who kept watch in the courtyard. 2He
overheard their conversation and inquired into their purposes, and learned
that they were preparing to lay hands upon Artaxerxes the king; and he
informed the king concerning them. 3Then the king examined the two
eunuchs, and when they confessed they were led to execution. 4The king
made a permanent record of these things, and Mordecai wrote an account
of them. 5And the king ordered Mordecai to serve in the court and rewarded
him for these things. 6But Haman, the son of Hammedatha, a Bougaean,
was in great honor with the king, and he sought to injure Mordecai and his
people because of the two eunuchs of the king.
King Ahasuerus Deposes Queen Vashti
1 In the days of Ahas'u-e'rus, the Ahasu-erus who reigned from India to
Ethiopia over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, 2in those days
when King Ahas'u-e'rus sat on his royal throne in Susa the capital, 3in the
third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and servants, the
army chiefs a of Persia and Med'ia and the nobles and governors of the
provinces being before him, 4while he showed the riches of his royal glory
and the splendor and pomp of his majesty for many days, a hundred and
eighty days. 5And when these days were completed, the king gave for all
the people present in Susa the capital, both great and small, a banquet
lasting for seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. 6There
were white cotton curtains and blue hangings caught up with cords of fine
linen and purple to silver rings b and marble pillars, and also couches of
gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl
and precious stones. 7Drinks were served in golden goblets, goblets of
different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of
the king. 8And drinking was according to the law, no one was compelled;
for the king had given orders to all the officials of his palace to do as every
man desired. 9Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the
palace which belonged to King Ahas'u-e'rus.
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he
the eunuchs. At this the king was enraged, and his anger burned within him.
13 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times—for this was
the king’s procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, 14the
men next to him being Carshe'na, She'thar, Adma'tha, Tar'shish, Me'res,
Marse'na, and Memu'can, the seven princes of Persia and Med'ia, who saw
the king’s face, and sat first in the kingdom—: 15 “According to the law,
what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the
command of King Ahas'u-e'rus conveyed by the eunuchs?” 16Then
Memu'can said in presence of the king and the princes, “Not only to the
king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also to all the princes and all the
peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahas'u-e'rus. 17For this deed of
the queen will be made known to all women, causing them to look with
contempt upon their husbands, since they will say, ‘King Ahas'u-e'rus
commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’
18This very day the ladies of Persia and Med'ia who have heard of the
queen’s behavior will be telling it to all the king’s princes, and there will be
contempt and wrath in plenty. 19If it please the king, let a royal order go
forth from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the
Medes so that it may not be altered, that Vashti is to come no more before
King Ahas'u-e'rus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is
better than she. 20So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed
throughout all his kingdom, vast as it is, all women will give honor to their
husbands, high and low.” 21This advice pleased the king and the princes,
and the king did as Memu'can proposed; 22he sent letters to all the royal
provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own
language, that every man be lord in his own house and speak according to
the language of his people.
Esther Is Chosen as Queen
2 After these things, when the anger of King Ahas'u-e'rus had abated,
he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed
against her. 2Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Let beautiful
young virgins be sought out for the king. 3And let the king appoint officers
in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins
to the harem in Susa the capital, under custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch
who is in charge of the women; let their ointments be given them. 4And let
the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased
the king, and he did so.
5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the capital whose name was Mor'decai, the
son of Ja'ir, son of Shim'e-i, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6who had been
carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with
Jeconi'ah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon had
carried away. 7He had brought up Hadas'sah, that is Esther, the daughter of
his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother; the maiden was beautiful
and lovely, and when her father and her mother died, Mor'decai adopted her
as his own daughter. 8So when the king’s order and his edict were
proclaimed, and when many maidens were gathered in Susa the capital in
custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in
custody of Hegai who had charge of the women. 9And the maiden pleased
him and won his favor; and he quickly provided her with her ointments and
her portion of food, and with seven chosen maids from the king’s palace,
and advanced her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10Esther had
not made known her people or kindred, for Mor'decai had charged her not
to make it known. 11And every day Mor'decai walked in front of the court
of the harem, to learn how Esther was and how she fared.
12 Now when the turn came for each maiden to go in to King Ahas'u-e'rus,
after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this
was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh
and six months with spices and ointments for women—13when the maiden
went in to the king in this way she was given whatever she desired to take
with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14In the evening she went, and
in the morning she came back to the second harem in custody of Shaash'gaz
the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines; she did not go in to
the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by
name.
15 When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Ab'ihail the uncle of
Mor'decai, who had adopted her as his own daughter, to go in to the king,
she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge
of the women, advised. Now Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw
her. 16And when Esther was taken to King Ahas'u-e'rus into his royal palace
in the tenth month, which is the month of Te'beth, in the seventh year of his
reign, 17the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found
grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal
crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18Then the king
gave a great banquet to all his princes and servants; it was Esther’s banquet.
He also granted a remission of taxes c to the provinces, and gave gifts with
royal liberality.
Mordecai Discovers a Plot
19 When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mor'decai
was sitting at the king’s gate. 20Now Esther had not made known her
kindred or her people, as Mor'decai had charged her; for Esther obeyed
Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. 21And in those days, as
Mor'decai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Te'resh, two of the
king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay
hands on King Ahas'u-e'rus. 22And this came to the knowledge of
Mor'decai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the
name of Mordecai. 23When the affair was investigated and found to be so,
the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the Book
of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
Haman Seeks to Destroy the Jews
3 After these things King Ahas'u-e'rus promoted Ha'man the Ag'agite,
the son of Hammeda'tha, and advanced him and set his seat above all the
princes who were with him. 2And all the king’s servants who were at the
king’s gate bowed down and did obeisance to Ha'man; for the king had so
commanded concerning him. But Mor'decai did not bow down or do
obeisance. 3Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to
Mor'decai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” 4And when they
spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told
Ha'man, in order to see whether Mor'decai’s words would avail; for he had
told them that he was a Jew. 5And when Ha'man saw that Mor'decai did not
bow down or do obeisance to him, Ha'man was filled with fury. 6But he
disdained to lay hands on Mor'decai alone. So, as they had made known to
him the people of Mordecai, Ha'man sought to destroy all the Jews, the
people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahas'u-e'rus.
7 In the first month, which is the month of Ni'san, in the twelfth year of
King Ahas'u-e'rus, they cast Pur, that is the lot, before Ha'man day after
day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the
month of Adar'. 8Then Ha'man said to King Ahas'u-e'rus, “There is a certain
people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the
provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of every
other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not for the
king’s profit to tolerate them. 9If it please the king, let it be decreed that
they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the
hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it
into the king’s treasuries.” 10So the king took his signet ring from his hand
and gave it to Ha'man the Ag'agite, the son of Hammeda'tha, the enemy of
the Jews. 11And the king said to Ha'man, “The money is given to you, the
people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12 Then the king’s secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of the
first month, and an edict, according to all that Ha'man commanded, was
written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and
to the princes of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and
every people in its own language; it was written in the name of King
Ahas'u-e'rus and sealed with the king’s ring. 13Letters were sent by couriers
to all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to annihilate all Jews,
young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the
twelfth month, which is the month of Adar', and to plunder their goods.
The King’s Letter
13 This is a copy of the letter: “The Great King, Artaxerxes, to the
rulers of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia
and to the governors under them, writes thus:
2 “Having become ruler of many nations and master of the whole world,
not elated with presumption of authority but always acting reasonably and
with kindness, I have determined to settle the lives of my subjects in lasting
tranquillity and, in order to make my kingdom peaceable and open to travel
throughout all its extent, to re-establish the peace which all men desire.
3 “When I asked my counselors how this might be accomplished, Haman,
Haman, who is in charge of affairs and is our second father, shall all, with
their wives and children, be utterly destroyed by the sword of their enemies,
without pity or mercy, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, of
this present year, 7so that those who have long been and are now hostile
may in one day go down in violence to Hades, and leave our government
completely secure and untroubled hereafter.”
14A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province
by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15The couriers
went in haste by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the
capital. And the king and Ha'man sat down to drink; but the city of Susa
was perplexed.
Esther Agrees to Help the Jews
4 When Mor'decai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his
clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the
city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry; 2he went up to the entrance of the
king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
3And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree came,
there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and
lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 When Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was
power and there is no one who can oppose you if it is your will to save
Israel. 10For you have made heaven and earth and every wonderful thing
under heaven, 11and you are Lord of all, and there is no one who can resist
you. 12You know all things; 13you know, O Lord, that I would have been
willing to kiss the soles of Haman’s feet to save Israel! 14But I did not do
this, lest I set the glory of man above the glory of God; I will not bow down
to any one but you, O Lord, my God. 15And now, O Lord God and King,
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, spare your people; for
the eyes of our foes are upon us c to annihilate us, and they desire to destroy
your inheritance. 16Do not neglect your portion, which you redeemed for
yourself out of the land of Egypt. 17Hear my prayer, and have mercy upon
your inheritance; turn our mourning into feasting, that we may live and
sing praise to your name, O Lord; do not destroy the mouth of those who
praise you.”
18 And all Israel cried out mightily, for their death was before their eyes.
Esther’s Prayer
14 And Esther the queen, seized with deathly anxiety, fled to the Lord;
2she took off her splendid apparel and put on the garments of distress and
mourning, and instead of costly perfumes she covered her head with ashes
and dung, and she utterly humbled her body, and every part that she loved
to adorn she covered with her tangled hair. 3And she lay on the earth
together with all her maidservants, from morning until evening, and said:
“God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you; help
me, who am alone and have no helper but you, 4for my danger is in my
hand. 5Ever since I was born I have heard in the tribe of my family that you,
O Lord, took Israel out of all the nations, and our fathers from among all
their ancestors, for an everlasting inheritance, and that you did for them all
that you promised. 6And now we have sinned before you, and you have
given us into the hands of our enemies, 7because we glorified their gods.
You are righteous, O Lord! 8And now they are not satisfied that we are in
bitter slavery, but they have covenanted with their idols 9to abolish what
your mouth has ordained and to destroy your inheritance, to stop the
mouths of those who praise you and to quench your altar and the glory of
your house, 10to open the mouths of the nations for the praise of vain idols,
and to magnify for ever a mortal king. 11O Lord, do not surrender your
scepter to what has no being; and do not let them mock at our downfall; but
turn their plan against themselves, and make an example of the man who
began this against us. I have heard from the books of my ancestors that you
liberate all those who are pleasing to you, O Lord, until the very end. And
now, assist me, who am all alone, and have no one but you, O Lord, my
God. Come to my aid, for I am an orphan. 12Remember, O Lord; make
yourself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage, O King
of the gods and Master of all dominion! 13Put eloquent speech in my mouth
before the lion, and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against
us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him. 14But
save us from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and
our affliction into well-being. 15You have knowledge of all things; and you
know that I hate the splendor of the wicked and abhor the bed of the
uncircumcised and of any alien. 16You know my necessity—that I abhor the
sign of my proud position, which is upon my head on the days when I
appear in public. I abhor it like a menstruous rag, and I do not wear it on
the days when I am at leisure. 17And your servant has not eaten at Haman’s
table, and I have not honored the king’s feast or drunk the wine of the
libations. 18Your servant has had no joy since the day that I was brought
here until now, except in you, O Lord God of Abraham. 19O God, whose
might is over all, hear the voice of the despairing, and save us from the
hands of evildoers. And save me from my fear!”
Esther’s Invitation to the King and Haman
15 * On the third day, when she ended her prayer, she took off the
garments in which she had worshiped, and clothed herself in splendid
attire. 2Then, majestically adorned, after invoking the aid of the all-seeing
God and Savior, she took her two maids with her, 3leaning daintily on one,
4while the other followed carrying her train. 5She was radiant with perfect
beauty, and she looked happy, as if beloved, but her heart was frozen with
fear. 6When she had gone through all the doors, she stood before the king.
He was seated on his royal throne, clothed in the full array of his majesty,
all covered with gold and precious stones. And he was most terrifying.
7 Lifting his face, flushed with splendor, he looked at her in fierce anger.
And the queen faltered, and turned pale and faint, and collapsed upon the
head of the maid who went before her. 8Then God changed the spirit of the
king to gentleness, and in alarm he sprang from his throne and took her in
his arms until she came to herself. And he comforted her with soothing
words, and said to her, 9“What is it, Esther? I am your brother. Take
courage; 10you shall not die, for our law applies only to the people. d Come
near.”
11 Then he raised the golden scepter and touched it to her neck; 12and he
embraced her, and said, “Speak to me.” 13And she said to him, “I saw you,
my lord, like an angel of God, and my heart was shaken with fear at your
glory. 14For you are wonderful, my lord, and your countenance is full of
grace.” 15But as she was speaking, she fell fainting. 16And the king was
agitated, and all his servants sought to comfort her.
[5] 3 And the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your
request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” 4And
Esther said, “If it please the king, let the king and Ha'man come this day to
a dinner that I have prepared for the king.” 5Then said the king, “Bring
Ha'man quickly, that we may do as Esther desires.” So the king and Ha'man
came to the dinner that Esther had prepared. 6And as they were drinking
wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It shall be granted
you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be
fulfilled.” 7But Esther said, “My petition and my request is: 8If I have found
favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition
and fulfil my request, let the king and Ha'man come tomorrow d to the
dinner which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has
said.”
Haman Plans to Have Mordecai Hanged
9 And Ha'man went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman
saw Mor'decai in the king’s gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before
him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai. 10Nevertheless Ha'man
restrained himself, and went home; and he sent and fetched his friends and
his wife Ze'resh. 11And Ha'man recounted to them the splendor of his
riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had
honored him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and the
servants of the king. 12And Ha'man added, “Even Queen Esther let no one
come with the king to the banquet she prepared but myself. And tomorrow
also I am invited by her together with the king. 13Yet all this does me no
good, so long as I see Mor'decai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14Then
his wife Ze'resh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows fifty cubits
high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mor'decai hanged
upon it; then go merrily with the king to the dinner.” This counsel pleased
Ha'man, and he had the gallows made.
The King Honors Mordecai
6 On that night the king could not sleep; and he gave orders to bring the
book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the
king. 2And it was found written how Mor'decai had told about Big'thana
and Te'resh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who
had sought to lay hands upon King Ahas'u-e'rus. 3And the king said, “What
honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mor'decai for this?” The king’s
servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4And the
king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Ha'man had just entered the outer
court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mor'decai
hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5So the king’s servants
told him, “Ha'man is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let
him come in.” 6So Ha'man came in, and the king said to him, “What shall
be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to
himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7And
Ha'man said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8let
royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse which the
king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set; 9and let the robes
and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble princes; let
him e clothe the man whom the king delights to honor, and let him e conduct
the man on horseback through the open square of the city, proclaiming
before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to
honor.’ ” 10Then the king said to Ha'man, “Make haste, take the robes and
the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mor'decai the Jew who sits at the
king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” 11So Ha'man took
the robes and the horse, and he clothed Mor'decai and made him ride
through the open square of the city, proclaiming, “Thus shall it be done to
the man whom the king delights to honor.”
12 Then Mor'decai returned to the king’s gate. But Ha'man hurried to his
house, mourning and with his head covered. 13And Ha'man told his wife
Ze'resh and all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then his wise
men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mor'decai, before whom you have
begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not prevail against him but
will surely fall before him.”
Haman’s Downfall and Mordecai’s Advancement
14 While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and
with tears to avert the evil design of Ha'man the Ag'agite and the plot which
he had devised against the Jews. 4And the king held out the golden scepter
to Esther, 5and Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it
please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seem
right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to
revoke the letters devised by Ha'man the Ag'agite, the son of Hammeda'tha,
which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.
6For how can I endure to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or
benefactors, the more proud do many men become. 3They not only seek to
injure our subjects, but in their inability to stand prosperity they even
undertake to scheme against their own benefactors. 4They not only take
away thankfulness from among men, but, carried away by the boasts of
those who know nothing of goodness, they suppose that they will escape the
evil-hating justice of God, who always sees everything. 5And often many of
those who are set in places of authority have been made in part responsible
for the shedding of innocent blood, and have been involved in irremediable
calamities, by the persuasion of friends who have been entrusted with the
administration of public affairs, 6when these men by the false trickery of
their evil natures beguile the sincere good will of their sovereigns.
7 “What has been wickedly accomplished through the pestilent behavior of
those who exercise authority unworthily, can be seen not so much from the
more ancient records which we hand on as from investigation of matters
close at hand. 8For the future we will take care to render our kingdom quiet
and peaceable for all men, 9by changing our methods and always judging
what comes before our eyes with more equitable consideration. 10For
Haman, the son of Hammedatha, a Macedonian (really an alien to the
Persian blood, and quite devoid of our kindliness), having become our
guest, 11so far enjoyed the good will that we have for every nation that he
was called our father and was continually bowed down to by all as the
person second to the royal throne. 12But, unable to restrain his arrogance,
he undertook to deprive us of our kingdom and our life, 13and with intricate
craft and deceit asked for the destruction of Mordecai, our savior and
perpetual benefactor, and of Esther, the blameless partner of our kingdom,
together with their whole nation. 14He thought that in this way he would
find us undefended and would transfer the kingdom of the Persians to the
Macedonians.
15 “But we find that the Jews, who were consigned to annihilation by this
thrice accursed man, are not evildoers but are governed by most righteous
laws 16and are sons of the Most High, the most mighty living God, who has
directed the kingdom both for us and for our fathers in the most excellent
order.
17 “You will therefore do well not to put in execution the letters sent by
Haman the son of Hammedatha, 18because the man himself who did these
things has been hanged at the gate of Susa, with all his household. For
God, who rules over all things, has speedily inflicted on him the punishment
he deserved.
19 “Therefore post a copy of this letter publicly in every place, and permit
the Jews to live under their own laws. 20And give them reinforcements, so
that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, on that very day they
may defend themselves against those who attack them at the time of their
affliction. 21For God, who rules over all things, has made this day to be a
joy to his chosen people instead of a day of destruction for them.
22 “Therefore you shall observe this with all good cheer as a notable day
among your commemorative festivals, 23so that both now and hereafter it
may mean salvation for us and the loyal Persians, but that for those who
plot against us it may be a reminder of destruction.
24 “Every city and country, without exception, which does not act
province, and by proclamation to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready
on that day to avenge themselves upon their enemies. 14So the couriers,
mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king’s service, rode out
in haste, urged by the king’s command; and the decree was issued in Susa
the capital.
15 Then Mor'decai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of
blue and white, with a great golden crown and a mantle of fine linen and
purple, while the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16The Jews had light
and gladness and joy and honor. 17And in every province and in every city,
wherever the king’s command and his edict came, there was gladness and
joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of
the country declared themselves Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen
upon them.
The Destruction of the Enemies of the Jews
9 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar', on the
thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s command and edict were about
to be executed, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to get
the mastery over them, but which had been changed to a day when the Jews
should get the mastery over their foes, 2the Jews gathered in their cities
throughout all the provinces of King Ahas'u-e'rus to lay hands on such as
sought their hurt. And no one could make a stand against them, for the fear
of them had fallen upon all peoples. 3All the princes of the provinces and
the satraps and the governors and the royal officials also helped the Jews,
for the fear of Mor'decai had fallen upon them. 4For Mor'decai was great in
the king’s house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the
man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. 5So the Jews struck all their
enemies with the sword, slaughtering, and destroying them, and did as they
pleased to those who hated them. 6In Susa the capital itself the Jews slew
and destroyed five hundred men, 7and also slew Par-shan-da'tha and
Dalphon and Aspa'tha 8and Pora'tha and Ada'lia and Arida'tha 9and
Parmash'ta and Ar'isai and Ar'idai and Vaiza'tha, 10the ten sons of Ha'man
the son of Hammeda'tha, the enemy of the Jews; but they laid no hand on
the plunder.
11 That very day the number of those slain in Susa the capital was reported
to the king. 12And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the capital the
Jews have slain five hundred men and also the ten sons of Ha'man. What
then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is your
petition? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall
be fulfilled.” 13And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are
in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day’s edict. And
let the ten sons of Ha'man be hanged on the gallows.” 14So the king
commanded this to be done; a decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons
of Ha'man were hanged. 15The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the
fourteenth day of the month of Adar' and they slew three hundred men in
Susa; but they laid no hands on the plunder.
The Feast of Purim Inaugurated
16 Now the other Jews who were in the king’s provinces also gathered to
defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies, and slew seventy-five
thousand of those who hated them; but they laid no hands on the plunder.
17This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar', and on the
fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness.
18But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the
fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and
gladness. 19Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the open towns,
hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar' as a day for gladness and
feasting and holiday-making, and a day on which they send choice portions
to one another.
20 And Mor'decai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews
who were in all the provinces of King Ahas'u-e'rus, both near and far,
21enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month
Adar' and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22as the days on
which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had
been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a
holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for
sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mor'decai had
written to them. 24For Ha'man the Ag'agite, the son of Hammeda'tha, the
enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had
cast Pur, that is the lot, to crush and destroy them; 25but when Esther came
before the king, he gave orders in writing that his wicked plot which he had
devised against the Jews should come upon his own head, and that he and
his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26Therefore they called these
days Purim, after the term Pur. And therefore, because of all that was
written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what
had befallen them, 27the Jews ordained and took it upon themselves and
their descendants and all who joined them, that without fail they would
keep these two days according to what was written and at the time
appointed every year, 28that these days should be remembered and kept
throughout every generation, in every family, province, and city, and that
these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor
should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Ab'ihail, and Mor'decai the Jew
gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim.
30Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the hundred and twenty-seven
Mor'decai the Jew and Queen Esther enjoined upon the Jews, and as they
had laid down for themselves and for their descendants, with regard to their
fasts and their lamenting. 32The command of Queen Esther fixed these
practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.
Mordecai’s Dream Fulfilled
10 King Ahas'u-e'rus laid tribute on the land and on the coastlands of
the sea. 2And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the
high honor of Mor'decai, to which the king advanced him, are they not
written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Med'ia and Persia?
3For Mor'decai the Jew was next in rank to King Ahas'u-e'rus, and he was
great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brethren, for he
sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.
10 4 And Mordecai said, “These things have come from God. 5For I
remember the dream that I had concerning these matters, and none of them
has failed to be fulfilled. 6The tiny spring which became a river, and there
was light and the sun and abundant water—the river is Esther, whom the
king married and made queen. 7The two dragons are Haman and myself.
8The nations are those that gathered to destroy the name of the Jews. 9And
my nation, this is Israel, who cried out to God and were saved. The Lord
has saved his people; the Lord has delivered us from all these evils; God
has done great signs and wonders, which have not occurred among the
nations. 10For this purpose he made two lots, one for the people of God and
one for all the nations. 11And these two lots came to the hour and moment
and day of decision before God and among all the nations. 12And God
remembered his people and vindicated his inheritance. 13So they will
observe these days in the month of Adar, on the fourteenth and fifteenth of
that month, with an assembly and joy and gladness before God, from
generation to generation for ever among his people Israel.”
Postscript
11 1In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus,
who said that he was a priest and a Levite, e and Ptolemy his son brought to
Egypt f the preceeding Letter of Purim, which they said was genuine and
had been translated by Lysimachus the son of Ptolemy, one of the residents
of Jerusalem.
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Job
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
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THE BOOK OF JOB
Job and His Family
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man
was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil.
2There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3He had seven
thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five
hundred she-donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the
greatest of all the people of the east. 4His sons used to go and hold a feast in
the house of each on his day; and they would send and invite their three
sisters to eat and drink with them. 5And when the days of the feast had run
their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in
the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all;
for Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their
hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
Satan Is Allowed to Tempt Job
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the LORD, and Satan a also came among them. 7The LORD said to
Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD, “From
going back and forth on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
8And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that
there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears
God and turns away from evil?” 9Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does
Job fear God for nothing? 10Have you not put a hedge about him and his
house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his
hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11But put forth your
hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
12And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power;
only upon himself do not put forth your hand.” So Satan went forth from
the presence of the LORD.
Job Loses His Property and Children
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and
drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; 14and there came a messenger
to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside
them; 15and the Sabe'ans fell upon them and took them, and slew the
servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
16While he was yet speaking, there came another, and said, “The fire of God
fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed
them; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17While he was yet speaking,
there came another, and said, “The Chalde'ans formed three companies, and
made a raid upon the camels and took them, and slew the servants with the
edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18While he was
yet speaking, there came another, and said, “Your sons and daughters were
eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house; 19and behold, a
great wind came across the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the
house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead; and I alone
have escaped to tell you.”
20 Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon
ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse
God, and die.” 10But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women
would speak. Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not
receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Job’s Three Friends
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon
him, they came each from his own place, Eli'phaz the Te'manite, Bildad the
Shuhite, and Zo'phar the Na'amathite. They made an appointment together
to come to condole with him and comfort him. 12And when they saw him
from afar, they did not recognize him; and they raised their voices and
wept; and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward
heaven. 13And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven
nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was
very great.
Job Curses the Day of His Birth
3 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
02And Job said:
03 “Let the day perish wherein I was born,
and the night which said,
‘A man-child is conceived.’
4Let that day be darkness!
or is my flesh bronze?
13In truth I have no help in me,
I loathe my life.
22It is all one; therefore I say,
Would that I had died before any eye had seen me,
19and were as though I had not been,
through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless.
21Terrifying sounds are in his ears;
waters;
their portion is cursed in the land;
no treader turns toward their vineyards.
19Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters;
I am a byword to them.
10They abhor me, they keep aloof from me;
‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’
32(the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
“I am young in years,
and you are aged;
therefore I was timid and afraid
to declare my opinion to you.
7I said, ‘Let days speak,
that the case is before him, and you are waiting for him!
15And now, because his anger does not punish,
and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
19Will your cry avail to keep you from distress,
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”
The Lord Answers Job
38 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind:
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3Gird up your loins like a man,
and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray
for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your
folly; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”
9So Eli'phaz the Te'manite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zo'phar the
Na'amathite went and did what the LORD had told them; and the LORD
accepted Job’s prayer.
Job’s Fortunes Are Restored Twofold
10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his
friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then
came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before,
and ate bread with him in his house; and they showed him sympathy and
comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and
each of them gave him a piece of money y and a ring of gold. 12And the
LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had
fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and
a thousand she-donkeys. 13He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14And he called the name of the first Jemi'mah; and the name of the second
Kezi'ah; and the name of the third Ker'en-hap'puch. 15And in all the land
there were no women so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them
inheritance among their brothers. 16And after this Job lived a hundred and
forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. 17And
Job died, an old man, and full of days.
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Psalms
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76
77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117
118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134
135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 145 146 147 148 149 150
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THE BOOK OF THE PSALMS
The Two Ways
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
in the net which they hid has their own foot been caught.
16The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail;
and the man greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
4In the pride of his countenance the wicked does not seek him;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
18to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
8Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9You will make them as a blazing oven
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
to devour my flesh, e
my adversaries and foes,
they shall stumble and fall.
3Though a host encamp against me,
O LORD, be my helper!”
11You have turned my mourning into dancing;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
3Yes, you are my rock and my fortress;
a horror m to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
12I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your deliverance!”
4Let them be put to shame and dishonor
my soul is forlorn.
13But I, when they were sick—
I wore sackcloth,
I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed t on my bosom,
14 as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9For with you is the fountain of life;
but those who wait for the LORD shall possess the land.
10Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures,
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21The wicked borrows, and cannot pay back,
because of my foolishness,
6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
O Lord, my salvation!
Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness
To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun.
A Psalm of David.
39[38] I said, “I will guard my ways,
that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will bridle y my mouth,
so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2I was mute and silent,
My hope is in you.
8Deliver me from all my transgressions.
BOOK II
Longing for God and His Help in Distress
To the choirmaster.
A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.
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42[41] * As a deer longs
for flowing streams,
so longs my soul
for you, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God,
therefore the peoples will praise you for ever and ever.
God’s Defense of His City and People
To the choirmaster.
A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
According to Alamoth.
A Song.
46[45] God is our refuge and strength,
a very present l help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,
and though a man gets praise when he does well for himself,
19he will go to the generation of his fathers,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15O Lord, open my lips,
O deceitful tongue.
5But God will break you down for ever;
I am overcome by my trouble.
I am distraught 3by the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they bring i trouble upon me,
and in anger they cherish enmity against me.
4My heart is in anguish within me,
my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
E'phraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
8Moab is my washbasin;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6Prolong the life of the king;
that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24Your solemn processions are seen,g O God,
the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25the singers in front, the minstrels last,
show your strength, O God, you who have wrought for us.
29Because of your temple at Jerusalem
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God.
4More in number than the hairs of my head
and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
10When I humbled k my soul with fasting,
it became my reproach.
11When I made sackcloth my clothing,
so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none;
and for comforters, but I found none.
21They gave me gall for food,
and him m whom you have wounded, they afflict still more.n
27Add to them punishment upon punishment;
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the seas and everything that moves therein.
35For God will save Zion
may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen and Amen!
20The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
BOOK III
Plea for Relief from Oppressors
A Psalm of Asaph.
73[72] Truly God is good to the upright,
to those who are pure in heart.t
2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had well nigh slipped.
3For I was envious of the arrogant,
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4For they have no pangs;
for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21Let not the humble be put to shame;
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13The boar from the forest ravages it,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18Then we will never turn back from you;
great and awesome x above all that are round about him?
8O LORD God of hosts,
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
12The north and the south, you have created them;
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
13You have a mighty arm;
or be false to my faithfulness.
34I will not violate my covenant,
for what vanity you have created all the sons of men!
48What man can live and never see death?
BOOK IV
God’s Eternity and Human Frailty
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90[89] LORD, you have been our dwelling place e
in all generations.
2Before the mountains were brought forth,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14Because he clings to me in love, I will deliver him;
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He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10He who chastens the nations, does he not chastise?
Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy
13 before the LORD, for he comes,
I will destroy.
The man of haughty looks and arrogant heart
I will not endure.
6I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their spirit, they die
and return to their dust.
30When you send forth your Spirit,s they are created;
do my prophets no harm!”
16When he summoned a famine on the land,
BOOK V
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Many Troubles
E'phraim is my helmet;
Judah my scepter.
9Moab is my washbasin;
to be kept diligently.
5O that my ways may be steadfast
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33Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;
which I love.
48I revere your commandments, which I love,
we are glad.
4Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
or slumber to my eyelids,
5until I find a place for the LORD,
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4How shall we sing the LORD’s song
in a foreign land?
5If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
and give thanks to your name for your mercy and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted above everything
your name and your word. r
3On the day I called, you answered me,
then they shall learn that the word of the LORD is true.
7As a rock which one cleaves and shatters on the land,
while I escape.
Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors
A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave.
A Prayer.
142[141] I cry with my voice to the LORD,
with my voice I make supplication to the LORD,
2I pour out my complaint before him,
My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the Pit.
8Let me hear in the morning of your merciful love,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
9Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies!
and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Praise for God’s Help
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Proverbs
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31
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THE BOOK OF THE PROVERBS
The Call of Wisdom
1* The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2That men may know wisdom and instruction,
understand words of insight,
3receive instruction in wise dealing,
do not consent.
11If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood,
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
officer or ruler,
8she prepares her food in summer,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12I, wisdom, dwell in prudence, g
than one who plays the great man but lacks bread.
10A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast,
and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.
16To get wisdom is better u than gold;
and he who makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.
12The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge,
righteous;
do not violence to his home;
16for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again;
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
12When the righteous triumph, there is great glory;
and does not know that want will come upon him.
23He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
but one who keeps company with harlots squanders his substance.
4By justice a king gives stability to the land,
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Ecclesiastes
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES
All Is Vanity
1* The words of the Preacher, a the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3What does man gain by all the toil
God-given Tasks
10 I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be
busy with. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put
eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done
from the beginning to the end. 12I know that there is nothing better for them
than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13also that it is
God’s gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in
all his toil. 14I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can
be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that
men should fear before him. 15That which is, already has been; that which
is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
Judgment and the Future Belong to God
16 Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there
was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was
wickedness. 17I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the
wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.
18I said in my heart with regard to the sons of men that God is testing them
to show them that they are but beasts. 19For the fate of the sons of men and
the fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have
the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity.
20All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the
beast goes down to the earth? 22So I saw that there is nothing better than
that a man should enjoy his work, for that is his lot; who can bring him to
see what will be after him?
Injustice of Life
4 Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sun. And
behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On
the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to
comfort them. 2And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate
than the living who are still alive; 3but better than both is he who has not yet
been, and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of
his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
5 The fool folds his hands, and eats his own flesh.
6 Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving
after wind.
7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8a person who has no one, either son
or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied
with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving
myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.
Value of Friendship
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
10For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone
when he falls and has not another to lift him up. 11Again, if two lie together,
they are warm; but how can one be warm alone? 12And though a man might
prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. A threefold cord
is not quickly broken.
13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who will
no longer take advice, 14even though he had gone from prison to the throne
or in his own kingdom had been born poor. 15I saw all the living who move
about under the sun, as well as that f youth, who was to stand in his place;
16there was no end of all the people; he was over all of them. Yet those who
come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving
after wind.
Reverence, Humility, Enjoyment
5 g Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to
listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that
they are doing evil. 2 h Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be
hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth;
therefore let your words be few.
3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many
words.
4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it; for he has no
pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5It is better that you should not vow
than that you should vow and not pay. 6Let not your mouth lead you into
sin, and do not say before the messenger i that it was a mistake; why should
God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 For when dreams increase, empty words grow many: j but you must
fear God.
8 If you see in a province the poor oppressed and justice and right
violently taken away, do not be amazed at the matter; for the high official is
watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9But in all, a
king is an advantage to a land with cultivated fields. k
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; nor he who
loves wealth, with gain: this also is vanity.
11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them; and what gain has
their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the
surfeit of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches were
kept by their owner to his hurt, 14and those riches were lost in a bad
venture; and he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15As he
came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and
shall take nothing for his toil, which he may carry away in his hand. 16This
also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go; and what gain has he
that he toiled for the wind, 17and spent all his days in darkness and grief,l in
much vexation and sickness and resentment?
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and to be fitting is to eat and
drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun
the few days of his life which God has given him, for this is his lot. 19Every
man also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to
enjoy them, and to accept his lot and find enjoyment in his toil—this is the
gift of God. 20For he will not much remember the days of his life because
God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Frustration of Desires
6 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy upon
men: 2a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he
lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to
enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them; this is vanity; it is a sore affliction.
3If a man begets a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days
of his years are many, but he does not enjoy life’s good things, and also has
no burial, I say that an untimely birth is better off than he. 4For it comes
into vanity and goes into darkness, and in darkness its name is covered;
5moreover it has not seen the sun or known anything; yet it finds rest rather
than he. 6Even though he should live a thousand years twice told, yet enjoy
no good—do not all go to the one place?
7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.
8For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the
poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living?
9Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire; this also is
knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life,
which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him
under the sun?
Wisdom and Folly Compared
7 A good name is better than precious oint- ment;
and the day of death, than the day of birth.
2It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting;
for this is the end of all men,
and the living will lay it to heart.
3Sorrow is better than laughter,
go about the streets; 6before the silver cord is snapped,r or the golden bowl
is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the
cistern, 7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to
God who gave it. 8Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.
Epilogue
9 Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge,
weighing and studying and arranging proverbs with great care. 10The
Preacher sought to find pleasing words, and uprightly he wrote words of
truth.
11 The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are
the collected sayings which are given by one Shepherd. 12My son, beware
of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much
study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his
commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. s 14For God will bring
every deed into judgment, with t every secret thing, whether good or evil.
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Song of Solomon
Chapters
12345678
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THE SONG OF SOLOMON
Song of the Bride and Her Companions
1* The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
2O that you a would kiss me with the kisses of your b mouth!
For your love is better than wine,
3 your anointing oils are fragrant,
truly lovely.
Our couch is green;
17 the beams of our house are cedar,
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10My beloved speaks and says to me:
yielding fragrance.
His lips are lilies,
distilling liquid myrrh.
14His arms are rounded gold,
twins of a gazelle.
4Your neck is like an ivory tower.
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Wisdom of Solomon
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
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THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON
Exhortation to Uprightness and Avoidance of Evil
1 * Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth,
think of the Lord with uprightness,
and seek him with sincerity of heart;
2because he is found by those who do not put him to the test,
and will not free a blasphemer from the guilt of his words;
because God is witness of his inmost feelings,
and a true observer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.
7Because the Spirit of the Lord has filled the world,
and that which holds all things together knows what is said;
8therefore no one who utters unrighteous things will escape notice,
and let us test what will happen at the end of his life;
18for if the righteous man is God’s son, he will help him,
who disregarded the righteous man h and rebelled against the Lord;
11for whoever despises wisdom and instruction is miserable.
and who has not devised wicked things against the Lord;
for special favor will be shown him for his faithfulness,
and a place of great delight in the temple of the Lord.
15For the fruit of good labors is renowned,
living,
and youth that is quickly perfected l will condemn the prolonged old age
of the unrighteous man.
17For they will see the end of the wise man,
and will not understand what the Lord purposed for him,
and for what he kept him safe.
18They will see, and will have contempt for him,
wind,
and like a light hoarfrost n driven away by a storm;
it is dispersed like smoke before the wind,
and it passes like the remembrance of a guest who stays but a day.
15But the righteous live for ever,
and creation will join with him to fight against the madmen.
21Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim,
and those who have been taught them will find a defense.
11Therefore set your desire on my words;
the peoples,
honor wisdom, that you may reign for ever.
22I will tell you what wisdom is and how she came to be,
to know the structure of the world and the activity of the elements;
18the beginning and end and middle of times,
she knows the things of old, and infers the things to come;
she understands turns of speech and the solutions of riddles;
she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders
and of the outcome of seasons and times.
9Therefore I determined to take her to live with me,
among the people I shall show myself capable, and courageous in war.
16When I enter my house, I shall find rest with her,
to me—
and it was a mark of insight to know whose gift she was—
so I appealed to the Lord and implored him,
and with my whole heart I said:
The Prayer of Solomon
9 “O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy,
who have made all things by your word,
2and by your wisdom have formed man,
confounded,
recognized the righteous man and preserved him blameless before God,
and kept him strong in the face of his compassion for his child.
6Wisdom w rescued a righteous man when the ungodly were perishing;
they learned how the ungodly were tormented when judged in wrath.
10For you tested them as a father does in warning,
the righteous c had received benefit, they perceived it was the Lord’s
doing.
14For though they had mockingly rejected him who long before had been
and like a drop of morning dew that falls upon the ground.
23But you are merciful to all, for you can do all things,
and you loathe none of the things which you have made,
for you would not have made anything if you had hated it.
25How would anything have endured if you had not willed it?
Or how would anything not called forth by you have been preserved?
26You spare all things, for they are yours, O Lord who love the living. *
though you were not unaware that their origin j was evil
and their wickedness inborn,
and that their way of thinking would never change.
11For they were an accursed race from the beginning,
and it was not through fear of any one that you left them unpunished for
their sins.
12For who will say, “What have you done?”
to whom you should prove that you have not judged unjustly;
14nor can any king or monarch confront you about those whom you have
punished.
15You are righteous and rule all things righteously,
power,
and rebuke any insolence among those who know it. l
18You who are sovereign in strength judge with mildness,
and with great forbearance you govern us;
for you have power to act whenever you choose.
19Through such works you have taught your people
to whose fathers you gave oaths and covenants full of good promises!
22So while chastening us you scourge our enemies ten thousand times
more,
so that we may meditate upon your goodness when we judge,
and when we are judged we may expect mercy.
23Therefore those who in folly of life lived unrighteously
be gods,
let them know how much better than these is their Lord,
for the author of beauty created them.
4And if men p were amazed at their power and working,
and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are
beautiful.
8Yet again, not even they are to be excused;
9for if they had the power to know so much
therefore men trust their lives even to the smallest piece of wood,
and passing through the billows on a raft they come safely to land.
6For even in the beginning, when arrogant giants were perishing,
the hope of the world took refuge on a raft,
and guided by your hand left to the world the seed of a new generation.
7For blessed is the wood by which righteousness comes.
8But the idol made with hands is accursed, and so is he who made it;
because he did the work, and the perishable thing was named a god.
9For equally hateful to God are the ungodly man and his ungodliness,
10for what was done will be punished together with him who did it.
11Therefore there will be a visitation also upon the heathen idols,
made an image of his child, who had been suddenly taken from him;
and he now honored as a god what was once a dead human being,
and handed on to his dependents secret rites and initiations.
16Then the ungodly custom, grown strong with time, was kept as a law,
lived at a distance,
they imagined their appearance far away,
and made a visible image of the king whom they honored,
so that by their zeal they might flatter the absent one as though present.
18Then the ambition of the craftsman impelled
even those who did not know the king to intensify their worship.
19For he, perhaps wishing to please his ruler,
God,
but they live in great strife due to ignorance,
and they call such great evils peace.
23For whether they kill children in their initiations, or celebrate secret
mysteries,
or hold frenzied revels with strange customs,
24they no longer keep either their lives or their marriages pure,
but they either treacherously kill one another, or grieve one another by
adultery,
25and all is a raging riot of blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption,
faithlessness, tumult, perjury,
26confusion over what is good, forgetfulness of favors,
but we will not sin, because we know that we are considered yours.
3For to know you is complete righteousness,
when he makes from earthy matter fragile vessels and graven images.
14But most foolish, and more miserable than an infant,
though these have neither the use of their eyes to see with,
nor nostrils with which to draw breath,
nor ears with which to hear,
nor fingers to feel with,
and their feet are of no use for walking.
16For a man made them,
which are worse than all others, when judged by their lack of
intelligence;
19and even as animals they are not so beautiful in appearance that one
come,
while to these it was merely shown how their enemies were being
tormented.
5For when the terrible rage of wild beasts came upon your people c
serpents,
for your mercy came to their help and healed them.
11To remind them of your oracles they were bitten,
you lead men down to the gates of Hades and back again.
14A man in his wickedness kills another,
so that it might not consume the creatures sent against the ungodly,
but that seeing this they might know
that they were being pursued by the judgment of God;
19and at another time even in the midst of water it burned more intensely
than fire,
to destroy the crops of the unrighteous land.
20Instead of these things you gave your people the food of angels,
and without their toil you supplied them from heaven with bread ready to
eat,
providing every pleasure and suited to every taste.
21For your sustenance manifested your sweetness toward your children;
and the bread, ministering e to the desire of the one who took it,
was changed to suit every one’s liking.
22Snow and ice withstood fire without melting,
power,
they themselves lay as captives of darkness and prisoners of long night,
shut in under their roofs, exiles from eternal providence.
3For thinking that in their secret sins they were unobserved
soul
were sick themselves with ridiculous fear.
9For even if nothing disturbing frightened them,
yet, scared by the passing of beasts and the hissing of serpents,
10they perished in trembling fear,
darkness,
those who had kept your sons imprisoned,
through whom the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the
world.
5When they had resolved to kill the infants of your holy ones,
so that they might rejoice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they
trusted.
7The deliverance of the righteous and the destruction of their enemies
and their piteous lament for their children was spread abroad.
11The slave was punished with the same penalty as the master,
and the common man suffered the same loss as the king;
12and they all together, by the one form of death,
had corpses too many to count.
For the living were not sufficient even to bury them,
since in one instant their most valued children had been destroyed.
13For though they had disbelieved everything because of their magic arts,
so that they might not perish without knowing why they suffered.
20The experience of death touched also the righteous,
and the glories of the fathers were engraved on the four rows of stones,
and your majesty on the diadem upon his head.
25To these the destroyer yielded, these he q feared;
former
for their hostile reception of the strangers;
16but the latter, after receiving them with festal celebrations,
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Sirach
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
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THE BOOK OF SIRACH
The Prologue
Whereas many great teachings have been given to us through the law and
the prophets and the others that followed them, on account of which we
should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom; and since it is necessary not
only that the readers themselves should acquire understanding but also that
those who love learning should be able to help the outsiders by both
speaking and writing, my grandfather Jesus, after devoting himself
especially to the reading of the law and the prophets and the other books of
our fathers, and after acquiring considerable proficiency in them, was
himself also led to write something pertaining to instruction and wisdom, in
order that, by becoming conversant with this also, those who love learning
should make even greater progress in living according to the law.
You are urged therefore to read with good will and attention, and to be
indulgenta in cases where, despite our diligent labor in translating, we may
seem to have rendered some phrases imperfectly. For what was originally
expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same sense when translated
into another language. Not only this work, but even the law itself, the
prophecies, and the rest of the books differ not a little as originally
expressed.
When I came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Euer'getes
and stayed for some time, I found opportunity for no little instruction.b It
seemed highly necessary that I should myself devote some pains and labor
to the translation of the following book, using in that period of time great
watchfulness and skill in order to complete and publish the book for those
living abroad who wished to gain learning, being prepared in character to
live according to the law.
In Praise of Wisdom
1 * All wisdom comes from the Lord
and is with him for ever.
2The sand of the sea, the drops of rain,
and the days of eternity—who can count them?
3The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth,
the abyss, and wisdom—who can search them out?
4Wisdom was created before all things,
the King greatly to be feared, sitting upon his throne, and ruling as
God.
9The Lord himself created wisdome in the holy spirit;
he saw her and apportioned her,
he poured her out upon all his works.
10She dwells with all flesh according to his gift,
and those who love him will be filled with the law.
17Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts,
for matters too great for human understanding have been shown you.
24For their hasty judgment has led many astray,
she will gladden him and will reveal her secrets to him,
and store up for him knowledge
and the discernment of what is right.
19But if he goes astray she will forsake him,
and until you are old you will keep finding wisdom.
19Come to her like one who plows and sows,
and wait for her good harvest.
For in her service you will toil a little while,
and soon you will eat of her produce.
20She seems very harsh to the uninstructed;
a weakling will not remain with her.
21She will weigh him down like a heavy testing stone,
and when you get hold of her, do not let her go.
28For at last you will find the rest she gives,
and when I make an offering to the Most High God he will accept it.”
10Do not be fainthearted in your prayer,
nor neglect to give alms.
11Do not ridicule a man who is bitter in soul,
and what can you give back to them that equals their gift to you?
29With all your soul fear the Lord,
remember that they will not be held guiltless as long as they live.
13Keep far from a man who has the power to kill,
and let all your discussion be about the law of the Most High.
16Let righteous men be your dinner companions,
and over it he will raise up the right man for the time.
5The success of a man is in the hands of the Lord,
and those who fear the Lord are worthy of honor in his eyes.n
22The rich, and the eminent, and the poor—
but none of them is greater than the man who fears the Lord.
25Free men will be at the service of a wise servant,
And who will honor the man that dishonors his own life?
30A poor man is honored for his knowledge,
commotion,
and will estrange you from your family.
Friends and Enemies
12 If you do a kindness, know to whom you do it,
and you will be thanked for your good deeds.
2Do good to a godly man, and you will be repaid—
if not by him, certainly by the Most High.
3No good will come to the man who persists in evil
and in his adversity even his friend will separate from him.
10Never trust your enemy,
and while pretending to help you, he will trip you by the heel;
18he will shake his head, and clap his hands,
and the man who made it will pass away with it.
20Blessed is the man who meditates onb wisdom
and like the wife of his youth she will welcome him.
3She will feed him with the bread of understanding,
creation,j
and when he made them, he determined their divisions.
27He arranged his works in an eternal order,
but granted them authority over the things upon the earth.n
4He placed the fear of themp in all flesh,
and he will keep a person’s kindness like the apple of his eye.
23Afterward he will arise and repay them,
ceased;
he who is alive and well sings the Lord’s praises.
29How great is the mercy of the Lord,
and let the law of the Most High take its course.g
20All wisdom is the fear of the Lord,
and a sensible man is known by his face, when you meet him.
30A man’s attire and open-mouthed laughter,
And the one who confesses his fault will be kept from loss.j
4Like a eunuch’s desire to violate a maiden
and there are men who have raised their heads from humble
circumstances.
12There is a man who buys much for a little,
and one who reviles a friend will break off the friendship.
21Even if you have drawn your sword against a friend,
she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the
Lord.
4Whether rich or poor, his heart is glad,
so you have let your neighbor go, and will not catch him again.
20Do not go after him, for he is too far off,
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and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
3Does a man harbor anger against another,
and yet seek for healing from the Lord?
4Does he have no mercy toward a man like himself,
get up in the middle of the meal, and you will have relief.
22Listen to me, my son, and do not disregard me,
and like a woman with labor pains the mind has fancies.
6Unless they are sent from the Most High as a visitation,
do not give your mind to them.
7For dreams have deceived many,
and those who put their hope in them have failed.
8Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled,
offering is blemished;r
the giftss of the lawless are not acceptable.
19The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly;
as she cries out against him who has caused them to fall?
16He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted,
and the life of the poor man weighs down his heart.
20Do not give your heart to sorrow;
drive it away, remembering the end of life.
21Do not forget, there is no coming back;
Samuels called men to witness before the Lord and his anointed:
“I have not taken any one’s property,
not so much as a pair of shoes.”
And no man accused him.
20Even after he had fallen asleep he prophesied
and may you not be put to shame when you praise him.
30Do your work before the appointed time,
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Isaiah
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66
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THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH
The Sinfulness of Judah
1 * The vision of Isai'ah the son of A'moz, which he saw concerning
Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzzi'ah, Jo'tham, A'haz, and Hezeki'ah,
kings of Judah.
2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the LORD has spoken:
“Sons have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib;
but Israel does not know,
my people does not understand.”
4Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
sons who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the LORD,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.
5Why will you still be struck down,
seek justice,
correct oppression;
defend the fatherless,
plead for the widow.
18“Come now, let us reason together,
by grinding the face of the poor?” says the Lord GOD of hosts.
16The LORD said:
amulets; 21the signet rings and nose rings; 22the festal robes, the mantles,
the cloaks, and the handbags; 23the garments of gauze, the linen garments,
the turbans, and the veils.
24Instead of perfume there will be rottenness;
every one who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4when the Lord shall
have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the
bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a
spirit of burning. 5Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount
Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of
a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy and a
pavilion. 6It will be for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a
shelter from the storm and rain.
The Parable of the Vineyard
5 * Let me sing for my beloved
a love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,
and the mountains quaked;
and their corpses were as refuse
in the midst of the streets.
For all this his anger is not turned away
and his hand is stretched out still.
26He will raise a signal for a nation afar off,
called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I
am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
6 Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal
which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth,
and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and
your sin forgiven.” 8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall
I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9And
he said, “Go, and say to this people:
‘Hear and hear, but do not understand;
see and see, but do not perceive.’
10Make the heart of this people fat,
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without men,
and the land is utterly desolate,
12and the LORD removes men far away,
and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13And though a tenth remain in it,
heart and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake
before the wind.
3 And the LORD said to Isai'ah, “Go forth to meet A'haz, you and
She'arjash''ub h your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the
highway to the Fuller’s Field, 4and say to him, ‘Take heed, be quiet, do not
fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering
stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Re'zin and Syria and the son of
Remali'ah. 5Because Syria, with E'phraim and the son of Remali'ah, has
devised evil against you, saying, 6“Let us go up against Judah and terrify it,
and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Ta'be-el as king in
the midst of it,” 7thus says the Lord GOD:
It shall not stand,
and it shall not come to pass.
8For the head of Syria is Damascus,
father’s house such days as have not come since the day that E'phraim
departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”
18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly which is at the sources of
the streams of Egypt, and for the bee which is in the land of Assyria. 19And
they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the
rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.
20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor which is hired beyond the
River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it
will sweep away the beard also.
21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; 22and
because of the abundance of milk which they give, he will eat curds; for
every one that is left in the land will eat curds and honey.
23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth
a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24With bow and
arrows men will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns; 25and
as for all the hills which used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come
there for fear of briers and thorns; but they will become a place where cattle
are let loose and where sheep tread.
Isaiah’s Son a Sign of Assyrian Invasion
8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write upon it in
common characters, ‘Belonging to Ma'her-shal'al-hash''-baz.’ ” l 2And I got
reliable witnesses, Uri'ah the priest and Zechari'ah the son of Jeberechi'ah,
to attest for me. 3And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore
a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Ma'her-shal'al-hash''-baz;
4for before the child knows how to cry ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the
wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samar'ia will be carried away before
the king of Assyria.”
5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6“Because this people have refused the
waters of Shilo'ah that flow gently, and melt in fear before m Re'zin and the
son of Remali'ah; 7therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them
the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his
glory; and it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks; 8and it
will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the
neck; and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Imman'u-
el.”
9Be broken, you peoples, and be dismayed;
to us a son is given;
and the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called
“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” *
7Of the increase of his government and of peace
Listen, O La'ishah!
Answer her, O An'athoth!
31Madme'nah is in flight,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9They shall not hurt or destroy
west,
and together they shall plunder the people of the east.
They shall put forth their hand against E'dom and Moab,
and the Am'monites shall obey them.
15And the LORD will utterly destroy
as of a great multitude!
Listen, an uproar of kingdoms,
of nations gathering together!
The LORD of hosts is mustering
a host for battle.
5They come from a distant land,
14 The LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose
Israel, and will set them in their own land, and strangers will join them and
will cling to the house of Jacob. 2And the peoples will take them and bring
them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD’s
land as male and female slaves; they will take captive those who were their
captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.
3 When the LORD has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the
hard service with which you were made to serve, 4you will take up this
taunt against the king of Babylon:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
the insolent fury y ceased!
5The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked,
will sweep it with the broom of destruction, says the LORD of hosts.”
24The LORD of hosts has sworn:
are a desolation;
the grass is withered, the new growth fails,
the verdure is no more.
7Therefore the abundance they have gained
grant justice;
make your shade like night
at the height of noon;
hide the outcasts,
betray not the fugitive;
4let the outcasts of Moab
glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great
multitude, and those who survive will be very few and feeble.”
An Oracle concerning Damascus
17 An oracle concerning Damascus.
Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city,
and will become a heap of ruins.
2Her cities will be deserted for ever;e
they will be for flocks,
which will lie down, and none will make them afraid.
3The fortress will disappear from E'phraim,
but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away,
chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind
and whirling dust before the storm.
14At evening time, behold, terror!
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7 At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of hosts
from a people tall and smooth,
from a people feared near and far,
a nation mighty and conquering,
whose land the rivers divide,
to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the LORD of hosts.
An Oracle concerning Egypt
19 An oracle concerning Egypt.
Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud
and comes to Egypt;
and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence,
and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.
2And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians,
and they will fight, every man against his brother
and every man against his neighbor,
city against city, kingdom against kingdom;
3and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out,
and I will confound their plans;
and they will consult the idols and the sorcerers,
and the mediums and the wizards;
4and I will give over the Egyptians
into the hand of a hard master;
and a fierce king will rule over them,
says the Lord, the LORD of hosts.
5And the waters of the Nile will be dried up,
and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up,
reeds and rushes will rot away.
7There will be bare places by the Nile,
horsemen in pairs!”
And he answered,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
and all the images of her gods
he has shattered to the ground.”
10O my threshed and winnowed one,
what I have heard from the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel, I announce to you.
11The oracle concerning Du'mah.
In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, 9and
you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many, and you collected
the waters of the lower pool, 10and you counted the houses of Jerusalem,
and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. 11You made a reservoir
between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to
him who did it, or have regard for him who planned it long ago.
12In that day the Lord GOD of hosts
O daughter of Tar'shish;
there is no restraint any more.
11He has stretched out his hand over the sea,
return to her hire, and will play the harlot with all the kingdoms of the
world upon the face of the earth. 18Her merchandise and her hire will be
dedicated to the LORD; it will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise
will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who dwell before the
LORD.
Impending Judgment on the Earth
24 Behold, the LORD will lay waste the earth and make it desolate,
and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
2And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;
over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.
15Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD;
in the islands of the sea, to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
16From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
as prisoners in a pit;
they will be shut up in a prison,
and after many days they will be punished.
23Then the moon will be confounded,
he removed them with his fierce blast in the day of the east wind.
9Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be expiated,
and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:
when he makes all the stones of the altars
like chalkstones crushed to pieces,
no Ashe'rim or incense altars will remain standing.
10For the fortified city is solitary,
and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.
7These also reel with wine
“This is rest;
give rest to the weary;
and this is repose”;
yet they would not hear.
13Therefore the word of the LORD will be to them
he is wonderful in counsel,
and excellent in wisdom.
The Siege of Jerusalem
29 Ho Ar'iel, Ariel,
the city where David encamped!
Add year to year;
let the feasts run their round.
2Yet I will distress Ar'iel,
and there shall be moaning and lamentation,
and she shall be to me like an Ariel.
3And I will encamp against you round about,
all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her,
shall be like a dream, a vision of the night.
8As when a hungry man dreams he is eating
and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
20For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease,
lying sons,
sons who will not hear
the instruction of the LORD;
10who say to the seers, “See not”;
which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25And upon every lofty
mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the
day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26Moreover the light of the
moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be
sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the
hurt of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.
27Behold, the name of the LORD comes from far,
and the tongue of the stammerers will speak readily and distinctly.
5The fool will no more be called noble,
who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.
A Prophecy of Deliverance: The Lord, the Majestic King
33 Woe to you, destroyer,
who yourself have not been destroyed;
you treacherous one,
with whom none has dealt treacherously!
When you have ceased to destroy,
you will be destroyed;
and when you have made an end of dealing treacherously,
you will be dealt with treacherously.
2O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
able to deliver you. 15Do not let Hezeki'ah make you rely on the LORD by
saying, “The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the
hand of the king of Assyria.” 16Do not listen to Hezeki'ah; for thus says the
king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me; then every
one of you will eat of his own vine, and every one of his own fig tree, and
every one of you will drink the water of his own cistern; 17until I come and
take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land
of bread and vineyards. 18Beware lest Hezeki'ah mislead you by saying,
“The LORD will deliver us.” Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his
land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 19Where are the gods of
Ha'math and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharva'im? Have they
delivered Samar'ia out of my hand? 20Who among all the gods of these
countries have delivered their countries out of my hand, that the LORD
should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’ ”
21 But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s
command was, “Do not answer him.” 22Then Eli'akim the son of Hilki'ah,
who was over the household, and Sheb'na the secretary, and Jo'ah the son of
A'saph, the recorder, came to Hezeki'ah with their clothes torn, and told him
the words of the Rab'shakeh.
Hezekiah Consults Isaiah
37 When King Hezeki'ah heard it, he tore his clothes, and covered
himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. 2And he sent
Eli'akim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the
senior priests, clothed with sackcloth, to the prophet Isai'ah the son of
A'moz. 3They said to him, “Thus says Hezeki'ah, ‘This day is a day of
distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the birth, and
there is no strength to bring them forth. 4It may be that the LORD your God
heard the words of the Rab'shakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria
has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD
your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is
left.’ ”
5 When the servants of King Hezeki'ah came to Isai'ah, 6Isai'ah said to
them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because
of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of
Assyria have reviled me. 7Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall
hear a rumor, and return to his own land; and I will make him fall by the
sword in his own land.’ ”
8 The Rab'shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting
against Libnah; for he had heard that the king had left La'chish. 9Now the
king heard concerning Tirha'kah king of Ethiopia, “He has set out to fight
against you.” And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezeki'ah,
saying, 10“Thus shall you speak to Hezeki'ah king of Judah: ‘Do not let
your God on whom you rely deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will
not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11Behold, you have heard
what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, destroying them utterly.
And shall you be delivered? 12Have the gods of the nations delivered them,
the nations which my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the
people of Eden who were in Telas'sar? 13Where is the king of Ha'math, the
king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharva'im, the king of He'na, or the
king of Ivvah?’ ”
Hezekiah’s Prayer
14 Hezeki'ah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read
it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the
LORD. 15And Hezeki'ah prayed to the LORD: 16 “O LORD of hosts, God of
Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone,
of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 17Incline
your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all
the words of Sennach'erib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 18Of a
truth, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their
lands, 19and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the
work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they were destroyed. 20So
now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the
earth may know that you alone are the LORD.”
21 Then Isai'ah the son of A'moz sent to Hezeki'ah, saying, “Thus says
the LORD, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning
Sennach'erib king of Assyria, 22this is the word that the LORD has spoken
concerning him:
‘She despises you, she scorns you—
the virgin daughter of Zion;
she wags her head behind you—
the daughter of Jerusalem.
23‘Whom have you mocked and reviled?
my servant David.”
Sennacherib’s Defeat and Death
36 And the angel of the LORD went forth, and slew a hundred and eighty-
five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in
the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 37Then Sennach'erib king
of Assyria departed, and went home and dwelt at Nin'eveh. 38And as he was
worshiping in the house of Nis'roch his god, Adram'melech and Share'zer,
his sons, slew him with the sword, and escaped into the land of Ar'arat. And
E'sar-had'don his son reigned in his stead.
Hezekiah’s Sickness
38 In those days Hezeki'ah became sick and was at the point of death.
And Isai'ah the prophet the son of A'moz came to him, and said to him,
“Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order; for you shall die, you shall
not recover.” 2Then Hezeki'ah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the
LORD, 3and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech you, how I have
walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done
what is good in your sight.” And Hezeki'ah wept bitterly. 4Then the word of
the LORD came to Isai'ah: 5“Go and say to Hezeki'ah, Thus says the LORD,
the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your
tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6I will deliver you and
this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and defend this city.
7 “This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing
that he has promised: 8Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining
sun on the dial of A'haz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the
dial the ten steps by which it had declined. f
9 A writing of Hezeki'ah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had
recovered from his sickness:
10I said, In the noontide of my days
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I must depart;
I am consigned to the gates of Sheol
for the rest of my years.
11I said, I shall not see the LORD
and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.
8But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
9you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
10fear not, for I am with you,
what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
that we may consider them,
that we may know their outcome;
or declare to us the things to come.
23Tell us what is to come hereafter,
who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
Jesh'urun whom I have chosen.
3For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
men; let them all assemble, let them stand forth, they shall be terrified, they
shall be put to shame together.
12 The ironsmith fashions it b and works it over the coals; he shapes it
with hammers, and forges it with his strong arm; he becomes hungry and
his strength fails, he drinks no water and is faint. 13The carpenter stretches a
line, he marks it out with a pencil; he fashions it with planes, and marks it
with a compass; he shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a
man, to dwell in a house. 14He cuts down cedars; or he chooses a holm tree
or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest; he plants a
cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15Then it becomes fuel for a man; he takes a
part of it and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread; also he
makes a god and worships it, he makes it a graven image and falls down
before it. 16Half of it he burns in the fire; over the half he eats flesh, he
roasts meat and is satisfied; also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am
warm, I have seen the fire!” 17And the rest of it he makes into a god, his
idol; and falls down to it and worships it; he prays to it and says, “Deliver
me, for you are my god!”
Israel Is Not Forgotten
18 They know not, nor do they discern; for he has shut their eyes, so that
they cannot see, and their minds, so that they cannot understand. 19No one
considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned
in the fire, I also baked bread on its coals, I roasted flesh and have eaten;
and shall I make the residue of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a
block of wood?” 20He feeds on ashes; a deluded mind has led him astray,
and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
21Remember these things, O Jacob,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek me in chaos.’
I the LORD speak the truth,
I declare what is right.
20“Assemble yourselves and come,
I profaned my heritage;
I gave them into your hand,
you showed them no mercy;
on the aged you made your yoke
exceedingly heavy.
7You said, “I shall be mistress for ever,”
and behold, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Sye'ne.” l
13Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.
Then all flesh shall know
that I am the LORD your Savior,
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
The Sufferings of the Servant
50 Thus says the LORD:
“Where is your mother’s bill of divorce,
with which I put her away?
Or which of my creditors is it
to whom I have sold you?
Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,
and for your transgressions your mother was put away.
2Why, when I came, was there no man?
When I called, was there no one to answer?
Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to deliver?
Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,
I make the rivers a desert;
their fish stink for lack of water,
and die of thirst.
3I clothe the heavens with blackness,
O captive r Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says the LORD: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be
redeemed without money. 4For thus says the Lord GOD: My people went
down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed
them for nothing. 5Now therefore what have I here, says the LORD, seeing
that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail, says the
LORD, and continually all the day my name is despised. 6Therefore my
people shall know my name; therefore in that day they shall know that it is I
who speak; here am I.”
7How beautiful upon the mountains
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15If any one stirs up strife,
and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD
and their vindication from me, says the LORD.”
An Invitation to Abundant Life
55 “Ho, every one who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Injustice and Oppression to Be Punished
59 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
3For your hands are defiled with blood
spirit which is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth,
shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your children, or
out of the mouth of your children’s children, says the LORD, from this time
forth and for evermore.”
The Lord Will Come as a Light and Will Gather His People
60 Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3And nations shall walk by your light,
and your garments like his who treads in the wine press?
3“I have trodden the wine press alone,
to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
following their own devices;
3a people who provoke me
to my face continually,
sacrificing in gardens
and burning incense upon bricks;
4who sit in tombs,
the nations, to Tar'shish, Put,g and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tu'bal and
Ja'van, to the islands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my
glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20And they shall
bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, upon
horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon
dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the
sons of Israel bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the
LORD. 21And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says
the LORD.
22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth
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Jeremiah
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
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THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH
Introduction
1* The words of Jeremi'ah, the son of Hilki'ah, of the priests who were
in An'athoth in the land of Benjamin, 2to whom the word of the LORD came
in the days of Josi'ah the son of A'mon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year
of his reign. 3It came also in the days of Jehoi'akim the son of Josi'ah, king
of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedeki'ah, the son of
Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
Jeremiah’s Call and Commission
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
the inhabitants of the land. 15For, behold, I am calling all the tribes of the
kingdoms of the north, says the LORD; and they shall come and every one
shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its
walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah. 16And I will utter my
judgments against them, for all their wickedness in forsaking me; they have
burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.
17But you, gird up your loins; arise, and say to them everything that I
command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.
18And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and
bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its princes,
its priests, and the people of the land. 19They will fight against you; but they
shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver
you.”
Israel’s Apostasy
2 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2“Go and proclaim in the
hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the LORD,
I remember the devotion of your youth,
your love as a bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land not sown.
3Israel was holy to the LORD,
to seek lovers!
So that even to wicked women
you have taught your ways.
34Also on your skirts is found
the lifeblood of guiltless poor;
you did not find them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all these things
35you say, ‘I am innocent;
announce to Jerusalem,
“Besiegers come from a distant land;
they shout against the cities of Judah.
17Like keepers of a field they are against her round about,
because she has rebelled against me,
says the LORD.
18Your ways and your doings
doings, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4Do not trust in these
deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD,
the temple of the LORD.’ *
5 “For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly
execute justice one with another, 6if you do not oppress the alien, the
fatherless or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do
not go after other gods to your own hurt, 7then I will let you dwell in this
place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers for ever.
8 “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 9Will you steal,
murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Ba'al, and go after
other gods that you have not known, 10and then come and stand before me
in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—
only to go on doing all these abominations? 11Has this house, which is
called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself
have seen it, says the LORD. 12Go now to my place that was in Shiloh,
where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it for the
wickedness of my people Israel. 13And now, because you have done all
these things, says the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did
not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, 14therefore I will do
to the house which is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the
place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 15And I
will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring
of E'phraim.
The People’s Disobedience
16 “As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up cry or prayer for
them, and do not intercede with me, for I do not hear you. 17Do you not see
what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
18The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead
dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink
offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 19Is it I whom they
provoke? says the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own confusion?
20Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, my anger and my wrath will
be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field
and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.”
21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt
offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. 22For in the day that I brought
them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command
them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23But this command I gave
them, ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people;
and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’
24But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own
counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and
not forward. 25From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt
to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day
after day; 26yet they did not listen to me, or incline their ear, but stiffened
their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
27 “So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to
you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. 28And you shall
say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their
God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their
lips.
29Cut off your hair and cast it away;
family in all the places where I have driven them, says the LORD of hosts.
4“You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD:
When men fall, do they not rise again?
If one turns away, does he not return?
5Why then has this people turned away
in perpetual backsliding?
They hold fast to deceit,
they refuse to return.
6I have given heed and listened,
it speaks deceitfully;
with his mouth each speaks peaceably to his neighbor,
but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.
9Shall I not punish them for these things? says the LORD;
a lair of jackals;
and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,
without inhabitant.”
12 Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the
mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined
and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? 13And the
LORD says: “Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them,
and have not obeyed my voice, or walked in accord with it, 14but have
stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Ba'als, as their
fathers taught them. 15Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with wormwood, and give them
poisonous water to drink. 16I will scatter them among the nations whom
neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send the sword after
them, until I have consumed them.”
17Thus says the LORD of hosts:
that I am the LORD who practice steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in
the earth; for in these things I delight, says the LORD.” *
25 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will punish all
those who are circumcised but yet uncircumcised— 26Egypt, Judah, E'dom,
the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert that cut the
corners of their hair; for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the
house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.”
Idolatry Has Brought Ruin on Israel
10 Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2Thus says the LORD:
“Learn not the way of the nations,
nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens
because the nations are dismayed at them,
3for the customs of the peoples are false.
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
14Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
My wound is grievous.
But I said, “Truly this is an affliction,
and I must bear it.”
20My tent is destroyed,
11 The word that came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD: 2“Hear the words of
this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem. 3You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
Cursed be the man who does not heed the words of this covenant 4which I
commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt,
from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I
command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, 5that I
may perform the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land
flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.” Then I answered, “So be it,
LORD.”
6 And the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of
Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and
do them. 7For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out
of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying,
Obey my voice. 8Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but every one
walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them
all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did
not.”
9 Again the LORD said to me, “There is revolt among the men of Judah
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They have turned back to the iniquities
of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; they have gone after
other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have
broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. 11Therefore, thus says
the LORD, Behold, I am bringing evil upon them which they cannot escape;
though they cry to me, I will not listen to them. 12Then the cities of Judah
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they
burn incense, but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble. 13For
your gods have become as many as your cities, O Judah; and as many as the
streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame, altars to burn
incense to Ba'al.
14 “Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on
their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their
trouble. 15What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done vile
deeds? Can vowst and sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then
exult? 16The LORD once called you, ‘A green olive tree, fair with excellent
fruit’; but with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its
branches will be consumed. 17The LORD of hosts, who planted you, has
pronounced evil against you, because of the evil which the house of Israel
and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by burning
incense to Ba'al.”
18The LORD made it known to me and I knew;
sword to slay, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the
earth to devour and destroy. 4And I will make them a horror to all the
kingdoms of the earth because of what Manas'seh the son of Hezeki'ah,
king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.
5“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,
all your sins, throughout all your territory. 14I will make you serve your
enemies in a land which you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled
which shall burn for ever.”
15O LORD, you know;
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
Will you be to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail?
19Therefore thus says the LORD:
offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into
my mind; 6therefore, behold, days are coming, says the LORD, when this
place shall no more be called To'pheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom,
but the valley of Slaughter. 7And in this place I will make void the plans of
Judah and Jerusalem, and will cause their people to fall by the sword before
their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their life. I will give their
dead bodies for food to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the earth.
8And I will make this city a horror, a thing to be hissed at; every one who
passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters. 9And I
will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and every one
shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which
their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.’
10 “Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with
you, 11and shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: So will I break
this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, so that it can never
be mended. Men shall bury in To'pheth because there will be no place else
to bury. 12Thus will I do to this place, says the LORD, and to its inhabitants,
making this city like To'pheth. 13The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of
the kings of Judah—all the houses upon whose roofs incense has been
burned to all the host of heaven, and drink offerings have been poured out
to other gods—shall be defiled like the place of To'pheth.’ ”
14 Then Jeremi'ah came from To'pheth, where the LORD had sent him to
prophesy, and he stood in the court of the LORD’s house, and said to all the
people: 15“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I am
bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the evil that I have
pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to
hear my words.”
Jeremiah Is Persecuted by Pashhur and Complains to God
20 Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Im'mer, who was chief officer in
the house of the LORD, heard Jeremi'ah prophesying these things. 2Then
Pashhur beat Jeremi'ah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in
the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the LORD. 3On the next day, when
Pashhur released Jeremi'ah from the stocks, Jeremi'ah said to him, “The
LORD does not call your name Pashhur, but Terror on every side. 4For thus
says the LORD: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your
friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on.
And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he shall
carry them captive to Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
5Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized
belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their
enemies, who shall plunder them, and seize them, and carry them to
Babylon. 6And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into
captivity; to Babylon you shall go; and there you shall die, and there you
shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied
falsely.”
7O LORD, you have deceived me,
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let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
13Sing to the LORD;
those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king
of Babylon and into the hand of the Chalde'ans. 26I will hurl you and the
mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and
there you shall die. 27But to the land to which they will long to return, there
they shall not return.”
28Is this man Coni'ah a despised, broken pot,
land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and
not uproot them. 7I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD; and
they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me
with their whole heart.
8“But thus says the LORD: Like the bad figs which are so bad they cannot
be eaten, so will I treat Zedeki'ah the king of Judah, his princes, the remnant
of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of
Egypt. 9I will make them a horrorp to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a
reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive
them. 10And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they
shall be utterly destroyed from the land which I gave to them and their
fathers.”
The Babylonian Captivity Foretold
25 The word that came to Jeremi'ah concern- ing all the people of Judah,
in the fourth year of Jehoi'akim the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah (that was
the first year of Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon), 2which Jeremi'ah the
prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of
Jerusalem: 3“For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josi'ah the
son of A'mon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to
me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. 4You
have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD
persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, 5saying, ‘Turn now,
every one of you, from his evil way and wrong doings, and dwell upon the
land which the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and for
ever; 6do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me
to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ 7Yet
you have not listened to me, says the LORD, that you might provoke me to
anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.
8 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed
my words, 9behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, says the LORD,
and for Nebuchadrez'zar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring
them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these nations
round about; I will utterly destroy them, and make them a horror, a hissing,
and an everlasting reproach.q 10Moreover, I will banish from them the voice
of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the
voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
11This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall
serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12Then after seventy years are
completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the
Chalde'ans, for their iniquity, says the LORD, making the land an everlasting
waste. 13I will bring upon that land all the words which I have uttered
against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremi'ah prophesied
against all the nations. 14For many nations and great kings shall make
slaves even of them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds
and the work of their hands.”
The Cup of the Lord’s Wrath
15 Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this
cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you
drink it. 16They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword
which I am sending among them.”
17 So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to
whom the Lord sent me drink it: 18Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its
kings and princes, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a
curse, as at this day; 19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, all
his people, 20and all the foreign folk among them; all the kings of the land
of Uz and all the kings of the land of the Philis'tines (Ash'kelon, Gaza,
Ek'ron, and the remnant of Ash'dod); 21E'dom, Moab, and the sons of
Ammon; 22all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the
islands across the sea; 23De'dan, Te'ma, Buz, and all who cut the corners of
their hair; 24all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed tribes that
dwell in the desert; 25all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of E'lam, and all
the kings of Med'ia; 26all the kings of the north, far and near, one after
another, and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the
earth. And after them the king of Babylonr shall drink.
27 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel: Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of the
sword which I am sending among you.’
28 “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then
you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink! 29For
behold, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name, and
shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am
summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, says the LORD
of hosts.’
30 “You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say
to them:
‘The LORD will roar from on high,
and from his holy habitation utter his voice;
he will roar mightily against his fold,
and shout, like those who tread grapes,
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
27 In the beginning of the reign of Zede- ki'ahu the son of Josi'ah, king
of Judah, this word came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD. 2Thus the LORD said
to me: “Make yourself thongs and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck.
3Send wordv to the king of E'dom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of
Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Si'don by the hand of the envoys
who have come to Jerusalem to Zedeki'ah king of Judah. 4Give them this
charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
This is what you shall say to your masters: 5“It is I who by my great power
and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals
that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6Now I
have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnez'zar, the king of
Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to
serve him. 7All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson,
until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings
shall make him their slave.
8 “ ‘ “But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnez'zar
king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I
will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence,
says the LORD, until I have consumed it by his hand. 9So do not listen to
your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers,w your soothsayers, or your
sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’
10For it is a lie which they are prophesying to you, with the result that you
will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will
perish. 11But any nation which will bring its neck under the yoke of the king
of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to till it and dwell
there, says the LORD.” ’ ”
12 To Zedeki'ah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: “Bring your necks
under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and
live. 13Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by
pestilence, as the LORD has spoken concerning any nation which will not
serve the king of Babylon? 14Do not listen to the words of the prophets who
are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for it is a lie
which they are prophesying to you. 15I have not sent them, says the LORD,
but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive
you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to
you.”
16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says
the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying
to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house will now shortly
be brought back from Babylon,’ for it is a lie which they are prophesying to
you. 17Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why
should this city become a desolation? 18If they are prophets, and if the word
of the LORD is with them, then let them intercede with the LORD of hosts,
that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the
king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. 19For thus says the
LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, the sea, the stands, and the rest of the
vessels which are left in this city, 20which Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon
did not take away, when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon
Jeconi'ah the son of Jehoi'akim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah
and Jerusalem— 21thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,
concerning the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, in the house
of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22They shall be carried to Babylon
and remain there until the day when I give attention to them, says the LORD.
Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”
Hananiah’s False Prophecy
28 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedeki'ah king of
Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hanani'ah the son of Azzur, the
prophet from Gib'eon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence
of the priests and all the people, saying, 2“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the
God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3Within two
years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house,
which Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon took away from this place and
carried to Babylon. 4I will also bring back to this place Jeconi'ah the son of
Jehoi'akim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to
Babylon, says the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
5 Then the prophet Jeremi'ah spoke to Hanani'ah the prophet in the
presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of
the LORD; 6and the prophet Jeremi'ah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so;
may the LORD make the words which you have prophesied come true, and
bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD,
and all the exiles. 7Yet hear now this word which I speak in your hearing
and in the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you and
me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many
countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace,
when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the
LORD has truly sent the prophet.”
10 Then the prophet Hanani'ah took the yoke-bars from the neck of
Jeremi'ah the prophet, and broke them. 11And Hanani'ah spoke in the
presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Even so will I
break the yoke of Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon from the neck of all the
nations within two years.” But Jeremi'ah the prophet went his way.
12 Sometime after the prophet Hanani'ah had broken the yoke-bars from
off the neck of Jeremi'ah the prophet, the word of the LORD came to
Jeremi'ah: 13“Go, tell Hanani'ah, ‘Thus says the LORD: You have broken
wooden bars, but Ix will make in their place bars of iron. 14For thus says the
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these
nations an iron yoke of servitude to Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon, and
they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’ ”
15And Jeremi'ah the prophet said to the prophet Hanani'ah, “Listen,
Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust
in a lie. 16Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will remove you from
the face of the earth. This very year you shall die, because you have uttered
rebellion against the LORD.’ ”
17 In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hanani'ah died.
Jeremiah’s Letters to the Exiles in Babylon
29 These are the words of the letter which Jeremi'ah the prophet sent
from Jerusalem to the eldersy of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets,
and all the people, whom Nebuchadnez'zar had taken into exile from
Jerusalem to Babylon. 2This was after King Jeconi'ah, and the queen
mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and
the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. 3The letter was sent by the hand of
Ela'sah the son of Sha'phan and Gemari'ah the son of Hilki'ah, whom
Zedeki'ah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnez'zar king of
Babylon. It said: 4“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the
exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5Build
houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6Take wives
and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your
daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply
there, and do not decrease. 7But seek the welfare of the city where I have
sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you
will find your welfare. 8For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you,
and do not listen to the dreams which they dream,z 9for it is a lie which they
are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD.
10 “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for
Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you
back to this place. 11For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD,
plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then
you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13You
will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, 14I will be
found by you, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather
you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the
LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into
exile.
15 “Because you have said, ‘The LORD has raised up prophets for us in
Babylon,’— 16Thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the
throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your
kinsmen who did not go out with you into exile: 17‘Thus says the LORD of
hosts, Behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I
will make them like vile figs which are so bad they cannot be eaten. 18I will
pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a
horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and
a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19because they
did not heed my words, says the LORD, which I persistently sent to you by
my servants the prophets, but you would not listen, says the LORD.’—
20Hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I sent away from
Jerusalem to Babylon: 21‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,
concerning A'hab the son of Kolai'ah and Zedeki'ah the son of Ma-asei'ah,
who are prophesying a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them
into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them
before your eyes. 22Because of them this curse shall be used by all the
exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The LORD make you like Zedeki'ah and
A'hab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” 23because they have
committed folly in Israel, they have committed adultery with their
neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words which I
did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, says the
LORD.’ ”
24 To Shemai'ah of Nehel'am you shall say: 25 “Thus says the LORD of
hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people
who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephani'ah the son of Ma-asei'ah the priest,
and to all the priests, saying, 26‘The LORD has made you priest instead of
Jehoi'ada the priest, to have charge in the house of the LORD over every
madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and collar. 27Now why
have you not rebuked Jeremi'ah of An'athoth who is prophesying to you?
28For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, “Your exile will be long; build
houses and live in them, and plant gardens and eat their produce.” ’ ”
29 Zephani'ah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremi'ah the
prophet. 30Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremi'ah: 31“Send to all the
exiles, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD concerning Shemai'ah of Nehel'am:
Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you when I did not send him, and has
made you trust in a lie, 32therefore thus says the LORD: Behold, I will
punish Shemai'ah of Nehel'am and his descendants; he shall not have any
one living among this people to seea the good that I will do to my people,
says the LORD, for he has talked rebellion against the LORD.’ ”
Hope for the Restoration of Israel
30 The word that came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD: 2“Thus says the
LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to
you. 3For behold, days are coming, says the LORD, when I will restore the
fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring
them back to the land which I gave to their fathers, and they shall take
possession of it.”
4 These are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and
Judah:
5“Thus says the LORD:
and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
those who despoil you shall become a spoil,
and all who prey on you I will make a prey.
17For I will restore health to you,
O virgin Israel!
Again you shall adorn yourself with timbrels,
and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
5Again you shall plant vineyards
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
12They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
O faithless daughter?
For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth:
a woman protects a man.”
23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall
use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their
fortunes:
‘The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness,
O holy hill!’
24And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers
and those who wanderf with their flocks. 25For I will satisfy the weary soul,
and every languishing soul I will replenish.”
26 Thereupon I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.
Individual Responsibility for Conduct
27 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will sow the
house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of
beast. 28And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck
up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch
over them to build and to plant, says the LORD. 29In those days they shall no
longer say:
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30But every one shall die for his own sin; each man who eats sour grapes,
his teeth shall be set on edge.
A New Covenant Promised
31 * “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a
new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32not like the
covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to
bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, and I
showed myself their Master, says the LORD. 33But this is the covenant
which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I
will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will
be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And no longer shall each man
teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they
shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for
I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
35Thus says the LORD,
Jeremi'ah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard which was in the
palace of the king of Judah. 3For Zedeki'ah king of Judah had imprisoned
him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold,
I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take
it; 4Zedeki'ah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the
Chalde'ans, but shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon,
and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye; 5and he shall
take Zedeki'ah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, says
the LORD; though you fight against the Chalde'ans, you shall not succeed’?”
6 Jeremi'ah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: 7Behold, Han'amel
the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field
which is at An'athoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’
8Then Han'amel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in
accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field which
is at An'athoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and
redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the
word of the LORD.
9 “And I bought the field at An'athoth from Han'amel my cousin, and
weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10I signed the
deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. 11Then I
took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions, and
the open copy; 12and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of
Neri'ah son of Mah'seiah, in the presence of Han'amel my cousin, in the
presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the
presence of all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13I
charged Baruch in their presence, saying, 14‘Thus says the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and
this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last
for a long time. 15For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses
and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’
God’s Assurance of the People’s Return
16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neri'ah, I
prayed to the LORD, saying: 17‘Ah Lord GOD! It is you who have made the
heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm!
Nothing is too hard for you, 18who show mercy to thousands, but repay the
guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God whose
name is the LORD of hosts, 19great in counsel and mighty in deed; whose
eyes are open to all the ways of men, rewarding every man according to his
ways and according to the fruit of his doings; 20who have shown signs and
wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all
mankind, and have made you a name, as at this day. 21You brought your
people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong
hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror; 22and you gave them this
land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with
milk and honey; 23and they entered and took possession of it. But they did
not obey your voice or walk in your law; they did nothing of all you
commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this evil come upon
them. 24Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and
because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands
of the Chalde'ans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to
pass, and behold, you see it. 25Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy
the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the
hands of the Chalde'ans.’ ”
26 The word of the LORD came to Jeremi'ah: 27“Behold, I am the LORD,
the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me? 28Therefore, thus says the
LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chalde'ans and
into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon, and he shall take it.
29The Chalde'ans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this
city on fire, and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs incense has been
offered to Ba'al and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to
provoke me to anger. 30For the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have
done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; the sons of Israel have
done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, says the
LORD. 31This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built
to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight 32because of all the evil of
the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they did to provoke me to
anger—their kings and their princes, their priests and their prophets, the
men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33They have turned to me
their back and not their face; and though I have taught them persistently
they have not listened to receive instruction. 34They set up their
abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. 35They
built the high places of Ba'al in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to offer up
their sons and daughters to Mo'lech, though I did not command them, nor
did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause
Judah to sin.
36 “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this
city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by
sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37Behold, I will gather them from all
the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great
indignation; I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell
in safety. 38And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39I will
give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for their
own good and the good of their children after them. 40I will make with them
an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them;
and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.
41I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in
of men whom I shall strike in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my
face from this city because of all their wickedness. 6Behold, I will bring to
it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundancej of
prosperity and security. 7I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes
of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. 8I will cleanse them from
all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin
and rebellion against me. 9And this cityk shall be to me a name of joy, a
praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the
good that I do for them; they shall fear and tremble because of all the good
and all the prosperity I provide for it.
10 “Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste
without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem
that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard
again 11the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the
bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they
bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD:
‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
for the LORD is good,
for his mercy endures for ever!’
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD.
12 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place which is waste, without
man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of
shepherds resting their flocks. 13In the cities of the hill country, in the cities
of the Shephe'lah, and in the cities of the Neg'eb, in the land of Benjamin,
the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again
pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.
14 “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfil the
promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15In those
days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for
David; * and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16In
those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this
is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
17 “For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the
throne of the house of Israel, 18and the Levitical priests shall never lack a
man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn cereal offerings, and to
make sacrifices for ever.”
19 The word of the LORD came to Jeremi'ah: 20“Thus says the LORD: If
you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so
that day and night will not come at their appointed time, 21then also my
covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a
son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my
ministers. 22As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the
sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David my
servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”
23 The word of the LORD came to Jeremi'ah: 24“Have you not observed
what these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two families
which he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no
longer a nation in their sight. 25Thus says the LORD: If I have not
established my covenant with day and night and the ordinances of heaven
and earth, 26then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my
servant and will not choose one of his descendants to rule over the seed of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes, and will have
mercy upon them.”
Death in Captivity Predicted for Zedekiah
34 The word which came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD, when
Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of
the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against
Jerusalem and all of its cities: 2“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Go
and speak to Zedeki'ah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he
shall burn it with fire. 3You shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely
be captured and delivered into his hand; you shall see the king of Babylon
eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you shall go to Babylon.’
4Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedeki'ah king of Judah! Thus says the
LORD concerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword. 5You shall die in
peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who
were before you, so men shall burn spices for you and lament for you,
saying, “Alas, lord!” ’ For I have spoken the word, says the LORD.”
6 Then Jeremi'ah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedeki'ah king of
Judah, in Jerusalem, 7when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting
against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, La'chish
and Aze'kah; for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained.
Treatment of Hebrew Slaves
8 The word which came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD, after King
Zedeki'ah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a
proclamation of liberty to them, 9that every one should set free his Hebrew
slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother.
10And they obeyed, all the princes and all the people who had entered into
the covenant that every one would set free his slave, male or female, so that
they would not be enslaved again; they obeyed and set them free. 11But
afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they
had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves. 12The word of the
LORD came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD: 13“Thus says the LORD, the God of
Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, 14‘At the end of sixl
years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you
and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.’ But
your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. 15You recently
repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to
his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house which is
called by my name; 16but then you turned around and profaned my name
when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set
free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be
your slaves. 17Therefore, thus says the LORD: You have not obeyed me by
proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I
proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, says the
LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18And the
men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the
covenant which they made before me, I will make likem the calf which they
cut in two and passed between its parts— 19the princes of Judah, the princes
of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who
passed between the parts of the calf; 20and I will give them into the hand of
their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead
bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.
21And Zedeki'ah king of Judah, and his princes I will give into the hand of
their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand
of the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you.
22Behold, I will command, says the LORD, and will bring them back to this
city; and they will fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire. I will
make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.”
The Rechabites Commended
35 * The word which came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD in the days of
Jehoi'akim the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah: 2“Go to the house of the
Re'chabites, and speak with them, and bring them to the house of the LORD,
into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink.” 3So I took Ja-
azani'ah the son of Jeremi'ah, son of Ha''bazzini'ah, and his brothers, and all
his sons, and the whole house of the Re'chabites. 4I brought them to the
house of the LORD into the chamber of the sons of Ha'nan the son of
Igdali'ah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the princes,
above the chamber of Ma-asei'ah the son of Shallum, keeper of the
threshold. 5Then I set before the Re'chabites pitchers full of wine, and cups;
and I said to them, “Drink wine.” 6But they answered, “We will drink no
wine, for Jon'adab the son of Re'chab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall
not drink wine, neither you nor your sons for ever; 7you shall not build a
house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but
you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land
where you sojourn.’ 8We have obeyed the voice of Jon'adab the son of
Re'chab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our
days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9and not to build
houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed; 10but we have
lived in tents, and have obeyed and done all that Jon'adab our father
commanded us. 11But when Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon came up
against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the
army of the Chalde'ans and the army of the Syrians.’ So we are living in
Jerusalem.”
12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremi'ah: 13“Thus says the LORD
of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the men of Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my
words? says the LORD. 14The command which Jon'adab the son of Re'chab
gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept; and they drink none to
this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. I have spoken to you
persistently, but you have not listened to me. 15I have sent to you all my
servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every
one of you from his evil way, and amend your doings, and do not go after
other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land which I gave
to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.
16The sons of Jon'adab the son of Re'chab have kept the command which
their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me. 17Therefore, thus
says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing
on Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have
pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them and they have not
listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.”
18 But to the house of the Re'chabites Jeremi'ah said, “Thus says the
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of
Jon'adab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done all that he
commanded you, 19therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
Jon'adab the son of Re'chab shall never lack a man to stand before me.”
The Scroll Is Read
36 In the fourth year of Jehoi'akim the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah, this
word came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD: 2“Take a scroll and write on it all
the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the
nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josi'ah until today. 3It
may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I intend to do to
them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive
their iniquity and their sin.”
4 Then Jeremi'ah called Baruch the son of Neri'ah, and Baruch wrote
upon a scroll at the dictation of Jeremi'ah all the words of the LORD which
he had spoken to him. 5And Jeremi'ah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am
debarred from going to the house of the LORD; 6so you are to go, and on a
fast day in the hearing of all the people in the LORD’s house you shall read
the words of the LORD from the scroll which you have written at my
dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah
who come out of their cities. 7It may be that their supplication will come
before the LORD, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is
the anger and wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people.”
8And Baruch the son of Neri'ah did all that Jeremi'ah the prophet ordered
him about reading from the scroll the words of the LORD in the LORD’s
house.
9 In the fifth year of Jehoi'akim the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah, in the
ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from
the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the LORD. 10Then,
in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremi'ah from the
scroll, in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemari'ah the son of
Sha'phan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the
New Gate of the LORD’s house.
11 When Micai'ah the son of Gemari'ah, son of Sha'phan, heard all the
words of the LORD from the scroll, 12he went down to the king’s house, into
the secretary’s chamber; and all the princes were sitting there: Elish'ama the
secretary, Delai'ah the son of Shemai'ah, Elna'than the son of Achbor,
Gemari'ah the son of Sha'phan, Zedeki'ah the son of Hanani'ah, and all the
princes. 13And Micai'ah told them all the words that he had heard, when
Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. 14Then all the princes
sent Jehu'di the son of Nethani'ah, son of Shelemi'ah, son of Cu'shi, to say
to Baruch, “Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the
people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neri'ah took the scroll in his hand
and came to them. 15And they said to him, “Sit down and read it.” So
Baruch read it to them. 16When they heard all the words, they turned one to
another in fear; and they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to
the king.” 17Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you write all these
words? Was it at his dictation?” 18Baruch answered them, “He dictated all
these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll.” 19Then the
princes said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremi'ah, and let no one
know where you are.”
King Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll
20 So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the
chamber of Elish'ama the secretary; and they reported all the words to the
king. 21Then the king sent Jehu'di to get the scroll, and he took it from the
chamber of Elish'ama the secretary; and Jehudi read it to the king and all
the princes who stood beside the king. 22It was the ninth month, and the
king was sitting in the winter house and there was a fire burning in the
brazier before him. 23As Jehu'di read three or four columns, the king would
cut them off with a penknife and throw them into the fire in the brazier,
until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. 24Yet
neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words, was
afraid, nor did they tear their garments. 25Even when Elna'than and Delai'ah
and Gemari'ah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to
them. 26And the king commanded Jerah'meel the king’s son and Serai'ah the
son of Az'ri-el and Shelemi'ah the son of Abde'el to seize Baruch the
secretary and Jeremi'ah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.
Jeremiah Dictates Another Scroll
27 Now, after the king had burned the scroll with the words which
Baruch wrote at Jeremi'ah’s dictation, the word of the LORD came to
Jeremiah: 28“Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that
were in the first scroll, which Jehoi'akim the king of Judah has burned.
29And concerning Jehoi'akim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the
LORD, You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written in it that
the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut
off from it man and beast?” 30Therefore thus says the LORD concerning
Jehoi'akim king of Judah, He shall have none to sit upon the throne of
David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost
by night. 31And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their
iniquity; I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them, but
they would not hear.’ ”
32 Then Jeremi'ah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe,
the son of Neri'ah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremi'ah all the
words of the scroll which Jehoi'akim king of Judah had burned in the fire;
and many similar words were added to them.
Zedekiah Asks Jeremiah’s Prayers
37 Zedeki'ah the son of Josi'ah, whom Nebu- chadrez'zar king of
Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coni'ah the son
of Jehoi'akim. 2But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land
listened to the words of the LORD which he spoke through Jeremi'ah the
prophet.
3 King Zedeki'ah sent Jehu'cal the son of Shelemi'ah, and Zephani'ah the
priest, the son of Ma-asei'ah, to Jeremi'ah the prophet, saying, “Pray for us
to the LORD our God.” 4Now Jeremi'ah was still going in and out among the
people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5The army of Pharaoh had
come out of Egypt; and when the Chalde'ans who were besieging Jerusalem
heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremi'ah the prophet: 7 “Thus says
the LORD, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent
you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh’s army which came to help
you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. 8And the Chalde'ans shall
come back and fight against this city; they shall take it and burn it with fire.
9Thus says the LORD, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chalde'ans
will surely stay away from us,” for they will not stay away. 10For even if
you should defeat the whole army of Chalde'ans who are fighting against
you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent,
they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’ ”
Jeremiah Is Imprisoned
11 Now when the Chalde'an army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the
approach of Pharaoh’s army, 12Jeremi'ah set out from Jerusalem to go to the
land of Benjamin to receive his portionn there among the people. 13When he
was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Iri'jah the son of
Shelemi'ah, son of Hanani'ah, seized Jeremi'ah the prophet, saying, “You
are deserting to the Chalde'ans.” 14And Jeremi'ah said, “It is false; I am not
deserting to the Chalde'ans.” But Iri'jah would not listen to him, and seized
Jeremiah and brought him to the princes. 15And the princes were enraged at
Jeremi'ah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan
the secretary, for it had been made a prison.
16 When Jeremi'ah had come to the dungeon cells, and remained there
many days, 17King Zedeki'ah sent for him, and received him. The king
questioned him secretly in his house, and said, “Is there any word from the
LORD?” Jeremi'ah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered
into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18Jeremi'ah also said to King
Zedeki'ah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people,
that you have put me in prison? 19Where are your prophets who prophesied
to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against
this land’? 20Now hear, I beg you, O my lord the king: let my humble plea
come before you, and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the
secretary, lest I die there.” 21So King Zedeki'ah gave orders, and they
committed Jeremi'ah to the court of the guard; and a loaf of bread was given
him daily from the bakers’ street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So
Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
Jeremiah in the Cistern
38 Now Shephati'ah the son of Mattan, Gedali'ah the son of Pashhur,
Ju'cal the son of Shelemi'ah, and Pashhur the son of Malchi'ah heard the
words that Jeremi'ah was saying to all the people, 2“Thus says the LORD, He
who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence;
but he who goes out to the Chalde'ans shall live; he shall have his life as a
prize of war, and live. 3Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be given
into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” 4Then the
princes said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening
the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the
people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the
welfare of this people, but their harm.” 5King Zedeki'ah said, “Behold, he is
in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you.” 6So they took
Jeremi'ah and cast him into the cistern of Malchi'ah, the king’s son, which
was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there
was no water in the cistern, but only mire, and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
Ebed-melech rescues Jeremiah
7 When E'bed-mel'ech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s
house, heard that they had put Jeremi'ah into the cistern—the king was
sitting in the Benjamin Gate— 8E'bed-mel'ech went from the king’s house
and said to the king, 9“My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that
they did to Jeremi'ah the prophet by casting him into the cistern; and he will
die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” 10Then the king
commanded E'bed-mel'ech, the Ethiopian, “Take three men with you from
here, and lift Jeremi'ah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11So
E'bed-mel'ech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a
wardrobe ofo the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out
clothes, which he let down to Jeremi'ah in the cistern by ropes. 12Then
E'bed-mel'ech the Ethiopian said to Jeremi'ah, “Put the rags and clothes
between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremi'ah did so. 13Then they drew
Jeremi'ah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah
remained in the court of the guard.
14 King Zedeki'ah sent for Jeremi'ah the prophet and received him at the
third entrance of the temple of the LORD. The king said to Jeremi'ah, “I will
ask you a question; hide nothing from me.” 15Jeremi'ah said to Zedeki'ah,
“If I tell you, will you not be sure to put me to death? And if I give you
counsel, you will not listen to me.” 16Then King Zedeki'ah swore secretly to
Jeremi'ah, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to
death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”
17 Then Jeremi'ah said to Zedeki'ah, “Thus says the LORD, the God of
hosts, the God of Israel, If you will surrender to the princes of the king of
Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned
with fire, and you and your house shall live. 18But if you do not surrender to
the princes of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the
hand of the Chalde'ans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not
escape from their hand.” 19King Zedeki'ah said to Jeremi'ah, “I am afraid of
the Jews who have deserted to the Chalde'ans, lest I be handed over to them
and they abuse me.” 20Jeremi'ah said, “You shall not be given to them.
Obey now the voice of the LORD in what I say to you, and it shall be well
with you, and your life shall be spared. 21But if you refuse to surrender, this
is the vision which the LORD has shown to me: 22Behold, all the women left
in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the princes of the
king of Babylon and were saying,
‘Your trusted friends have deceived you
and prevailed against you;
now that your feet are sunk in the mire,
they turn away from you.’
23All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chalde'ans, and
you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the
king of Babylon; and this city shall be burned with fire.”
24 Then Zedeki'ah said to Jeremi'ah, “Let no one know of these words
and you shall not die. 25If the princes hear that I have spoken with you and
come to you and say to you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the
king said to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,’
26then you shall say to them, ‘I made a humble plea to the king that he
would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.’ ” 27Then all
the princes came to Jeremi'ah and asked him, and he answered them as the
king had instructed him. So they left off speaking with him, for the
conversation had not been overheard. 28And Jeremi'ah remained in the court
of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken.
The Fall of Jerusalem
shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me,
says the LORD.’ ”
Jeremiah with Gedaliah the Governor
40 The word that came to Jeremi'ah from the LORD after Nebu'zarad'an
the captain of the guard had let him go from Ra'mah, when he took him
bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who
were being exiled to Babylon. 2The captain of the guard took Jeremi'ah and
said to him, “The LORD your God pronounced this evil against this place;
3the LORD has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you
sinned against the LORD, and did not obey his voice, this thing has come
upon you. 4Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands.
If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look
after you well; but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do
not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good
and right to go. 5If you remain,q then return to Gedali'ah the son of
Ahi'kam, son of Sha'phan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor
of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wherever
you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance
of food and a present, and let him go. 6Then Jeremi'ah went to Gedali'ah the
son of Ahi'kam, at Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people who were
left in the land.
7 When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men
heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam
governor in the land, and had committed to him men, women, and children,
those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to
Babylon, 8they went to Gedali'ah at Mizpah—Ish'mael the son of
Nethani'ah, Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah, Serai'ah the son of Tan'humeth, the
sons of E'phai the Netoph'athite, Jezani'ah the son of the Ma-ac'athite, they
and their men. 9Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, son of Sha'phan, swore to
them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chalde'ans.
Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with
you. 10As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand for you before the
Chalde'ans who will come to us; but as for you, gather wine and summer
fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that
you have taken.” 11Likewise, when all the Jews who were in Moab and
among the Am'monites and in E'dom and in other lands heard that the king
of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedali'ah the son
of Ahi'kam, son of Sha'phan, as governor over them, 12then all the Jews
returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the
land of Judah, to Gedali'ah at Mizpah; and they gathered wine and summer
fruits in great abundance.
13 Now Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the leaders of the forces in
the open country came to Gedali'ah at Mizpah 14and said to him, “Do you
know that Ba'alis the king of the Am'monites has sent Ish'mael the son of
Nethani'ah to take your life?” But Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam would not
believe them. 15Then Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah spoke secretly to
Gedali'ah at Mizpah, “Let me go and slay Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah,
and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Jews
who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah
would perish?” 16But Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam said to Joha'nan the son
of Kare'ah, “You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of
Ish'mael.”
Insurrection against Gedaliah
41 In the seventh month, Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah, son of
Elish'ama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came
with ten men to Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, at Mizpah. As they ate bread
together there at Mizpah, 2Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah and the ten men
with him rose up and struck down Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, son of
Sha'phan, with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had
appointed governor in the land. 3Ish'mael also slew all the Jews who were
with Gedali'ah at Mizpah, and the Chalde'an soldiers who happened to be
there.
4 On the day after the murder of Gedali'ah, before any one knew of it,
5eighty men arrived from She'chem and Shiloh and Samar'ia, with their
beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing
cereal offerings and incense to present at the temple of the LORD. 6And
Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah came out from Mizpah to meet them,
weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, “Come in to
Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam.” 7When they came into the city, Ish'mael the
son of Nethani'ah and the men with him slew them, and cast them into a
cistern. 8But there were ten men among them who said to Ish'mael, “Do not
kill us, for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the
fields.” So he refrained and did not kill them with their companions.
9 Now the cistern into which Ish'mael cast all the bodies of the men
whom he had slain was the large cisternr which King Asa had made for
defense against Ba'asha king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethani'ah filled
it with the slain. 10Then Ish'mael took captive all the rest of the people who
were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people who were left at
Mizpah whom Nebu'zarad'an, the captain of the guard, had committed to
Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam. Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah took them
captive and set out to cross over to the Am'monites.
Johanan and Ishmael
11 But when Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the leaders of the forces
with him heard of all the evil which Ish'mael the son of Nethani'ah had
done, 12they took all their men and went to fight against Ish'mael the son of
Nethani'ah. They came upon him at the great pool which is in Gib'eon.
13And when all the people who were with Ish'mael saw Joha'nan the son of
Kare'ah and all the leaders of the forces with him, they rejoiced. 14So all the
people whom Ish'mael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about
and came back, and went to Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah. 15But Ish'mael the
son of Nethani'ah escaped from Joha'nan with eight men, and went to the
Am'monites. Then Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the leaders of the
forces with him took all the rest of the people whom Ish'mael the son of
Nethani'ah had carried away captives from Mizpah after he had slain
Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs,
whom Johanan brought back from Gib'eon. 17And they went and stayed at
Ge'ruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt 18because of
the Chalde'ans; for they were afraid of them, because Ish'mael the son of
Nethani'ah had slain Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, whom the king of
Babylon had made governor over the land.
Jeremiah Advises Survivors Not to Go to Egypt
42 Then all the commanders of the forces, and Joha'nan the son of
Kare'ah and Azari'aht the son of Hoshai'ah, and all the people from the least
to the greatest, came near 2and said to Jeremi'ah the prophet, “Let our
supplication come before you, and pray to the LORD your God for us, for all
this remnant (for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us), 3that
the LORD your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that
we should do.” 4Jeremi'ah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you;
behold, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your request, and
whatever the LORD answers you I will tell you; I will keep nothing back
from you.” 5Then they said to Jeremi'ah, “May the LORD be a true and
faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with
which the LORD your God sends you to us. 6Whether it is good or evil, we
will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that
it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”
7 At the end of ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremi'ah. 8Then
he summoned Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the commanders of the
forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest,
9and said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you
sent me to present your supplication before him: 10If you will remain in this
land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and
not pluck you up; for I repent of the evil which I did to you. 11Do not fear
the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not fear him, says the
LORD, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. 12I
will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in
your own land. 13But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’
disobeying the voice of the LORD your God 14and saying, ‘No, we will go to
the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war, or hear the sound of the
trumpet, or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,’ 15then hear the
word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the
God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there,
16then the sword which you fear shall overtake you there in the land of
Egypt; and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow hard after you to
Egypt; and there you shall die. 17All the men who set their faces to go to
Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence;
they shall have no remnant or survivor from the evil which I will bring
upon them.
18 “For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and
my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will
be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an
execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more.
19The LORD has said to you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’
Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day 20that you have gone
astray at the cost of your lives. For you sent me to the LORD your God,
saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God, and whatever the LORD our God
says declare to us and we will do it.’ 21And I have this day declared it to
you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in anything
that he sent me to tell you. 22Now therefore know for a certainty that you
shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you
desire to go to live.”
Jeremiah Warns of Judgment
43 When Jeremi'ah finished speaking to all the people all these words of
the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them,
2Azari'ah the son of Hoshai'ah and Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the
insolent men said to Jeremi'ah, “You are telling a lie. The LORD our God did
not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there’; 3but Baruch the son
of Neri'ah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the
Chalde'ans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.” 4So
Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the commanders of the forces and all the
people did not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah.
5But Joha'nan the son of Kare'ah and all the commanders of the forces took
all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from
all the nations to which they had been driven— 6the men, the women, the
children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebu'zarad'an the captain
of the guard had left with Gedali'ah the son of Ahi'kam, son of Sha'phan;
also Jeremi'ah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neri'ah. 7And they came
into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And
they arrived at Tah'panhes.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremi'ah in Tah'panhes: 9“Take in
your hands large stones, and hide them in the mortar in the pavement which
is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tah'panhes, in the sight of the men
of Judah, 10and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrez'zar the king of Babylon,
my servant, and heu will set his throne above these stones which I have hid,
and he will spread his royal canopy over them. 11He shall come and strike
the land of Egypt, giving to the pestilence those who are doomed to the
pestilence, to captivity those who are doomed to captivity, and to the sword
those who are doomed to the sword. 12Hev shall kindle a fire in the temples
of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them and carry them away captive;
and he shall clean the land of Egypt, as a shepherd cleans his cloak of
vermin; and he shall go away from there in peace. 13He shall break the
obelisks of He''liop'olis which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the
gods of Egypt he shall burn with fire.’ ”
Denunciation of Idolatry in Egypt
44 The word that came to Jeremi'ah con- cerning all the Jews that dwelt
in the land of Egypt, at Migdol, at Tah'panhes, at Memphis, and in the land
of Path'ros, 2“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen
all the evil that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah.
Behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, 3because
of the wickedness which they committed, provoking me to anger, in that
they went to burn incense and serve other gods that they knew not, neither
they, nor you, nor your fathers. 4Yet I persistently sent to you all my
servants the prophets, saying, ‘Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I
hate!’ 5But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their
wickedness and burn no incense to other gods. 6Therefore my wrath and my
anger were poured forth and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets
of Jerusalem; and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day. 7And
now thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you
commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and
woman, infant and child, from the midst of Judah, leaving you no remnant?
8Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, burning
incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, that
you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of
the earth? 9Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the
wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of theirw wives, your own
wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in
the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 10They have not humbled
themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law
and my statutes which I set before you and before your fathers.
11 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I
will set my face against you for evil, to cut off all Judah. 12I will take the
remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to
live, and they shall all be consumed; in the land of Egypt they shall fall; by
the sword and by famine they shall be consumed; from the least to the
greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine; and they shall become
an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. 13I will punish those who dwell
in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with
famine, and with pestilence, 14so that none of the remnant of Judah who
have come to live in the land of Egypt shall escape or survive or return to
the land of Judah, to which they desire to return to dwell there; for they
shall not return, except some fugitives.”
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had offered incense to
other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, all the
people who dwelt in Path'ros in the land of Egypt, answered Jeremi'ah:
16“As for the word which you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD,
we will not listen to you. 17But we will do everything that we have vowed,
burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, as we did,
both we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah
and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and
prospered, and saw no evil. 18But since we left off burning incense to the
queen of heaven and pouring out libations to her, we have lacked everything
and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” 19And the women
said,x “When we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out
libations to her, was it without our husbands’ approval that we made cakes
for her bearing her image and poured out libations to her?”
20 Then Jeremi'ah said to all the people, men and women, all the people
who had given him this answer: 21“As for the incense that you burned in the
cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your
kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD
remember it? y Did it not come into his mind? 22The LORD could no longer
bear your evil doings and the abominations which you committed; therefore
your land has become a desolation and a waste and a curse, without
inhabitant, as it is this day. 23It is because you burned incense, and because
you sinned against the LORD and did not obey the voice of the LORD or walk
in his law and in his statutes and in his testimonies, that this evil has
befallen you, as at this day.”
24 Jeremi'ah said to all the people and all the women, “Hear the word of
the LORD, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt, 25Thus says the
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with
your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, ‘We will surely
perform our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of
heaven and to pour out libations to her.’ Then confirm your vows and
perform your vows! 26Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of
Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great
name, says the LORD, that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth
of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, ‘As the Lord GOD
lives.’ 27Behold, I am watching over them for evil and not for good; all the
men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword
and by famine, until there is an end of them. 28And those who escape the
sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in
number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to
live, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs. 29This shall be the
sign to you, says the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, in order that
you may know that my words will surely stand against you for evil: 30Thus
says the LORD, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hoph'ra king of Egypt into the
hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave
Zedeki'ah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon,
who was his enemy and sought his life.”
A Word of Comfort to Baruch
45 The word that Jeremi'ah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of
Neri'ah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah,
in the fourth year of Jehoi'akim the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah: 2“Thus
says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3You said, ‘Woe is me!
for the LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning,
and I find no rest.’ 4Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD: Behold,
what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am
plucking up—that is, the whole land. 5And do you seek great things for
yourself? Seek them not; for behold, I am bringing evil upon all flesh, says
the LORD; but I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to
which you may go.”
Judgment against Egypt
46 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremi'ah the prophet
concerning the nations.
2 About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt,
which was by the river Euphra'tes at Car'chemish and which
Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoi'akim
the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah:
3“Prepare buckler and shield,
mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets,
polish your spears,
put on your coats of mail!
5Why have I seen it?
a day of vengeance,
to avenge himself on his foes.
The sword shall devour and be sated,
and drink its fill of their blood.
For the Lord GOD of hosts holds a sacrifice
in the north country by the river Euphra'tes.
11Go up to Gilead, and take balm,
O inhabitants of Egypt!
For Memphis shall become a waste,
a ruin, without inhabitant.
20“A beautiful heifer is Egypt,
she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north.”
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25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, I am bringing
punishment upon A'mon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt and her gods
and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26I will deliver
them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of
Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be
inhabited as in the days of old, says the LORD.
27“But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for behold, I will save you from afar,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
28Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
they go up weeping;e
for at the descent of Horona'im
they have heard the cryf of destruction.
6Flee! Save yourselves!
and the choicest of his young men have gone down to slaughter,
says the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
16The calamity of Moab is near at hand
and his affliction hastens apace.
17Bemoan him, all you who are round about him,
and all who know his name;
say, ‘How the mighty scepter is broken,
the glorious staff.’
18“Come down from your glory,
and sit on the parched ground,
O inhabitant of Di'bon!
For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you;
he has destroyed your strongholds.
19Stand by the way and watch,
O inhabitant of Aro'er!
Ask him who flees and her who escapes;
say, ‘What has happened?’
20Moab is put to shame, for it is broken;
he is very proud—
of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance,
and the haughtiness of his heart.
30I know his insolence, says the LORD;
his boasts are false,
his deeds are false.
31Therefore I wail for Moab;
I cry out for all Moab;
for the men of Kir-he'res I mourn.
32More than for Ja'zer I weep for you,
O vine of Sibmah!
Your branches passed over the sea,
reached as far as Jazer,j
upon your summer fruits and your vintage
the destroyer has fallen.
33Gladness and joy have been taken away
O faithless daughter,
who trusted in her treasures, saying,
‘Who will come against me?’
5Behold, I will bring terror upon you,
O inhabitants of De'dan!
For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him,
the time when I punish him.
9If grape-gatherers came to you,
O inhabitants of Ha'zor!
says the LORD.
For Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon
has made a plan against you,
and formed a purpose against you.
31“Rise up, advance against a nation at ease,
that dwells securely,
says the LORD,
that has no gates or bars,
that dwells alone.
32Their camels shall become booty,
an everlasting waste;
no man shall dwell there,
no man shall sojourn in her.”
Judgment against Elam
34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremi'ah the prophet concerning
E'lam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedeki'ah king of Judah.
35 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will break the bow of E'lam,
the mainstay of their might; 36and I will bring upon E'lam the four winds
from the four quarters of heaven; and I will scatter them to all those winds,
and there shall be no nation to which those driven out of Elam shall not
come. 37I will terrify E'lam before their enemies, and before those who seek
their life; I will bring evil upon them, my fierce anger, says the LORD. I will
send the sword after them, until I have consumed them; 38and I will set my
throne in E'lam, and destroy their king and princes, says the LORD.
39 “But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of E'lam, says the
LORD.”
Judgment against Babylon
50 The word which the LORD spoke con- cerning Babylon, concerning
the land of the Chalde'ans, by Jeremi'ah the prophet:
2“Declare among the nations and proclaim,
rich in treasures,
your end has come,
the thread of your life is cut.
14The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself:
Surely I will fill you with men, as many as locusts,
and they shall raise the shout of victory over you.
15“It is he who made the earth by his power,
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
17Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
these words that are written concerning Babylon. 61And Jeremi'ah said to
Serai'ah: “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words,
62and say, ‘O LORD, you have said concerning this place that you will cut it
off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be
desolate for ever.’ 63When you finish reading this book, bind a stone to it,
and cast it into the midst of the Euphra'tes, 64and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon
sink, to rise no more, because of the evil that I am bringing upon her.’ ” y
Thus far are the words of Jeremi'ah.
Zedekiah Is Captured
52 * Zedeki'ah was twenty-one years old when he became king; and he
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamu'tal the
daughter of Jeremi'ah of Libnah. 2And he did what was evil in the sight of
the LORD, according to all that Jehoi'akim had done. 3Surely because of the
anger of the LORD things came to such a pass in Jerusalem and Judah that
he cast them out from his presence.
And Zedeki'ah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4And in the ninth
year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month,
Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem,
and they laid siege to it and built siegeworks against it round about. 5So the
city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedeki'ah. 6On the ninth
day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city, that there was
no food for the people of the land. 7Then a breach was made in the city; and
all the men of war fled and went out from the city by night by the way of a
gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, while the Chalde'ans were
round about the city. And they went in the direction of the Ar'abah. 8But the
army of the Chalde'ans pursued the king, and overtook Zedeki'ah in the
plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 9Then they
captured the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in
the land of Ha'math, and he passed sentence upon him. 10The king of
Babylon slew the sons of Zedeki'ah before his eyes, and also slew all the
princes of Judah at Riblah. 11He put out the eyes of Zedeki'ah, and bound
him in chains, and the king of Babylon took him to Babylon, and put him in
prison till the day of his death.
Jerusalem Is Plundered and Burned
12 In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—which was the
nineteenth year of King Nebuchadrez'zar, king of Babylon—Nebu'zarad'an
the captain of the bodyguard who served the king of Babylon, entered
Jerusalem. 13And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house
and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 14And
all the army of the Chalde'ans, who were with the captain of the guard,
broke down all the walls round about Jerusalem. 15And Nebu'zarad'an the
captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people
and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who
had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans.
16But Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the
the lampstands, and the dishes for incense, and the bowls for libation. What
was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of
silver, as silver. 20As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls
which were under the sea,z and the stands, which Solomon the king had
made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these things was beyond
weight. 21As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,
its circumference was twelve cubits, and its thickness was four fingers, and
it was hollow. 22Upon it was a capital of bronze; the height of the one
capital was five cubits; a network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were
upon the capital round about. And the second pillar had the like, with
pomegranates. 23There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the
pomegranates were a hundred upon the network round about.
24 And the captain of the guard took Serai'ah the chief priest, and
Zephani'ah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold; 25and
from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of
war, and seven men of the king’s council, who were found in the city; and
the secretary of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the
land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the midst
of the city. 26And Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the guard took them, and
brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27And the king of Babylon
struck them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Ha'math. So
Judah was carried captive out of its land.
The Captives Taken to Babylon
28 This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadrez'zar carried away
captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews; 29in the
eighteenth year of Nebuchadrez'zar he carried away captive from Jerusalem
eight hundred and thirty-two persons; 30in the twenty-third year of
Nebuchadrez'zar, Nebu'zarad'an the captain of the guard carried away
captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five persons; all the persons
were four thousand and six hundred.
Jehoiachin Favored in Captivity
31 And in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoi'achin king of
Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, E'vil-
mer'odach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, lifted up the
head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison; 32and he
spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who
were with him in Babylon. 33So Jehoi'achin put off his prison garments.
And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table; 34as for his
allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king according to his
daily need, until the day of his death as long as he lived.
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Lamentations
Chapters
12345
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THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH
The Deserted City
1 *How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like a widow has she become,
she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the cities
has become a vassal.
2She weeps bitterly in the night,
my soul is in tumult,
my heart is wrung within me,
because I have been very rebellious.
In the street the sword bereaves;
in the house it is like death.
21“Hear f how I groan;
my soul is in tumult;
my heart is poured out in grief h
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,
because infants and babies faint
in the streets of the city.
12They cry to their mothers,
O daughter of Jerusalem?
What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you,
O virgin daughter of Zion?
For vast as the sea is your ruin;
who can restore you?
14Your prophets have seen for you
false and deceptive visions;
they have not exposed your iniquity
to restore your fortunes,
but have seen for you oracles
false and misleading.
15All who pass along the way
O j daughter of Zion!
Let tears stream down like a torrent
day and night!
Give yourself no rest,
your eyes no respite!
19Arise, cry out in the night,
to God in heaven:
42“We have transgressed and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.
43“You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
without respite,
50until the LORD from heaven
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Baruch
Chapters
123456
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THE BOOK OF BARUCH
Baruch and the Jews of Babylon
1*These are the words of the book which Baruch the son of Nerai'ah,
son of Mah'seiah, son of Zedeki'ah, son of Hasadi'ah, son of Hilki'ah, wrote
in Babylon, 2in the fifth year, on the seventh day of the month, at the time
when the Chalde'ans took Jerusalem and burned it with fire. 3And Baruch
read the words of this book in the hearing of Jeconi'ah the son of
Jehoi'akim, king of Judah, and in the hearing of all the people who came to
hear the book, 4and in the hearing of the mighty men and the princes, and in
the hearing of the elders, and in the hearing of all the people, small and
great, all who dwelt in Babylon by the river Sud.
5 Then they wept, and fasted, and prayed before the Lord; 6and they
collected money, each giving what he could; 7and they sent it to Jerusalem
to Jehoi'akim the high priest,a the son of Hilki'ah, son of Shallum, and to
the priests, and to all the people who were present with him in Jerusalem.
8At the same time, on the tenth day of Si'van, Baruch b took the vessels of
the house of the Lord, which had been carried away from the temple, to
return them to the land of Judah—the silver vessels which Zedeki'ah the son
of Josi'ah, king of Judah, had made, 9after Nebuchadnez'zar king of
Babylon had carried away from Jerusalem Jeconi'ah and the princes and the
prisoners and the mighty men and the people of the land, and brought them
to Babylon.
A Letter to Jerusalem
10 And they said: “Herewith we send you money; so buy with the money
burnt offerings and sin offerings and incense, and prepare a cereal offering,
and offer them upon the altar of the Lord our God; 11and pray for the life of
Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon, and for the life of Belshaz'zar his son,
that their days on earth may be like the days of heaven. 12And the Lord will
give us strength, and he will give light to our eyes, and we shall live under
the protection c of Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon, and under the
protection c of Belshaz'zar his son, and we shall serve them many days and
find favor in their sight. 13And pray for us to the Lord our God, for we have
sinned against the Lord our God, and to this day the anger of the Lord and
his wrath have not turned away from us. 14And you shall read this book
which we are sending you, to make your confession in the house of the
Lord on the days of the feasts and at appointed seasons.
Confession of Sins
15 “And you shall say: ‘Righteousness belongs to the Lord our God, but
confusion of face, as at this day, to us, to the men of Judah, to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, 16and to our kings and our princes and our priests
and our prophets and our fathers, 17because we have sinned before the Lord,
18and have disobeyed him, and have not heeded the voice of the Lord our
God, to walk in the statutes of the Lord which he set before us. 19From the
day when the Lord brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt until today,
we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, and we have been negligent,
in not heeding his voice. 20So to this day there have clung to us the
calamities and the curse which the Lord declared through Moses his servant
at the time when he brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt to give to
us a land flowing with milk and honey. 21We did not heed the voice of the
Lord our God in all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us, but we
each followed the intent of his own wicked heart by serving other gods and
doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord our God.
2 “ ‘So the Lord confirmed his word, which he spoke against us, and
against our judges who judged Israel, and against our kings and against our
princes and against the men of Israel and Judah. 2Under the whole heaven
there has not been done the like of what he has done in Jerusalem, in
accordance with what is written in the law of Moses, 3that we should eat,
one the flesh of his son and another the flesh of his daughter. 4And he gave
them into subjection to all the kingdoms around us, to be a reproach and a
desolation among all the surrounding peoples, where the Lord has scattered
them. 5They were brought low and not raised up, because we sinned against
the Lord our God, in not heeding his voice.
6 “ ‘Righteousness belongs to the Lord our God, but confusion of face to
us and our fathers, as at this day. 7All those calamities with which the Lord
threatened us have come upon us. 8Yet we have not entreated the favor of
the Lord by turning away, each of us, from the thoughts of his wicked heart.
9And the Lord has kept the calamities ready, and the Lord has brought them
upon us, for the Lord is righteous in all his works which he has commanded
us to do. 10Yet we have not obeyed his voice, to walk in the statutes of the
Lord which he set before us.
Prayer for Deliverance
11 “ ‘And now, O Lord God of Israel, who brought your people out of the
land of Egypt with a mighty hand and with signs and wonders and with
great power and outstretched arm, and have made you a name, as at this
day, 12we have sinned, we have been ungodly, we have done wrong, O Lord
our God, against all your ordinances. 13Let your anger turn away from us,
for we are left, few in number, among the nations where you have scattered
us. 14Hear, O Lord, our prayer and our supplication, and for your own sake
deliver us, and grant us favor in the sight of those who have carried us into
exile; 15that all the earth may know that you are the Lord our God, for Israel
and his descendants are called by your name. 16O Lord, look down from
your holy habitation, and consider us. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear;
17open your eyes, O Lord, and see; for the dead who are in Hades, whose
spirit has been taken from their bodies, will not ascribe glory or justice to
the Lord, 18but the person that is greatly distressed, d that goes about bent
over and feeble, and the eyes that are failing, and the person that hungers,
will ascribe to you glory and righteousness, O Lord. 19For it is not because
of any righteous deeds of our fathers or our kings that we bring before you
our prayer for mercy, O Lord our God. 20For you have sent your anger and
your wrath upon us, as you declared by your servants the prophets, saying:
21 “Thus says the Lord: Bend your shoulders and serve the king of Babylon,
and you will remain in the land which I gave to your fathers. 22But if you
will not obey the voice of the Lord and will not serve the king of Babylon,
23I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the region about
Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the
bridegroom and the voice of the bride, and the whole land will be a
desolation without inhabitants.”
24 “ ‘But we did not obey your voice, to serve the king of Babylon; and
you have confirmed your words, which you spoke by your servants the
prophets, that the bones of our kings and the bones of our fathers would be
brought out of their graves; e 25and behold, they have been cast out to the
heat of day and the frost of night. They perished in great misery, by famine
and sword and pestilence. 26And the house which is called by your name
you have made as it is today, because of the wickedness of the house of
Israel and the house of Judah.
God’s Covenant Recalled
27 “ ‘Yet you have dealt with us, O Lord our God, in all your kindness
and in all your great compassion, 28as you spoke by your servant Moses on
the day when you commanded him to write your law in the presence of the
people of Israel, saying, 29“If you will not obey my voice, this very great
multitude will surely turn into a small number among the nations, where I
will scatter them. 30For I know that they will not obey me, for they are a
stiff-necked people. But in the land of their exile they will come to
themselves, 31and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I will give
them a heart that obeys and ears that hear; 32and they will praise me in the
land of their exile, and will remember my name, 33and will turn from their
stubbornness and their wicked deeds; for they will remember the ways of
their fathers, who sinned before the Lord. 34I will bring them again into the
land which I swore to give to their fathers, to Abraham and to Isaac and to
Jacob, and they will rule over it; and I will increase them, and they will not
be diminished. 35I will make an everlasting covenant with them to be their
God and they shall be my people; and I will never again remove my people
Israel from the land which I have given them.”
In Praise of Wisdom
3 “ ‘O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, the soul in anguish and the wearied
spirit cry out to you. 2Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned
before you. 3For you are enthroned for ever, and we are perishing for ever.
4O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the dead of Israel
and of the sons of those who sinned before you, who did not heed the voice
of the Lord their God, so that calamities have clung to us. 5Remember not
the iniquities of our fathers, but in this crisis remember your power and
your name. 6For you are the Lord our God, and you, O Lord, will we praise.
7For you have put the fear of you in our hearts in order that we should call
upon your name; and we will praise you in our exile, for we have put away
from our hearts all the iniquity of our fathers who sinned before you.
8Behold, we are today in our exile where you have scattered us, to be
reproached and cursed and punished for all the iniquities of our fathers who
forsook the Lord our God.’ ”
9Hear the commandments of life, O Israel;
give ear, and learn wisdom!
10Why is it, O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies,
that you are growing old in a foreign country,
that you are defiled with the dead,
11 that you are counted among those in Hades?
12You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
13If you had walked in the way of God,
O memorial of Israel!
6It was not for destruction
that you were sold to the nations,
but you were handed over to your enemies
because you angered God.
7For you provoked him who made you,
but God will give you back to me with joy and gladness for ever.
24For as the neighbors of Zion have now seen your capture,
be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
8The woods and every fragrant tree
years, for a long time, up to seven generations; after that I will bring you
away from there in peace. 4Now in Babylon you will see gods made of
silver and gold and wood, which are carried on men’s shoulders and inspire
fear in the heathen. 5So take care not to become at all like the foreigners or
to let fear for these gods i possess you, when you see the multitude before
and behind them worshiping them. 6But say in your heart, “It is you, O
Lord, whom we must worship.” 7For my angel is with you, and he is
watching your lives.
The Futility of Idols and Idolatry
8 Their tongues are smoothed by the craftsman, and they themselves are
overlaid with gold and silver; but they are false and cannot speak. 9People j
take gold and make crowns for the heads of their gods, as they would for a
girl who loves ornaments; 10and sometimes the priests secretly take gold
and silver from their gods and spend it upon themselves, 11and even give
some of it to the harlots in the brothel. They deck their gods k out with
garments like men—these gods of silver and gold and wood, 12which
cannot save themselves from rust and corrosion. When they have been
dressed in purple robes, 13their faces are wiped because of the dust from the
temple, which is thick upon them. 14Like a local ruler the god l holds a
scepter, though unable to destroy any one who offends it. 15It has a dagger
in its right hand, and has an axe; but it cannot save itself from war and
robbers. 16Therefore they evidently are not gods; so do not fear them.
17 For just as one’s dish is useless when it is broken, so are the gods of the
heathen, m when they have been set up in the temples. Their eyes are full of
the dust raised by the feet of those who enter. 18And just as the gates are
shut on every side upon a man who has offended a king, as though he were
sentenced to death, so the priests make their temples secure with doors and
locks and bars, in order that they may not be plundered by robbers. 19They
light lamps, even more than they light for themselves, though their gods n
can see none of them. 20They are o just like a beam of the temple, but men
say their hearts have melted, when worms from the earth devour them and
their robes. They do not notice 21when their faces have been blackened by
the smoke of the temple. 22Bats, swallows, and birds light on their bodies
and heads; and so do cats. 23From this you will know that they are not gods;
so do not fear them.
24 As for the gold which they wear for beauty—they will not shine
unless some one wipes off the rust; for even when they were being cast,
they had no feeling. 25They are bought at any cost, but there is no breath in
them. 26Having no feet, they are carried on men’s shoulders, revealing to
mankind their worthlessness. 27And those who serve them are ashamed
because through them these gods n are made to stand, lest they fall to the
ground. If any one sets one of them upright, it cannot move of itself; and if
it is tipped over, it cannot straighten itself; but gifts are placed before them
just as before the dead. 28The priests sell the sacrifices that are offered to
these gods p and use the money; and likewise their wives preserve some
with salt, but give none to the poor or helpless. 29Sacrifices to them may be
touched by women in menstruation or at childbirth. Since you know by
these things that they are not gods, do not fear them.
30 For why should they be called gods? Women serve meals for gods of
silver and gold and wood; 31and in their temples the priests sit with their
clothes torn, their heads and beards shaved, and their heads uncovered.
32They howl and shout before their gods as some do at a funeral feast for a
man who has died. 33The priests take some of the clothing of their gods q to
clothe their wives and children. 34Whether one does evil to them or good,
they will not be able to repay it. They cannot set up a king or depose one.
35Likewise they are not able to give either wealth or money; if one makes a
vow to them and does not keep it, they will not require it. 36They cannot
save a man from death or rescue the weak from the strong. 37They cannot
restore sight to a blind man; they cannot rescue a man who is in distress.
38They cannot take pity on a widow or do good to an orphan. 39These things
that are made of wood and overlaid with gold and silver are like stones
from the mountain, and those who serve them will be put to shame. 40Why
then must any one think that they are gods, or call them gods?
Besides, even the Chalde'ans themselves dishonor them; 41for when they
see a mute man, who cannot speak, they bring him and pray Bel r that the
man may speak, as though Bel s were able to understand. 42Yet they
themselves cannot perceive this and abandon them, for they have no sense.
43And the women, with cords about them, sit along the passageways,
burning bran for incense; and when one of them is led off by one of the
passers-by and is lain with, she derides the woman next to her, because she
was not as attractive as herself and her cord was not broken. 44Whatever is
done for them is false. Why then must any one think that they are gods, or
call them gods?
45 They are made by carpenters and goldsmiths; they can be nothing but
what the craftsmen wish them to be. 46The men that make them will
certainly not live very long themselves; how then can the things that are
made by them be gods? 47They have left only lies and reproach for those
who come after. 48For when war or calamity comes upon them, the priests
consult together as to where they can hide themselves and their gods. t
49How then can one fail to see that these are not gods, for they cannot save
themselves from war or calamity? 50Since they are made of wood and
overlaid with gold and silver, it will afterward be known that they are false.
51It will be manifest to all the nations and kings that they are not gods but
the work of men’s hands, and that there is no work of God in them. 52Who
then can fail to know that they are not gods? u
53 For they cannot set up a king over a country or give rain to men.
54They cannot judge their own cause or deliver one who is wronged, for
they have no power; they are like crows between heaven and earth. 55When
fire breaks out in a temple of wooden gods overlaid with gold or silver, their
priests will flee and escape, but the gods v will be burned in two like beams.
56Besides, they can offer no resistance to a king or any enemies. Why then
must any one admit or think that they are gods?
57 Gods made of wood and overlaid with silver and gold are not able to
save themselves from thieves and robbers. 58Strong men will strip them of
their gold and silver and of the robes they wear, and go off with this booty,
and they will not be able to help themselves. 59So it is better to be a king
who shows his courage, or a household utensil that serves its owner’s need,
than to be these false gods; better even the door of a house that protects its
contents, than these false gods; better also a wooden pillar in a palace, than
these false gods.
60 For sun and moon and stars, shining and sent forth for service, are
obedient. 61So also the lightning, when it flashes, is widely seen; and the
wind likewise blows in every land. 62When God commands the clouds to go
over the whole world, they carry out his command. 63And the fire sent from
above to consume mountains and woods does what it is ordered. But these
idols w are not to be compared with them in appearance or power.
64Therefore one must not think that they are gods nor call them gods, for
they are not able either to decide a case or to do good to men. 65Since you
know then that they are not gods, do not fear them.
66 For they can neither curse nor bless kings; 67they cannot show signs in
the heavens and x among the nations, or shine like the sun or give light like
the moon. 68The wild beasts are better than they are, for they can flee to
cover and help themselves. 69So we have no evidence whatever that they
are gods; therefore do not fear them.
70 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber bed, that guards nothing, so are their
gods of wood, overlaid with gold and silver. 71In the same way, their gods
of wood, overlaid with gold and silver, are like a thorn bush in a garden, on
which every bird sits; or like a dead body cast out in the darkness. 72By the
purple and linen y that rot upon them you will know that they are not gods;
and they will finally themselves be consumed, and be a reproach in the
land. 73Better therefore is a just man who has no idols, for he will be far
from reproach.
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Ezekiel
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
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THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL
The Vision of the Four Living Creatures
1 *In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the
month, as I was among the exiles by the river Che'bar, the heavens were
opened, and I saw visions of God. 2On the fifth day of the month (it was the
fifth year of the exile of King Jehoi'achin), 3the word of the LORD came to
Ezek'iel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chalde'ans by the river
Che'bar; and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.
4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great
cloud, with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually,
and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming bronze. 5And from the
midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures.* And this was their
appearance: they had the form of men, 6but each had four faces, and each of
them had four wings. 7Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet
were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.
8Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four
had their faces and their wings thus: 9their wings touched one another; they
went every one straight forward, without turning as they went. 10As for the
likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in front; a the four had the
face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left
side, and the four had the face of an eagle at the back. b 11Such were their
faces. And their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings,
each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.
12And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went,
without turning as they went. 13In the midst c of the living creatures there
was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving
back and forth among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out
of the fire went forth lightning. 14And the living creatures darted back and
forth, like a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel upon the earth
beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. d 16As for the
appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like
the gleaming of a chrysolite; and the four had the same likeness, their
construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17When they went,
they went in any of their four directions e without turning as they went.
18The four wheels had rims and they had spokes; f and their rims were full
of eyes round about. 19And when the living creatures went, the wheels went
beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels
rose. 20Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along
with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21When
those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those
rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the
living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a
firmament, shining like crystal, g spread out above their heads. 23And under
the firmament their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another;
and each creature had two wings covering its body.* 24And when they went,
I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the
thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of a host; when
they stood still, they let down their wings. 25And there came a voice from
above the firmament over their heads; when they stood still, they let down
their wings.
The Glory of the Lord
26 And above the firmament over their heads there was the likeness of a
throne, in appearance like sapphire; h and seated above the likeness of a
throne was a likeness as it were of a human form. 27And upward from what
had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were gleaming bronze, like the
appearance of fire enclosed round about; and downward from what had the
appearance of his loins I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there
was brightness round about him. i 28Like the appearance of the bow that is
in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness
round about.
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. * And
when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
2 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak
with you.” 2And when he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me
upon my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. 3And he said to me, “Son of
man, I send you to the sons of Israel, to a nation j of rebels, who have
rebelled against me; they and their fathers have transgressed against me to
this very day. 4The people also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to
them; and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ 5And whether
they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know
that there has been a prophet among them. 6And you, son of man, be not
afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are
with you and you sit upon scorpions; be not afraid of their words, nor be
dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7And you shall
speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear; for they are a
rebellious house.
The Vision of the Scroll
8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you; be not rebellious like that
rebellious house; open your mouth, and eat what I give you.” 9And when I
looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a written scroll
was in it; 10and he spread it before me; and it had writing on the front and
on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and
mourning and woe.
3 1And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is offered to you; eat this
scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2So I opened my mouth, and he
gave me the scroll to eat. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll
that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it; and it was in my
mouth as sweet as honey.
4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel, and
speak with my words to them. 5For you are not sent to a people of foreign
speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— 6not to many
peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot
understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7But the
house of Israel will not listen to you; for they are not willing to listen to me;
because all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stubborn
heart. 8Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your
forehead hard against their foreheads. 9Like adamant harder than flint have
I made your forehead; fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for
they are a rebellious house.” 10Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, all my
words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your
ears. 11And go, get you to the exiles, to your people, and say to them, ‘Thus
says the Lord GOD’; whether they hear or refuse to hear.”
Ezekiel at the River Chebar
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and as the glory of the LORD arose k from
its place, I heard behind me the sound of a great earthquake; 13it was the
sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and
the sound of the wheels beside them, that sounded like a great earthquake.
14The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the
heat of my spirit, the hand of the LORD being strong upon me; 15and I came
to the exiles at Tela'bib, who dwelt by the river Che'bar. l And I sat there
overwhelmed among them seven days.
16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the LORD came to me:
17“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel;
whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning
from me. 18If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him
no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to
save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will
require at your hand. 19But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn
from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity;
but you will have saved your life. 20Again, if a righteous man turns from his
righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him,
he shall die; because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and
his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his
blood I will require at your hand. 21Nevertheless if you warn the righteous
man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took
warning; and you will have saved your life.”
Ezekiel Bound and Silenced
22 And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said to me,
“Arise, go forth into the plain, m and there I will speak with you.” 23So I
arose and went forth into the plain; m and behold, the glory of the LORD
stood there, like the glory which I had seen by the river Che'bar; and I fell
on my face. 24But the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and
he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house.
25And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you
shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people;
26and I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you
shall be mute and unable to reprove them; for they are a rebellious house.
27But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to
them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD’; he that will hear, let him hear; and he that
will refuse to hear, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.
A Brick: The Siege of Jerusalem Portrayed
4 “And you, O son of man, take a brick and lay it before you, and
portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem; 2and put siegeworks against it, and
build a siege wall against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also
against it, and plant battering rams against it round about. 3And take an iron
plate, and place it as an iron wall between you and the city; and set your
face toward it, and let it be in a state of siege, and press the siege against it.
This is a sign for the house of Israel.
4 “Then lie upon your left side, and I will lay the punishment of the
house of Israel upon you; n for the number of the days that you lie upon it,
you shall bear their punishment. 5For I assign to you a number of days,
three hundred and ninety days, equal to the number of the years of their
punishment; so long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel.
6And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but
on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah; forty
days I assign you, a day for each year. 7And you shall set your face toward
the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared; and you shall prophesy against
the city. 8And behold, I will put cords upon you, so that you cannot turn
from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege.
9 “And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt,
and put them into a single vessel, and make bread of them. During the
number of days that you lie upon your side, three hundred and ninety days,
you shall eat it. 10And the food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty
shekels a day; once a day you shall eat it. 11And water you shall drink by
measure, the sixth part of a hin; once a day you shall drink. 12And you shall
eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung.” 13And the
LORD said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among
the nations where I will drive them.” 14Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD!
behold, I have never defiled myself; from my youth up till now I have never
eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has foul flesh come into
my mouth.” 15Then he said to me, “See, I will let you have cow’s dung
instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread.” 16Moreover
he said to me, “Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in
Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with fearfulness; and they
shall drink water by measure and in dismay. 17I will do this that they may
lack bread and water, and look at one another in dismay, and waste away
under their punishment.
A Sharp Sword
5 “And you, O son of man, take a sharp sword; use it as a barber’s razor
and pass it over your head and your beard; then take balances for weighing,
and divide the hair. 2A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of
the city, when the days of the siege are completed; and a third part you shall
take and strike with the sword round about the city; and a third part you
shall scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. 3And
you shall take from these a small number, and bind them in the skirts of
your robe. 4And of these again you shall take some, and cast them into the
fire, and burn them in the fire; from there a fire will come forth into all the
house of Israel. 5Thus says the Lord GOD: This is Jerusalem; I have set her
in the center of the nations, with countries round about her. 6And she has
wickedly rebelled against my ordinances o more than the nations, and
against my statutes more than the countries round about her, by rejecting
my ordinances and not walking in my statutes. 7Therefore thus says the
Lord GOD: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are round
about you, and have not walked in my statutes or kept my ordinances, but
have acted p according to the ordinances of the nations that are round about
you; 8therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, even I, am against you;
and I will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations.
9And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never
yet done, and the like of which I will never do again. 10Therefore fathers
shall eat their sons in the midst of you, and sons shall eat their fathers; and I
will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to
all the winds. 11Wherefore, as I live, says the Lord GOD, surely, because
you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all
your abominations, therefore I will cut you down; q my eye will not spare,
and I will have no pity. 12A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be
consumed with famine in the midst of you; a third part shall fall by the
sword round about you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and
will unsheathe the sword after them.
13 “Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them
and satisfy myself; and they shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken in my
jealousy, when I spend my fury upon them. 14Moreover I will make you a
desolation and an object of reproach among the nations round about you
and in the sight of all that pass by. 15You shall be r a reproach and a taunt, a
warning and a horror, to the nations round about you, when I execute
judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious chastisements—I, the
LORD, have spoken— 16when I loose against you s my deadly arrows of
famine, arrows for destruction, which I will loose to destroy you, and when
I bring more and more famine upon you, and break your staff of bread. 17I
will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your
children; pestilence and blood shall pass through you; and I will bring the
sword upon you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
Judgment against Idolatrous Israel
6 The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, set your face toward
the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, 3and say, You
mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord
GOD to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: Behold,
I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
4Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken;
and I will cast down your slain before your idols. 5And I will lay the dead
bodies of the people of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your
bones round about your altars. 6Wherever you dwell your cities shall be
waste and your high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and
ruined, t your idols broken and destroyed, your incense altars cut down, and
your works wiped out. 7And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and you
shall know that I am the LORD.
8 “Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations
some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the
countries, 9then those of you who escape will remember me among the
nations where they are carried captive, when I have broken u their wanton
heart which has departed from me, and blinded their eyes which turn
wantonly after their idols; and they will be loathsome in their own sight for
the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations. 10And they
shall know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would do this
evil to them.”
11 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Clap your hands, and stamp your foot, and
say, Alas! because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for
they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. 12He that is far
off shall die of pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he
that is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury
upon them. 13And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie
among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, on all the
mountain tops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever
they offered pleasing odor to all their idols. 14And I will stretch out my
hand against them, and make the land desolate and waste, throughout all
their habitations, from the wilderness to Riblah. v Then they will know that
I am the LORD.”
Impending Doom
7 The word of the LORD came to me: 2“And you, O son of man, thus
says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon
the four corners of the land. 3Now the end is upon you, and I will let loose
my anger upon you, and will judge you according to your ways; and I will
punish you for all your abominations. 4And my eye will not spare you, nor
will I have pity; but I will punish you for your ways, while your
abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
5 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes.
6An end has come, the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold,
it comes. 7Your doom w has come to you, O inhabitant of the land; the time
has come, the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting upon
the mountains. 8Now I will soon pour out my wrath upon you, and spend
my anger against you, and judge you according to your ways; and I will
punish you for all your abominations. 9And my eye will not spare, nor will I
have pity; I will punish you according to your ways, while your
abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD,
who strike.
10 “Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom w has come, injustice
x has blossomed, pride has budded. 11Violence has grown up into a rod of
wickedness; none of them shall remain, nor their abundance, nor their
wealth; neither shall there be preeminence among them. y 12The time has
come, the day draws near. Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn,
for wrath z is upon all their multitude. 13For the seller shall not return to
what he has sold, while they live. For wrath is upon all their multitude; it
shall not turn back; and because of his iniquity, none can maintain his life. a
14 “They have blown the trumpet and made all ready; but none goes to
battle, for my wrath is upon all their multitude. 15The sword is without,
pestilence and famine are within; he that is in the field dies by the sword;
and him that is in the city famine and pestilence devour. 16And if any
survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys,
all of them moaning, every one over his iniquity. 17All hands are feeble, and
all knees weak as water. 18They clothe themselves with sackcloth, and
horror covers them; shame is upon all faces, and baldness on all their heads.
19They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean
thing; their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the
wrath of the LORD; they cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs
with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. 20Their b beautiful
ornament they used for vainglory, and they made their abominable images
and their detestable things of it; therefore I will make it an unclean thing to
them. 21And I will give it into the hands of foreigners for a prey, and to the
wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall profane it. 22I will turn my
face from them, that they may profane my precious c place; robbers shall
enter and profane it, 23and make a desolation. d
“Because the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence,
24I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses; I
will put an end to their proud might, and their holy places shall be profaned.
25When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none.
26Disaster comes upon disaster, rumor follows rumor; they seek a vision
from the prophet, but the law perishes from the priest, and counsel from the
elders. 27The king mourns, the prince is wrapped in despair, and the hands
of the people of the land are palsied by terror. According to their way I will
do to them, and according to their own judgments I will judge them; and
they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Vision of Abominations in the Temple
8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I
sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the
Lord GOD fell there upon me. 2Then I beheld a form that had the
appearance of a man; e below what appeared to be his loins it was fire, and
above his loins it was like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming
bronze. 3He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head;
and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in
visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner
court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which
provokes to jealousy. 4And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there,
like the vision that I saw in the plain.
5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now in the direction
of the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of
the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy. 6And he said to
me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations
that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my
sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations.”
7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold,
there was a hole in the wall. 8Then said he to me, “Son of man, dig in the
wall”; and when I dug in the wall, behold, there was a door. 9And he said to
me, “Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.”
10So I went in and saw; and there, portrayed upon the wall round about,
were all kinds of creeping things, and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of
the house of Israel. 11And before them stood seventy men of the elders of
the house of Israel, with Ja-azani'ah the son of Sha'phan standing among
them. Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of
incense went up. 12Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what
the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, every man in his
room f of pictures? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has
forsaken the land.’ ” 13He said also to me, “You will see still greater
abominations which they commit.”
14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of
the LORD; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.* 15Then he
said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? You will see still greater
abominations than these.”
16 And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD; and
behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the
altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the
LORD, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east.
17Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too slight a
thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they
commit here, that they should fill the land with violence, and provoke me
further to anger? Behold, they put the branch to their nose. 18Therefore I
will deal in wrath; my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; and though
they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”
Vision of the Executioners
9 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Draw near, you
executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.”
2And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which
faces north, every man with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with
them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his side. And they
went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherubim on
which it rested to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man
clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his side. 4And the LORD said to
him, “Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the
foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are
committed in it.” 5And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through
the city after him, and kill; your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no
pity; 6slay old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and
women, but touch no one upon whom is the mark. And begin at my
sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. 7Then
he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go
forth.” So they went forth, and killed in the city. 8And while they were
killing, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord
GOD! will you destroy all that remains of Israel in the outpouring of your
wrath upon Jerusalem?”
9 Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is
exceedingly great; the land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice; for
they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.’ 10As
for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity, but I will repay their
deeds upon their heads.”
11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his side,
brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me.”
Divine Glory over the Cherubim
10 Then I looked, and behold, on the firma- ment that was over the
heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a
sapphire, in form resembling a throne. 2And he said to the man clothed in
linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim; fill your
hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over
the city.”
And he went in before my eyes. 3Now the cherubim were standing on the
south side of the house, when the man went in; and a cloud filled the inner
court. 4And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherubim to the
threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the
court was full of the brightness of the glory of the LORD. 5And the sound of
the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice
of God Almighty when he speaks.
6 And when he commanded the man clothed in linen, “Take fire from
between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he went in and
stood beside a wheel. 7And a cherub stretched forth his hand from between
the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it,
and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went
out. 8The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their
wings.
9 And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim,
one beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like
sparkling chrysolite. 10And as for their appearance, the four had the same
likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel. 11When they went, they went in
any of their four directions g without turning as they went, but in whatever
direction the front wheel faced the others followed without turning as they
went. 12And h their rims, and their spokes, i and the wheels were full of eyes
round about—the wheels that the four of them had. 13As for the wheels,
they were called in my hearing the whirling wheels. 14And every one had
four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was
the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of
an eagle.
15 And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I
saw by the river Che'bar. 16And when the cherubim went, the wheels went
beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from
the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them. 17When they stood still,
these stood still, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them;
for the spirit of the living creatures j was in them.
18 Then the glory of the LORD went forth from the threshold of the
house, and stood over the cherubim. 19And the cherubim lifted up their
wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight as they went forth, with
the wheels beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the
house of the LORD; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.
20 These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel
by the river Che'bar; and I knew that they were cherubim. 21Each had four
faces, and each four wings, and underneath their wings the semblance of
human hands. 22And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the very
faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Che'bar. They went every
one straight forward.
Judgment against the Wicked Counselors
11 The Spirit lifted me up, and brought me to the east gate of the house
of the LORD, which faces east. And behold, at the door of the gateway there
were twenty-five men; and I saw among them Ja-azani'ah the son of Azzur,
and Pelati'ah the son of Bena'iah, princes of the people. 2And he said to me,
“Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked
counsel in this city; 13who say, ‘The time is not near k to build houses; this
city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.’ 4Therefore prophesy against them,
prophesy, O son of man.”
5 And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus
says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel; for I know the things that
come into your mind. 6You have multiplied your slain in this city, and have
filled its streets with the slain. 7Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Your
slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city
is the caldron; but you shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. 8You
have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, says the Lord
GOD. 9And I will bring you forth out of the midst of it, and give you into
the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. 10You shall fall
by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel; and you shall know
that I am the LORD. 11This city shall not be your caldron, nor shall you be
the flesh in the midst of it; I will judge you at the border of Israel; 12and you
shall know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in my statutes, nor
executed my ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the
nations that are round about you.”
13 And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelati'ah the son of
Bena'iah died. Then I fell down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice,
and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! will you make a full end of the remnant of
Israel?”
God Will Restore Israel
14 And the word of the LORD came to me: 15“Son of man, your brethren,
even your brethren, your fellow exiles, l the whole house of Israel, all of
them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘They have
gone far from the LORD; to us this land is given for a possession.’
16Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them far off
among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I
have been a sanctuary to them for a while m in the countries where they
have gone.’ 17Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you
from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have
been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ 18And when they
come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its
abominations. 19And I will give them one n heart, and put a new spirit
within them; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a
heart of flesh, 20that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances
and obey them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21But
as for those o whose heart goes after their detestable things and their
abominations, I will repay their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord
GOD.”
22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them;
and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. 23And the glory of the
LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain
which is on the east side of the city. 24And the Spirit lifted me up and
brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chalde'a, to the exiles.
Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. 25And I told the exiles all
the things that the LORD had showed me.
Judah’s Captivity Portrayed
12 The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, you dwell in the
midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have
ears to hear, but hear not; 3for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, son of
man, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in
their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in
their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though p they are a rebellious
house. 4You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage
for exile; and you shall go forth yourself at evening in their sight, as men do
who must go into exile. 5Dig through the wall in their sight, and go q out
through it. 6In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder, and
carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, that you may not see the
land; for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.”
7 And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as
baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own
hands; I went forth in the dark, carrying my outfit upon my shoulder in their
sight.
8 In the morning the word of the LORD came to me: 9“Son of man, has not
the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’
10Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: This oracle concerns the prince in
Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are in it.’ r 11Say, ‘I am a sign for
you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into
captivity.’ 12And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon
his shoulder in the dark, and shall go forth; he s shall dig through the wall
and go t out through it; he shall cover his face, that he may not see the land
with his eyes. 13And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in
my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chalde'ans, yet
he shall not see it; and he shall die there. 14And I will scatter toward every
wind all who are round about him, his helpers u and all his troops; and I will
unsheathe the sword after them. 15And they shall know that I am the LORD,
when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the
countries. 16But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine
and pestilence, that they may confess all their abominations among the
nations where they go, and may know that I am the LORD.”
Judgment Will Not Be Delayed
17 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me: 18“Son of man, eat your
bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with fearfulness;
19and say of the people of the land, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the
inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with
fearfulness, and drink water in dismay, because their land will be stripped
of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who dwell in it.
20And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a
daubed it with whitewash; and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor
those who daubed it, 16the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning
Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, says
the Lord GOD.
17 “And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your
people, who prophesy out of their own minds; prophesy against them 18and
say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew magic bands
upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in
the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people, and
keep other souls alive for your profit? 19You have profaned me among my
people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death
persons who should not die and keeping alive persons who should not live,
by your lies to my people, who listen to lies.
20 “Wherefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your magic
bands with which you hunt the souls, y and I will tear them from your arms;
and I will let the souls that you hunt go free z like birds. 21Your veils also I
will tear off, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no
more in your hand as prey; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
22Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not
disheartened him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not
turn from his wicked way to save his life; 23therefore you shall no more see
delusive visions nor practice divination; I will deliver my people out of
your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”
Idolatry Condemned
14 Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me; and sat before me.
2And the word of the LORD came to me: 3“Son of man, these men have
taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their
iniquity before their faces; should I let myself be inquired of at all by them?
4Therefore speak to them, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Any
man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the
stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the
prophet, I the LORD will answer him myself a because of the multitude of
his idols, 5that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are
all estranged from me through their idols.
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Repent
and turn away from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your
abominations. 7For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that
sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his
heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet
comes to a prophet to inquire for himself of me, I the LORD will answer him
myself; 8and I will set my face against that man, I will make him a sign and
a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people; and you shall know
that I am the LORD. 9And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, the
LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against
him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10And they
shall bear their punishment—the punishment of the prophet and the
punishment of the inquirer shall be alike— 11that the house of Israel may go
no more astray from me, nor defile themselves any more with all their
transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, says
the Lord GOD.”
12 *And the word of the LORD came to me: 13“Son of man, when a land
sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it,
and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man
and beast, 14even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, * and Job, were in it,
they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord
GOD. 15If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it,
and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the
beasts; 16even if these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD,
they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; they alone would be
delivered, but the land would be desolate. 17Or if I bring a sword upon that
land, and say, Let a sword go through the land; and I cut off from it man
and beast; 18though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord
GOD, they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would
be delivered. 19Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my
wrath upon it with blood, to cut off from it man and beast; 20even if Noah,
Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they would deliver
neither son nor daughter; they would deliver but their own lives by their
righteousness.
21 “For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon
Jerusalem my four sore acts of judgment, sword, famine, evil beasts, and
pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! 22Yet, if there should be left in
it any survivors to lead out sons and daughters, when they come forth to
you, and you see their ways and their doings, you will be consoled for the
evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it.
23They will console you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you
shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says
the Lord GOD.”
The Useless Vine
15 And the word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, how does the
wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch which is among the
trees of the forest? 3Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do men take a
peg from it to hang any vessel on? 4Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel;
when the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred,
is it useful for anything? 5Behold, when it was whole, it was used for
nothing; how much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred,
can it ever be used for anything! 6Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Like
the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the
fire for fuel, so will I give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7And I will set
my face against them; though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet
consume them; and you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face
against them. 8And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted
faithlessly, says the Lord GOD.”
God’s Unfaithful Bride
16 Again the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, make known
to Jerusalem her abominations, 3and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to
Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites;
your father was an Am'orite, and your mother a Hittite. 4And as for your
birth, on the day you were born your navel string was not cut, nor were you
washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor swathed with
bands. 5No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of
compassion for you; but you were cast out on the open field, for you were
abhorred, on the day that you were born.
6 “And when I passed by you, and saw you weltering in your blood, I
said to you in your blood, ‘Live, 7and grow up b like a plant of the field.’
And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full maidenhood; c your
breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and
bare.
8 “When I passed by you again and looked upon you, behold, you were at
the age for love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your
nakedness: yes, I pledged myself to you and entered into a covenant with
you, says the Lord GOD, and you became mine. 9Then I bathed you with
water and washed off your blood from you, and anointed you with oil. 10I
clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with leather, I
wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. 11And I decked you
with ornaments, and put bracelets on your arms, and a chain on your neck.
12And I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful
crown upon your head. 13Thus you were decked with gold and silver; and
your clothing was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth; you ate
fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful, and came to
regal estate. 14And your renown went forth among the nations because of
your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor which I had bestowed
upon you, says the Lord GOD.
15 “But you trusted in your beauty, and played the harlot because of your
renown, and lavished your harlotries on any passer-by. 16You took some of
your garments, and made for yourself gaily decked shrines, and on them
played the harlot; the like has never been, nor ever shall be. 17You also took
your fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and
made for yourself images of men, and with them played the harlot; 18and
you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my
incense before them. 19Also my bread which I gave you—I fed you with
fine flour and oil and honey—you set before them for a pleasing odor, says
the Lord GOD. d 20And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you
had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were
your harlotries so small a matter 21that you slaughtered my children and
delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? 22And in all your
abominations and your harlotries you did not remember the days of your
youth, when you were naked and bare, weltering in your blood.
23 “And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! says the Lord
GOD), 24you built yourself a vaulted chamber, and made yourself a lofty
place in every square; 25at the head of every street you built your lofty place
and prostituted your beauty, offering yourself to any passer-by, and
multiplying your harlotry. 26You also played the harlot with the Egyptians,
your lustful neighbors, multiplying your harlotry, to provoke me to anger.
27Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you, and diminished
your allotted portion, and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, the
daughters of the Philis'tines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.
28You played the harlot also with the Assyrians, because you were
insatiable; yes, you played the harlot with them, and still you were not
satisfied. 29You multiplied your harlotry also with the trading land of
Chalde'a; and even with this you were not satisfied.
30 “How lovesick is your heart, says the Lord GOD, seeing you did all
these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot; 31building your vaulted chamber
at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet
you were not like a harlot, because you scorned hire. 32Adulterous wife,
who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33Men give gifts to all
harlots; but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to
you from every side for your harlotries. 34So you were different from other
women in your harlotries: none solicited you to play the harlot; and you
gave hire, while no hire was given to you; therefore you were different.
35 “Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD: 36Thus says the
Lord GOD, Because your shame was laid bare and your nakedness
uncovered in your harlotries with your lovers, and because of all your idols,
and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them,
37therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you took
pleasure, all those you loved and all those you loathed; I will gather them
against you from every side, and will uncover your nakedness to them, that
they may see all your nakedness. 38And I will judge you as women who
break wedlock and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of
wrath and jealousy. 39And I will give you into the hand of your lovers, and
they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty
places; they shall strip you of your clothes and take your fair jewels, and
leave you naked and bare. 40They shall bring up a host against you, and
they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41And they
shall burn your houses and execute judgments upon you in the sight of
many women; I will make you stop playing the harlot, and you shall also
give hire no more. 42So will I satisfy my fury on you, and my jealousy shall
depart from you; I will be calm, and will no more be angry. 43Because you
have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all
these things; therefore, behold, I will repay your deeds upon your head, says
the Lord GOD.
“Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?
44Behold, every one who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you,
‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45You are the daughter of your mother, who
loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters,
who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hit'tite
and your father an Am'orite. 46And your elder sister is Samar'ia, who lived
with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived
to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47Yet you were not
content to walk in their ways, or do according to their abominations; within
a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48As I
live, says the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not
done as you and your daughters have done. 49Behold, this was the guilt of
your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, surfeit of food, and
prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50They were haughty,
and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them, when I
saw it. 51Samar'ia has not committed half your sins; you have committed
more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous
by all the abominations which you have committed. 52Bear your disgrace,
you also, for you have made judgment favorable to your sisters; because of
your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in
the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you
have made your sisters appear righteous.
53 “I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her
daughters, and the fortunes of Samar'ia and her daughters, and I will restore
your own fortunes in the midst of them, 54that you may bear your disgrace
and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them.
55As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former
estate, and Samar'ia and her daughters shall return to their former estate;
and you and your daughters shall return to your former estate. 56Was not
your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride,
57before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become like her e
an object of reproach for the daughters of E'dom f and all her neighbors, and
for the daughters of the Philis'tines, those round about who despise you.
58You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, says the
LORD.
The Everlasting Covenant
59 “Yes, thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done,
who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, 60yet I will remember
my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with
you an everlasting covenant. 61Then you will remember your ways, and be
ashamed when I g take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and
give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you.
62I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the
LORD, 63that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your
mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you all that you have
done, says the Lord GOD.”
Two Eagles and the Vine
17 The word of the LORD came to me: * 2“Son of man, propound a
riddle, and speak an allegory to the house of Israel; 3say, Thus says the Lord
GOD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of
many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar; 4he broke off
the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade, and set it in a
city of merchants. 5Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in
fertile soil; he placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig,
6and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned
toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine, and
brought forth branches and put forth foliage.
7 “But there was another great eagle with great wings and much
plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its
branches toward him that he might water it. From the bed where it was
planted 8he transplanted it h to good soil by abundant waters, that it might
bring forth branches, and bear fruit, and become a noble vine. 9Say, Thus
says the Lord GOD: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off
its branches, i so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a
strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. 10Behold, when it is
transplanted, will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind
strikes it—wither away on the bed where it grew?”
11 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 12“Say now to the rebellious
house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, Behold, the
king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and
brought them to him to Babylon. 13And he took one of the royal offspring
and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. (The chief men of
the land he had taken away, 14that the kingdom might be humble and not lift
itself up, and that by keeping his covenant it might stand.) 15But he rebelled
against him by sending ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him
horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Can a man escape who does such
things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? 16As I live, says the
Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king,
whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon
he shall die. 17Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not
help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off
many lives. 18Because he despised the oath and broke the covenant, because
he gave his hand and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.
19Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely my oath which he
despised, and my covenant which he broke, I will repay upon his head. 20I
will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will
bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treason
he has committed against me. 21And all the pick j of his troops shall fall by
the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall
know that I, the LORD, have spoken.”
22 Thus says the Lord GOD: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty
top of the cedar, and will set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its
young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it upon a high and lofty
mountain; 23on the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring
forth boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar; and under it will
dwell all kinds of beasts; k in the shade of its branches birds of every sort
will nest. 24And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD bring
low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and
make the dry tree flourish. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.”
Each Will Be Judged by His Own Conduct
18 The word of the LORD came to me again: 2“What do you mean by
repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten
sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3As I live, says the
Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4Behold, all
souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine:
the soul that sins shall die.
5 “If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right— 6if he does
not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of
Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman in her time
of impurity, 7does not oppress any one, but restores to the debtor his pledge,
commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked
with a garment, 8does not lend at interest or take any increase, withholds his
hand from iniquity, executes true justice between man and man, 9walks in
my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances l—he is righteous, he
shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.
10 “If he begets a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, m 11who does
none of these duties, but eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s
wife, 12oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the
pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, 13lends at
interest, and takes increase; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has
done all these abominable things; he shall surely die; his blood shall be
upon himself.
14 “But if this man begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has
done, and fears, and does not do likewise, 15who does not eat upon the
mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not
defile his neighbor’s wife, 16does not wrong any one, exacts no pledge,
commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked
with a garment, 17withholds his hand from iniquity, n takes no interest or
increase, observes my ordinances, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die
for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live. 18As for his father, because he
practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his
people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.
19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the
father?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been
careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20The soul that sins
shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father
suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be
upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 “But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has
committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he
shall surely live; he shall not die. 22None of the transgressions which he has
committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he
has done he shall live. 23Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked,
says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and
live? 24But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and
commits iniquity and does the same abominable things that the wicked man
does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he has done shall be
remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has
committed, he shall die.
25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of
Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26When a
righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he
shall die for it; for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die.
27Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has
committed and does what is lawful and right, he shall save his life.
28Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which
he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29Yet the house of
Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my
ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to
his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions,
lest iniquity be your ruin. o 31Cast away from you all the transgressions
which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and
a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure
in the death of any one, says the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”
A Lamentation for Israel
19 And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2and say:
What a lioness was your mother
among lions!
She lurked in the midst of young lions,
rearing her whelps.
3And she brought up one of her whelps;
a ruler’s scepter;
it towered aloft
among the thick boughs;
it was seen in its height
with the mass of its branches.
12But the vine was plucked up in fury,
they might know that I the LORD sanctify them. 13But the house of Israel
rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not walk in my statutes but
rejected my ordinances, by whose observance man shall live; and my
sabbaths they greatly profaned.
“Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness,
to make a full end of them. 14But I acted for the sake of my name, that it
should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had
brought them out. 15Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I
would not bring them into the land which I had given them, a land flowing
with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, 16because they rejected
my ordinances and did not walk in my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths;
for their heart went after their idols. 17Nevertheless my eye spared them,
and I did not destroy them or make a full end of them in the wilderness.
18 “And I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not walk in the
statutes of your fathers, nor observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves
with their idols. 19I the LORD am your God; walk in my statutes, and be
careful to observe my ordinances, 20and hallow my sabbaths that they may
be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I the LORD am your
God. 21But the children rebelled against me; they did not walk in my
statutes, and were not careful to observe my ordinances, by whose
observance man shall live; they profaned my sabbaths.
“Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my
anger against them in the wilderness. 22But I withheld my hand, and acted
for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the
nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. 23Moreover I swore to them
in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse
them through the countries, 24because they had not executed my ordinances,
but had rejected my statutes and profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were
set on their fathers’ idols. 25Moreover I gave them statutes that were not
good and ordinances by which they could not have life; 26and I defiled them
through their very gifts in making them offer by fire all their first-born, that
I might horrify them; I did it that they might know that I am the LORD.
27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them,
Thus says the Lord GOD: In this again your fathers blasphemed me, by
dealing treacherously with me. 28For when I had brought them into the land
which I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any
leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and presented the provocation
of their offering; there they sent up their soothing odors, and there they
poured out their drink offerings. 29(I said to them, What is the high place to
which you go? So its name is called Ba'mah t to this day.) 30Wherefore say
to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves
after the manner of your fathers and go astray after their detestable things?
31When you offer your gifts and sacrifice your sons by fire, you defile
yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you,
O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of
by you.
32 “What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ‘Let us be
like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and
stone.’
God Will Restore Israel
33 “As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an
outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you. 34I
will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries
where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and
with wrath poured out; 35and I will bring you into the wilderness of the
peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36As I
entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of
Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the Lord GOD. 37I will
make you pass under the rod, and I will let you go in by number. u 38I will
purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me;
I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter
the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
39 “As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve
every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me;
but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols.
40 “For on my holy mountain, the mountain height of Israel, says the
Lord GOD, there all the house of Israel, all of them, shall serve me in the
land; there I will accept them, and there I will require your contributions
and the choicest of your gifts, with all your sacred offerings. 41As a pleasing
odor I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather
you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will manifest
my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 42And you shall know
that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country
which I swore to give to your fathers. 43And there you shall remember your
ways and all the doings with which you have polluted yourselves; and you
shall loathe yourselves for all the evils that you have committed. 44And you
shall know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name’s sake,
not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O
house of Israel, says the Lord GOD.”
A Prophecy against the Negeb
45 v And the word of the LORD came to me: 46“Son of man, set your face
toward the south, preach against the south, and prophesy against the forest
land in the Neg'eb; 47say to the forest of the Neg'eb, Hear the word of the
LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it
shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree; the blazing flame
shall not be quenched, and all faces from south to north shall be scorched
by it. 48All flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be
quenched.” 49Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! they are saying of me, ‘Is he not
a maker of allegories?’ ”
The Sharpened Sword Unsheathed
21 w The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, set your face
toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the
land of Israel 3and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD: Behold, I
am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut
off from you both righteous and wicked. 4Because I will cut off from you
both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall go out of its sheath
against all flesh from south to north; 5and all flesh shall know that I the
LORD have drawn my sword out of its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again.
6Sigh therefore, son of man; sigh with breaking heart and bitter grief before
their eyes. 7And when they say to you, ‘Why do you sigh?’ you shall say,
‘Because of the tidings. When it comes, every heart will melt and all hands
will be feeble, every spirit will faint and all knees will be weak as water.
Behold, it comes and it will be fulfilled,’ ” says the Lord GOD.
8 And the word of the LORD came to me: 9“Son of man, prophesy and
say, Thus says the Lord, Say:
A sword, a sword is sharpened
and also polished,
10sharpened for slaughter,
princes of Israel; they are delivered over to the sword with my people.
Strike therefore upon your thigh. 13For it will not be a testing—what could
it do if you despise the rod?” says the Lord GOD.
14 “Prophesy therefore, son of man; clap your hands and let the sword
come down twice, yes, thrice, the sword for those to be slain; it is the sword
for the great slaughter, which encompasses them, 15that their hearts may
melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword; ah! it
is made like lightning, it is polished x for slaughter. 16Cut sharply to right y
and left where your edge is directed. 17I also will clap my hands, and I will
satisfy my fury; I the LORD have spoken.”
18 The word of the LORD came to me again: 19“Son of man, mark two
ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them shall
come forth from the same land. And make a signpost, make it at the head of
the way to a city; 20mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the
Am'monites and to Judah and to z Jerusalem the fortified. 21For the king of
Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use
divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the teraphim, he looks at the
liver. 22Into his right hand comes the lot for Jerusalem, a to open the mouth
with a cry, b to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against
the gates, to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. 23But to them it will
seem like a false divination; they have sworn solemn oaths; but he brings
their guilt to remembrance, that they may be captured.
24 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have made your
guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in
all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance,
you shall be taken in them. c 25And you, O unhallowed wicked one, prince
of Israel, whose day has come, the time of your final punishment, 26thus
says the Lord GOD: Remove the turban, and take off the crown; things shall
not remain as they are; exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high.
27A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it; there shall not be even a trace d of it until
the fire of my wrath; and I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
skilful to destroy. 32You shall be fuel for the fire; your blood shall be in the
midst of the land; you shall be no more remembered; for I the LORD have
spoken.”
The Sins of Jerusalem
22 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2“And you, son
of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her
all her abominable deeds. 3You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A city
that sheds blood in the midst of her, that her time may come, and that makes
idols to defile herself! 4You have become guilty by the blood which you
have shed, and defiled by the idols which you have made; and you have
brought your day near, the appointed time f of your years has come.
Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mocking to all
the countries. 5Those who are near and those who are far from you will
mock you, you infamous one, full of tumult.
6 “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power,
have been bent on shedding blood. 7Father and mother are treated with
contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless
and the widow are wronged in you. 8You have despised my holy things, and
profaned my sabbaths. 9There are men in you who slander to shed blood,
and men in you who eat upon the mountains; men commit lewdness in your
midst. 10In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they humble
women who are unclean in their impurity. 11One commits abomination with
his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in
you defiles his sister, his father’s daughter. 12In you men take bribes to shed
blood; you take interest and increase and make gain of your neighbors by
extortion; and you have forgotten me, says the Lord GOD.
13 “Behold, therefore, I strike my hands together at the dishonest gain
which you have made, and at the blood which has been in the midst of you.
14Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I
shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. 15I will scatter
you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will
consume your filthiness out of you. 16And I g shall be profaned through you
in the sight of the nations; and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
17 And the word of the LORD came to me: 18“Son of man, the house of
Israel has become dross to me; all of them, silver h and bronze and tin and
iron and lead in the furnace, have become dross. 19Therefore thus says the
Lord GOD: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will
gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20As men gather silver and bronze
and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire upon it in order to
melt it; so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you
in and melt you. 21I will gather you and blow upon you with the fire of my
wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. 22As silver is melted in a
furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it; and you shall know that I
the LORD have poured out my wrath upon you.”
23 And the word of the LORD came to me: 24“Son of man, say to her, You
are a land that is not cleansed, or rained upon in the day of indignation.
25Her princes i in the midst of her are like a roaring lion tearing the prey;
they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious
things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. 26Her priests have
done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things; they have made
no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught
the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded
my sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27Her princes in the midst
of her are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to
get dishonest gain. 28And her prophets have daubed for them with
whitewash, seeing false visions and making up lies for them, saying, ‘Thus
says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken. 29The people of the
land have practiced extortion and committed robbery; they have oppressed
the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without redress.
30And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and
stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I
found none. 31Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them; I
have consumed them with the fire of my wrath; their way have I repaid
upon their heads, says the Lord GOD.”
Oholah and Oholibah
23 The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, there were two
women, the daughters of one mother; 3they played the harlot in Egypt; they
played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their
virgin bosoms handled. 4Oho'lah was the name of the elder and Ohol'ibah
the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and
daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samar'ia, and Oholibah is
Jerusalem.
5 “Oho'lah played the harlot while she was mine; and she doted on her
lovers the Assyrians, 6warriors clothed in purple, governors and
commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.
7She bestowed her harlotries upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of
them; and she defiled herself with all the idols of every one on whom she
doted. 8She did not give up her harlotry which she had practiced since her
days in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin
bosom and poured out their lust upon her. 9Therefore I delivered her into
the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, upon whom she
doted. 10These uncovered her nakedness; they seized her sons and her
daughters; and her they slew with the sword; and she became a byword
among women, when judgment had been executed upon her.
11 “Her sister Ohol'ibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt than she in her
doting and in her harlotry, which was worse than that of her sister. 12She
doted upon the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in
full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.
13And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way. 14But she
carried her harlotry further; she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the
images of the Chalde'ans portrayed in vermilion, 15with belts around their
waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like
officers, a picture of Babylonians whose native land was Chalde'a. 16When
she saw them she doted upon them, and sent messengers to them in
Chalde'a. 17And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they
defiled her with their lust; and after she was polluted by them, she turned
from them in disgust. 18When she carried on her harlotry so openly and
flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned from
her sister. 19Yet she increased her harlotry, remembering the days of her
youth, when she played the harlot in the land of Egypt 20and doted upon her
paramours there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose
issue was like that of horses. 21Thus you longed for the lewdness of your
youth, when the Egyptians j handled your bosom and pressed k your young
breasts.”
22 Therefore, O Ohol'ibah, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will rouse
against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring
them against you from every side: 23the Babylonians and all the Chalde'ans,
Pe'kod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young
men, governors and commanders all of them, officers and warriors, l all of
them riding on horses. 24And they shall come against you from the north m
with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples; they shall set themselves
against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet, and I will
commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their
judgments. 25And I will direct my indignation against you, that they may
deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your
survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your
daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire. 26They shall also
strip you of your clothes and take away your fine jewels. 27Thus I will put
an end to your lewdness and your harlotry brought from the land of Egypt;
so that you shall not lift up your eyes to the Egyptians or remember them
any more. 28For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver you into the
hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you
turned in disgust; 29and they shall deal with you in hatred, and take away all
the fruit of your labor, and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of
your harlotry shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your harlotry 30have
brought this upon you, because you played the harlot with the nations, and
polluted yourself with their idols. 31You have gone the way of your sister;
therefore I will give her cup into your hand. 32Thus says the Lord GOD:
“You shall drink your sister’s cup
which is deep and large;
you shall be laughed at and held in derision,
for it contains much;
33you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow.
may burn, that its filthiness may be melted in it, its rust consumed. 12In vain
I have wearied myself; w its thick rust does not go out of it by fire. 13Its rust
is your filthy lewdness. Because I would have cleansed you and you were
not cleansed from your filthiness, you shall not be cleansed any more till I
have satisfied my fury upon you. 14I the LORD have spoken; it shall come to
pass, I will do it; I will not go back, I will not spare, I will not repent;
according to your ways and your doings I will judge you, says the Lord
GOD.”
Ezekiel’s Wife Dies
15 Also the word of the LORD came to me: 16“Son of man, behold, I am
about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you
shall not mourn or weep nor shall your tears run down. 17Sigh, but not
aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your
shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of mourners.” x
18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died.
shall not mourn or weep, but you shall pine away in your iniquities and
groan to one another. 24Thus shall Ezek'iel be to you a sign; according to all
that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I
am the Lord GOD.’
25 “And you, son of man, on the day when I take from them their
stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their heart’s
desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26on that day a fugitive will come
to you to report to you the news. 27On that day your mouth will be opened
to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a
sign to them; and they will know that I am the LORD.”
Prophecy against the Ammonites
25 The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, set your face
toward the Am'monites, and prophesy against them. 3Say to the
Am'monites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD: Thus says the Lord GOD,
Because you said, ‘Aha!’ over my sanctuary when it was profaned, and
over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of
Judah when it went into exile; 4therefore I am handing you over to the
people of the East for a possession, and they shall set their encampments
among you and make their dwellings in your midst; they shall eat your fruit,
and they shall drink your milk. 5I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels
and the cities of the Am'monites y a fold for flocks. Then you will know that
I am the LORD. 6For thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have clapped
your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the malice within
you against the land of Israel, 7therefore, behold, I have stretched out my
hand against you, and will hand you over as spoil to the nations; and I will
cut you off from the peoples and will make you perish out of the countries;
I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Prophecy against Moab
8 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Moab z said, Behold, the house of
Judah is like all the other nations, 9therefore I will lay open the flank of
Moab from the cities a on its frontier, the glory of the country, Beth-
jesh'imoth, Ba'al-me'on, and Kir''iatha'im. 10I will give it along with the
Am'monites to the people of the East as a possession, that it b may be
remembered no more among the nations, 11and I will execute judgments
upon Moab. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
Prophecy against Edom
12 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Because E'dom acted revengefully against
the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance upon
them, 13therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out my hand
against E'dom, and cut off from it man and beast; and I will make it
desolate; from Te'man even to De'dan they shall fall by the sword. 14And I
will lay my vengeance upon E'dom by the hand of my people Israel; and
they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my wrath;
and they shall know my vengeance, says the Lord GOD.
Prophecy against the Philistines
15 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the Philis'tines acted revengefully
and took vengeance with malice of heart to destroy in never-ending enmity;
16therefore thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I will stretch out my hand
against the Philis'tines, and I will cut off the Cher'ethites, and destroy the
rest of the seacoast. 17I will execute great vengeance upon them with
wrathful chastisements. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay
my vengeance upon them.”
Prophecy against Tyre
26 * In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the
LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem,
‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken, it has swung open to me; I shall be
replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ 3therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against
you, as the sea brings up its waves. 4They shall destroy the walls of Tyre,
and break down her towers; and I will scrape her soil from her, and make
her a bare rock. 5She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the
spreading of nets; for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD; and she shall
become a spoil to the nations; 6and her daughters on the mainland shall be
slain by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
7 “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the
north Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and
chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers. 8He will slay with
the sword your daughters on the mainland; he will set up a siege wall
against you, and throw up a mound against you, and raise a roof of shields
against you. 9He will direct the shock of his battering rams against your
walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. 10His horses will
be so many that their dust will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise
of the horsemen and wagons and chariots, when he enters your gates as one
enters a city which has been breached. 11With the hoofs of his horses he will
trample all your streets; he will slay your people with the sword; and your
mighty pillars will fall to the ground. 12They will make a spoil of your
riches and a prey of your merchandise; they will break down your walls and
destroy your pleasant houses; your stones and timber and soil they will cast
into the midst of the waters. 13And I will stop the music of your songs, and
the sound of your lyres shall be heard no more. 14I will make you a bare
rock; you shall be a place for the spreading of nets; you shall never be
rebuilt; for I the LORD have spoken, says the Lord GOD.
15 “Thus says the Lord GOD to Tyre: Will not the islands shake at the
sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when slaughter is made in the
midst of you? 16Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their
thrones, and remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments;
they will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit upon the ground
and tremble every moment, and be appalled at you. 17And they will raise a
lamentation over you, and say to you,
‘How you have vanished c from the seas,
O city renowned,
that was mighty on the sea,
you and your inhabitants,
who imposed your terror
on all the mainland! d
18Now the isles tremble
be sought for, you will never be found again, says the Lord GOD.”
Lamentation over Tyre
27 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Now you, son of man, raise a
lamentation over Tyre, 3and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the
sea, merchant of the peoples on many islands, thus says the Lord GOD:
“O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am perfect in beauty.’
4Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
OceanofPDF.com
by the hand of foreigners;
for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD.”
Lamentation over the King of Tyre
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me: 12“Son of man, raise a
lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord
GOD:
“You were the signet of perfection, p
full of wisdom
and perfect in beauty.
13You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone was your covering,
carnelian, topaz, and jasper,
chrysolite, beryl, and onyx,
sapphire, q carbuncle, and emerald;
and wrought in gold were your settings
and your engravings. r
On the day that you were created
they were prepared.
14With an anointed guardian cherub I placed you; s
you were on the holy mountain of God;
in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
15You were blameless in your ways
and will cut off from you man and beast; 9and the land of Egypt shall be a
desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
“Because you w said, ‘The Nile is mine, and I made it,’ 10therefore,
behold, I am against you, and against your streams, and I will make the land
of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Sye'ne, as far as the
border of Ethiopia. 11No foot of man shall pass through it, and no foot of
beast shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. 12And I will
make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated countries; and
her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I
will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the
countries.
13 “For thus says the Lord GOD: At the end of forty years I will gather
the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered; 14and I
will restore the fortunes of Egypt, and bring them back to the land of
Path'ros, the land of their origin; and there they shall be a lowly kingdom.
15It shall be the most lowly of the kingdoms, and never again exalt itself
above the nations; and I will make them so small that they will never again
rule over the nations. 16And it shall never again be the reliance of the house
of Israel, recalling their iniquity, when they turn to them for aid. Then they
will know that I am the Lord GOD.”
17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the
month, the word of the LORD came to me: 18“Son of man, Nebuchadrez'zar
king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was
made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare; yet neither he nor his army
got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against it.
19Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt
to Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its wealth x and
despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20I have
given him the land of Egypt as his recompense for which he labored,
because they worked for me, says the Lord GOD.
21 “On that day I will cause a horn to spring forth to the house of Israel,
and I will open your lips among them. Then they will know that I am the
LORD.”
Lamentation for Egypt
30 The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, prophesy, and say,
Thus says the Lord GOD:
“Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’
3 For the day is near,
the day of the LORD is near;
it will be a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.
4A sword shall come upon Egypt,
and her cities shall be in the midst of cities that are laid waste.
8Then they will know that I am the LORD,
and will sell the land into the hand of evil men;
I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it,
by the hand of foreigners;
I, the LORD, have spoken.
13 “Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will destroy the idols,
and put an end to the images, in Memphis;
there shall no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt;
so I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
14I will make Path'ros a desolation,
and will set fire to Zoan,
and will execute acts of judgment upon Thebes.
15And I will pour my wrath upon Pelu'sium,
in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before
him like a man mortally wounded. 25I will strengthen the arms of the king
of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall; and they shall know that I
am the LORD. When I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon,
he shall stretch it out against the land of Egypt; 26and I will scatter the
Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.
Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
The Towering Cedar
31 In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month,
the word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of
Egypt and to his multitude:
“Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 Behold, I will liken you d to a cedar in Lebanon,
nations shall chant it; over Egypt, and over all her multitude, shall they
chant it, says the Lord GOD.”
17 In the twelfth year, in the first month, n on the fifteenth day of the
month, the word of the LORD came to me: 18“Son of man, wail over the
multitude of Egypt, and send them down, her and the daughters of majestic
nations, to the nether world, to those who have gone down to the Pit:
19‘Whom do you surpass in beauty?
people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with their lips
they show much love, but their heart is set on their gain. 32And behold, you
are to them like one who sings love songs u with a beautiful voice and plays
well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.
33When this comes— and come it will! —then they will know that a prophet
possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer
bereave them of children. 13Thus says the Lord GOD: Because men say to
you, ‘You devour men, and you bereave your nation of children,’
14therefore you shall no longer devour men and no longer bereave your
nation of children, says the Lord GOD; 15and I will not let you hear any
more the reproach of the nations, and you shall no longer bear the disgrace
of the peoples and no longer cause your nation to stumble, says the Lord
GOD.”
A New Heart and New Spirit
16 The word of the LORD came to me: 17“Son of man, when the house of
Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their doings;
their conduct before me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her
impurity. 18So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood which they
had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. 19I
scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the
countries; in accordance with their conduct and their deeds I judged them.
20But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned
my holy name, in that men said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD,
and yet they had to go out of his land.’ 21But I had concern for my holy
name, which the house of Israel caused to be profaned among the nations to
which they came.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is
not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake
of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you
came. 23And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been
profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them;
and the nations will know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when
through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24For I will take you
from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into
your own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be
clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse
you. 26A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you;
and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of
flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28You shall dwell in the
land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be
your God. 29And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses; and I will
summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. 30I
will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that
you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.
31Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not
good; and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your
abominable deeds. 32It is not for your sake that I will act, says the Lord
GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways,
O house of Israel.
33 “Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your
iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall
be rebuilt. 34And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being
the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. 35And they will
say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and
the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now inhabited and fortified.’
36Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I, the LORD,
have rebuilt the ruined places, and replanted that which was desolate; I, the
LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.
37 “Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask
me to do for them: to increase their men like a flock. 38Like the flock for
sacrifices, c like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall
the waste cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am
the LORD.”
The Valley of Dry Bones
37 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the
Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; d it was full
of bones.* 2And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very
many upon the valley; d and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to
me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD,
you know.” 4Again he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to
them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus says the Lord GOD to
these bones: Behold, I will cause breath e to enter you, and you shall live.
6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you,
and cover you with skin, and put breath e in you, and you shall live; and you
shall know that I am the LORD.”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a
noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon
them, and skin had covered them; but there was no spirit in them. 9Then he
said to me, “Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the
spirit, f Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O spirit, f and
breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as he
commanded me, and the spirit came into them, and they lived, and stood
upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of
Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we
are clean cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the
Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your
graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel.
13And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and
raise you from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within
you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you
shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the
LORD.”
The Two Sticks
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16“Son of man, take a stick and
write on it, ‘For Judah, and the children of Israel associated with him’; then
take another stick and write upon it, ‘For Joseph (the stick of E'phraim) and
all the house of Israel associated with him’; 17and join them together into
one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18And when your people
say to you, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’ 19say to them,
Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph
(which is in the hand of E'phraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with
him; and I will join g with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick,
that they may be one in my hand. 20When the sticks on which you write are
in your hand before their eyes, 21then say to them, Thus says the Lord
GOD: Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from the nations among which
they have gone, and will gather them from all sides, and bring them to their
own land; 22and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the
mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall
be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. 23They
shall not defile themselves any more with their idols and their detestable
things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the
backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they
shall be my people, and I will be their God.
24 “My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have
one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe
my statutes. 25They shall dwell in the land where your fathers dwelt that I
gave to my servant Jacob; they and their children and their children’s
children shall dwell there for ever; and David my servant shall be their
prince for ever. 26I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an
everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless h them and multiply them,
and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27My dwelling
place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my
people. 28Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when
my sanctuary is in the midst of them for evermore.”
Prophecy against Gog
38 * The word of the LORD came to me: 2“Son of man, set your face
toward Gog, of the land of Ma'gog, the chief prince of Me'shech and Tu'bal,
and prophesy against him 3and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am
against you, O Gog, chief prince of Me'shech and Tu'bal; 4and I will turn
you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all
your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great
company, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords; 5Persia,
Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6Gomer
and all his hordes; Beth''-togar'mah from the uttermost parts of the north
with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.
7 “Be ready and keep ready, you and all the hosts that are assembled
about you, and be a guard for them. 8After many days you will be mustered;
in the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the
land where people were gathered from many nations upon the mountains of
Israel, which had been a continual waste; its people were brought out from
the nations and now dwell securely, all of them. 9You will advance, coming
on like a storm, you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your
hordes, and many peoples with you.
10 “Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day thoughts will come into your
mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 11and say, ‘I will go up against the
land of unwalled villages; I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell
securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates’;
12to seize spoil and carry off plunder; to assail the waste places which are
now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who
have gotten cattle and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. 13Sheba
and De'dan and the merchants of Tar'shish and all its villages will say to
you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to
carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and
goods, to seize great spoil?’
14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord
GOD: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, you will
bestir yourself i 15and come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the
north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great
host, a mighty army; 16you will come up against my people Israel, like a
cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land,
that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my
holiness before their eyes.
17 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Are you he of whom I spoke in former
days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied
for years that I would bring you against them? 18But on that day, when Gog
shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord GOD, my wrath will be
roused. 19For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day
there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20the fish of the sea, and
the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that
creep on the ground, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth,
shall quake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and
the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. 21I will
summon every kind of terror j against Gog, k says the Lord GOD; every
man’s sword will be against his brother. 22With pestilence and bloodshed I
will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain upon him and his hordes
and the many peoples that are with him, torrential rains and hailstones, fire
and brimstone. 23So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make
myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am
the LORD.
The Fall of Gog
39 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the
Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Me'shech and
Tu'bal; 2and I will turn you about and drive you forward, and bring you up
from the uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the mountains of
Israel; 3then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your
arrows drop out of your right hand. 4You shall fall upon the mountains of
Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples that are with you; I will give
you to birds of prey of every sort and to the wild beasts to be devoured.
5You shall fall in the open field; for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD. 6I
will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the islands; and
they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 “And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people
Israel; and I will not let my holy name be profaned any more; and the
nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8Behold, it is
coming and it will be brought about, says the Lord GOD. That is the day of
which I have spoken.
9 “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go forth and make
fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bows and arrows,
handpikes and spears, and they will make fires of them for seven years; 10so
that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of
the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons; they will despoil
those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, says the
Lord GOD.
11 “On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley
of the Travelers l east of the sea; it will block the travelers, for there Gog
and all his multitude will be buried; it will be called the Valley of Ha'mon-
gog. m 12For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order
to cleanse the land. 13All the people of the land will bury them; and it will
redound to their honor on the day that I show my glory, says the Lord GOD.
14They will set apart men to pass through the land continually and bury n
those remaining upon the face of the land, so as to cleanse it; at the end of
seven months they will make their search. 15And when these pass through
the land and any one sees a man’s bone, then he shall set up a sign by it, till
the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Ha'mon-gog. 16(A city Hamo'nah o
is there also.) Thus shall they cleanse the land.
17 “As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds
of every sort and to all beasts of the field, ‘Assemble and come, gather from
all sides to the sacrificial feast which I am preparing for you, a great
sacrificial feast upon the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and
drink blood. 18You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of
the princes of the earth—of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bulls, all of
them fatlings of Bashan. 19And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink
blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast which I am preparing for
you. 20And you shall be filled at my table with horses and riders, with
mighty men and all kinds of warriors,’ says the Lord GOD.
Israel to be Restored
21 “And I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall
see my judgment which I have executed, and my hand which I have laid on
them. 22The house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from
that day forward. 23And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went
into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me
that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their
adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24I dealt with them according to
their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.
25 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of
Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous
for my holy name. 26They shall forget their shame, and all the treachery
they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with
none to make them afraid, 27when I have brought them back from the
peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ lands, and through them
have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. 28Then they shall
know that I am the LORD their God because I sent them into exile among
the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will leave none of
them remaining among the nations any more; 29and I will not hide my face
any more from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel,
says the Lord GOD.”
The Vision of Measuring the Temple
40 * In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on
the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was
conquered, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, 2and
brought me in the visions of God into the land of Israel, and set me down
upon a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city opposite
me. p 3When he brought me there, behold, there was a man, whose
appearance was like bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring reed in his
hand; and he was standing in the gateway. 4And the man said to me, “Son
of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your mind
upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I
might show it to you; declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”
5 And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area,
and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits,
each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length; so he measured the
thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. 6Then he went into
the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of
the gate, one reed deep; q 7and the side rooms, one reed long, and one reed
broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold
of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. 8Then he
measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; 9and its jambs, two
cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. 10And there were
three side rooms on either side of the east gate; the three were of the same
size; and the jambs on either side were of the same size. 11Then he
measured the breadth of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the
breadth of the gateway, thirteen cubits. 12There was a barrier before the side
rooms, one cubit on either side; and the side rooms were six cubits on either
side. 13Then he measured the gate from the back r of the one side room to
the back r of the other, a breadth of five and twenty cubits, from door to
door. 14He measured also the vestibule, twenty cubits; and round about the
vestibule of the gateway was the court. s 15From the front of the gate at the
entrance to the end of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. 16And
the gateway had windows round about, narrowing inwards into their jambs
in the side rooms, and likewise the vestibule had windows round about
inside, and on the jambs were palm trees.
17 Then he brought me into the outer court; and behold, there were
chambers and a pavement, round about the court; thirty chambers fronted
on the pavement. 18And the pavement ran along the side of the gates,
corresponding to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement.
19Then he measured the distance from the inner front of t the lower gate to
have charge of the temple, 46and the chamber which faces north is for the
priests who have charge of the altar; these are the sons of Za'dok, who alone
among the sons of Levi may come near to the LORD to minister to him.
47And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits
frames. Over against the threshold the temple was paneled with wood round
about, from the floor up to the windows (now the windows were covered),
17to the space above the door, even to the inner room, and on the outside.
And on all the walls round about in the inner room and the nave were
carved likenesses q 18of cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between
cherub and cherub. Every cherub had two faces: 19the face of a man toward
the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm
tree on the other side. They were carved on the whole temple round about;
20from the floor to above the door cherubim and palm trees were carved on
the wall. r
21 The doorposts of the nave were squared; and in front of the holy place
was something resembling 22an altar of wood, three cubits high, two cubits
long, and two cubits broad; s its corners, its base, t and its walls were of
wood. He said to me, “This is the table which is before the LORD.” 23The
nave and the holy place had each a double door. 24The doors had two leaves
apiece, two swinging leaves for each door. 25And on the doors of the nave
were carved cherubim and palm trees, such as were carved on the walls;
and there was a canopy of wood in front of the vestibule outside. 26And
there were recessed windows and palm trees on either side, on the sidewalls
of the vestibule. u
42 Then he led me out into the inner v court, toward the north, and he
brought me to the chambers which were opposite the temple yard and
opposite the building on the north. 2The length of the building which was
on the north side w was x a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty cubits.
3Adjoining the twenty cubits which belonged to the inner court, and facing
the pavement which belonged to the outer court, was gallery y against
gallery y in three stories. 4And before the chambers was a passage inward,
ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long, z and their doors were on the
north. 5Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries y took
more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers in the
building. 6For they were in three stories, and they had no pillars like the
pillars of the outer a court; hence the upper chambers were set back from the
ground more than the lower and the middle ones. 7And there was a wall
outside parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court, opposite the
chambers, fifty cubits long. 8For the chambers on the outer court were fifty
cubits long, while those opposite the temple were a hundred cubits long.
9Below these chambers was an entrance on the east side, as one enters them
measuring reed. 20He measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it,
five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits broad, to make a
separation between the holy and the common.
The Glory of the Lord Entering the Temple
43 Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate facing east. 2And
behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the east; and the sound of
his coming was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with his
glory. 3And g the vision I saw was like the vision which I had seen when he
came to destroy the city, and h like the vision which I had seen by the river
Che'bar; and I fell upon my face. 4As the glory of the LORD entered the
temple by the gate facing east, 5the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me into
the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out
of the temple; 7and he 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 in the midst
of the sons of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile
my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their harlotry, and by the
dead bodies i of their kings, 8by setting their threshold by my threshold and
their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and
them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they
have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger. 9Now let them put
away their idolatry and the dead bodies i of their kings far from me, and I
will dwell in their midst for ever.
10 “And you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple and
its appearance and plan, j that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.
11And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, portray k the temple,
its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, and its whole form; and make
known to them all its ordinances and all its laws; and write it down in their
sight, so that they may observe and perform all its laws l and all its
ordinances. 12This is the law of the temple: the whole territory round about
upon the top of the mountain shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of
the temple.
The Altar
13 “These are the dimensions of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a
cubit and a handbreadth): its base shall be one cubit high, m and one cubit
broad, with a rim of one span around its edge. And this shall be the height x
of the altar: 14from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits,
with a breadth of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge,
four cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; 15and the altar hearth, four cubits;
and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns, one cubit high. n
16The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad.
17The ledge also shall be square, fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad,
with a rim around it half a cubit broad, and its base one cubit round about.
The steps of the altar shall face east.”
18 And he said to me, “Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are
the ordinances for the altar: On the day when it is erected for offering burnt
offerings upon it and for throwing blood against it, 19you shall give to the
Levitical priests of the family of Za'dok, who draw near to me to minister to
me, says the Lord GOD, a bull for a sin offering. 20And you shall take some
of its blood, and put it on the four horns of the altar, and on the four corners
of the ledge, and upon the rim round about; thus you shall cleanse the altar
and make atonement for it. 21You shall also take the bull of the sin offering,
and it shall be burnt in the appointed place belonging to the temple, outside
the sacred area. 22And on the second day you shall offer a he-goat without
blemish for a sin offering; and the altar shall be cleansed, as it was cleansed
with the bull. 23When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a bull
without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish. 24You shall
present them before the LORD, and the priests shall sprinkle salt upon them
and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD. 25For seven days you
shall provide daily a goat for a sin offering; also a bull and a ram from the
flock, without blemish, shall be provided. 26Seven days shall they make
atonement for the altar and purify it, and so consecrate it. 27And when they
have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests
shall offer upon the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings; and
I will accept you, says the Lord GOD.”
The Closed Gate
44 Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which
faces east; and it was shut. 2And he o said to me, “This gate shall remain
shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it; for the LORD, the
God of Israel, has entered by it; therefore it shall remain shut. 3Only the
prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of
the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.”
Those Admitted to the Temple
4 Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple;
and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the
LORD; and I fell upon my face. 5And the LORD said to me, “Son of man,
mark well, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I shall tell
you concerning all the ordinances of the temple of the LORD and all its laws;
and mark well those who may be admitted to p the temple and all those who
are to be excluded from the sanctuary. 6And say to the rebellious house, q to
the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: O house of Israel, let there be
an end to all your abominations, 7in admitting foreigners, uncircumcised in
heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary, profaning it, r when you offer to me
my food, the fat and the blood. You s have broken my covenant, in addition
to all your abominations. 8And you have not kept charge of my holy things;
but you have set foreigners to keep my charge in my sanctuary.
9 “Therefore t thus says the Lord GOD: No foreigner, uncircumcised in
heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel,
shall enter my sanctuary. 10But the Levites who went far from me, going
astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their
punishment. 11They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at
the gates of the temple, and serving in the temple; they shall slay the burnt
offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall attend on the people,
to serve them. 12Because they ministered to them before their idols and
became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have
sworn concerning them, says the Lord GOD, that they shall bear their
punishment. 13They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor
come near any of my sacred things and the things that are most sacred; but
they shall bear their shame, because of the abominations which they have
committed. 14Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, to do all
its service and all that is to be done in it.
The Levitical Priests
15 “But the Levitical priests, the sons of Za'dok, who kept the charge of
my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come
near to me to minister to me; and they shall attend on me to offer me the fat
and the blood, says the Lord GOD; 16they shall enter my sanctuary, and
they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my
charge. 17When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear linen
garments; they shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at
the gates of the inner court, and within. 18They shall have linen turbans
upon their heads, and linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not clothe
themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19And when they go out into
the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they
have been ministering, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall
put on other garments, lest they communicate holiness to the people with
their garments. 20They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow
long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads. 21No priest shall drink
wine, when he enters the inner court. 22They shall not marry a widow, or a
divorced woman, but only a virgin of the stock of the house of Israel, or a
widow who is the widow of a priest. 23They shall teach my people the
difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to
distinguish between the unclean and the clean. 24In a controversy they shall
act as judges, and they shall judge it according to my judgments. They shall
keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and they shall
keep my sabbaths holy. 25They shall not defile themselves by going near to
a dead person; however, for father or mother, for son or daughter, for
brother or unmarried sister they may defile themselves. 26After he is
defiled, u he shall count for himself seven days, and then he shall be clean. v
27And on the day that he goes into the holy place, into the inner court, to
minister in the holy place, he shall offer his sin offering, says the Lord
GOD.
28 “They shall have no w inheritance; I am their inheritance: and you
shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. 29They shall
eat the cereal offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering; and every
devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30And the first of all the first fruits of
all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall
belong to the priests; you shall also give to the priests the first of your
coarse meal, that a blessing may rest on your house. 31The priests shall not
eat of anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn.
The Holy District
45 “When you allot the land as a possession, you shall set apart for the
LORD a portion of the land as a holy district, twenty-five thousand cubits
long and twenty x thousand cubits broad; it shall be holy throughout its
whole extent. 2Of this a square plot of five hundred by five hundred cubits
shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it.
3And in the holy district you shall measure off a section twenty-five
thousand cubits long and ten thousand broad, in which shall be the
sanctuary, the most holy place. 4It shall be the holy portion of the land; it
shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the
LORD to minister to him; and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy
place for the sanctuary. 5Another section, twenty-five thousand cubits long
and ten thousand cubits broad, shall be for the Levites who minister at the
temple, as their possession for cities to live in. y
6 “Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign for
the possession of the city an area five thousand cubits broad, and twenty-
five thousand cubits long; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel.
7 “And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy
district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the
property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to
one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern
boundary of the land. 8It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall
no more oppress my people; but they shall let the house of Israel have the
land according to their tribes.
9 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away
violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness; cease your
evictions of my people, says the Lord GOD.
Just Weights and Measures
10 “You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath. 11The
ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one
tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the
standard measure. 12The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; five shekels shall be
five shekels, and ten shekels shall be ten shekels, and your mina shall be
fifty shekels. z
Offerings
13 “This is the offering which you shall make: one sixth of an ephah
from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of
barley, 14and as the fixed portion of oil, a one tenth of a bath from each cor
(the cor, b like the homer, contains ten baths); 15and one sheep from every
flock of two hundred, from the families c of Israel. This is the offering for
cereal offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for
them, says the Lord GOD. 16All the people of the land shall give d this
offering to the prince in Israel. 17It shall be the prince’s duty to furnish the
burnt offerings, cereal offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new
moons, and the sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he
shall provide the sin offerings, cereal offerings, burnt offerings, and peace
offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.
Feasts
18 “Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, on the first day of the
month, you shall take a young bull without blemish, and cleanse the
sanctuary. 19The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and
put it on the doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the
altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20You shall do the same on
the seventh day of the month for any one who has sinned through error or
ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple.
21 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall
celebrate the feast of the passover, and for seven days unleavened bread
shall be eaten. 22On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the
people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. 23And on the seven days
of the festival he shall provide as a burnt offering to the LORD seven young
bulls and seven rams without blemish, on each of the seven days; and a he-
goat daily for a sin offering. 24And he shall provide as a cereal offering an
ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil to each ephah.
25In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for the seven
days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt
offerings, and cereal offerings, and for the oil.
Other Ordinances of the Temple
46 “Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east
shall be shut on the six working days; but on the sabbath day it shall be
opened and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 2The prince
shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from without, and shall take his stand
by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his
peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he
shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. 3The people of the
land shall worship at the entrance of that gate before the LORD on the
sabbaths and on the new moons. 4The burnt offering that the prince offers to
the LORD on the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram
without blemish; 5and the cereal offering with the ram shall be an ephah,
and the cereal offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able,
together with a hin of oil to each ephah. 6On the day of the new moon he
shall offer a young bull without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, which
shall be without blemish; 7as a cereal offering he shall provide an ephah
with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he
is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah. 8When the prince enters, he
shall go in by the vestibule of the gate, and he shall go out by the same way.
9 “When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed
feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south
gate; and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no
one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go
out straight ahead. 10When they go in, the prince shall go in with them; and
when they go out, he shall go out.
11 “At the feasts and the appointed seasons the cereal offering with a
young bull shall be an ephah, and with a ram an ephah, and with the lambs
as much as one is able to give, together with a hin of oil to an ephah.
12When the prince provides a freewill offering, either a burnt offering or
peace offerings as a freewill offering to the LORD, the gate facing east shall
be opened for him; and he shall offer his burnt offering or his peace
offerings as he does on the sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he
has gone out the gate shall be shut.
13 “He shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt
offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning he shall provide it. 14And
he shall provide a cereal offering with it morning by morning, one sixth of
an ephah, and one third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour, as a cereal
offering to the LORD; this is the ordinance for the continual burnt offering. e
15Thus the lamb and the meal offering and the oil shall be provided,
down into the Ar'abah; and when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, i
the water will become fresh. 9And wherever the river j goes every living
creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this
water goes there, that the waters of the sea k may become fresh; so
everything will live where the river goes. 10Fishermen will stand beside the
sea; from En-ge'di to En-eg'laim it will be a place for the spreading of nets;
its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11But its
swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt.
12And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of
trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will
bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the
sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
New Boundaries of the Land
13 Thus says the Lord GOD: “These are the boundaries by which you
shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel.
Joseph shall have two portions. 14And you shall divide it equally; I swore to
give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance.
15 “This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the
Great Sea by way of Heth'lon to the entrance of Ha'math, and on to Ze'dad, l
16Bero'thah, Sib'raim (which lies on the border between Damascus and
portion. 3Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west,
Naph'tali, one portion. 4Adjoining the territory of Naph'tali, from the east
side to the west, Manas'seh, one portion. 5Adjoining the territory of
Manas'seh, from the east side to the west, E'phraim, one portion. 6Adjoining
the territory of E'phraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one
portion. 7Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west,
Judah, one portion.
8 “Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall
be the portion which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits in
breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side
to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it. 9The portion which you
shall set apart for the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length,
and twenty s thousand in breadth. 10These shall be the allotments of the holy
portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring twenty-five thousand
cubits on the northern side, ten thousand cubits in breadth on the western
side, ten thousand in breadth on the eastern side, and twenty-five thousand
in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the LORD in the midst
of it. 11This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons t of Za'dok, who
kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went
astray, as the Levites did. 12And it shall belong to them as a special portion
from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory
of the Levites. 13And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall
have an allotment twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in
breadth. The whole length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits and the
breadth twenty u thousand. 14They shall not sell or exchange any of it; they
shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the LORD.
15 “The remainder, five thousand cubits in breadth and twenty-five
thousand in length, shall be for ordinary use for the city, for dwellings and
for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city; 16and these shall be its
dimensions: the north side four thousand five hundred cubits, the south side
four thousand five hundred, the east side four thousand five hundred, and
the west side four thousand five hundred. 17And the city shall have open
land: on the north two hundred and fifty cubits, on the south two hundred
and fifty, on the east two hundred and fifty, and on the west two hundred
and fifty. 18The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be
ten thousand cubits to the east, and ten thousand to the west, and it shall be
alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the
city. 19And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it.
20The whole portion which you shall set apart shall be twenty-five thousand
cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city.
21 “What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of
the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the twenty-five thousand
cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the twenty-
five thousand cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it
shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple
in its midst, 22and the property of the Levites and the property of the city, v
shall be in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the
prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin.
23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin,
one portion. 24Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the
west, Simeon, one portion. 25Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the
east side to the west, Is'sachar, one portion. 26Adjoining the territory of
Is'sachar, from the east side to the west, Zeb'ulun, one portion. 27Adjoining
the territory of Zeb'ulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion.
28And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run
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Daniel
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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THE BOOK OF DANIEL
Four Young Israelites at the Babylonian Court
the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4youths
without blemish, handsome and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with
knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to serve in the king’s
palace, and to teach them the letters and language of the Chalde'ans. 5The
king assigned them a daily portion of the rich food which the king ate, and
of the wine which he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and
at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6Among these
were Daniel, Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azari'ah of the tribe of Judah. 7And
the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshaz'zar,
Hanani'ah he called Shad'rach, Mish'a-el he called Me'shach, and Azari'ah
he called Abed'nego.
8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself * with the king’s
rich food, or with the wine which he drank; therefore he asked the chief of
the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9And God gave Daniel favor
and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs; 10and the chief of
the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear lest my lord the king, who appointed
your food and your drink, should see that you were in poorer condition than
the youths who are of your own age. So you would endanger my head with
the king.” 11Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs
had appointed over Daniel, Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azari'ah; 12“Test your
servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the
king’s rich food be observed by you, and according to what you see deal
with your servants.” 14So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them
for ten days. 15At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in
appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s rich
food. 16So the steward took away their rich food and the wine they were to
drink, and gave them vegetables.
17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all
letters and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be
kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38and into whose hand he
has given, wherever they dwell, the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and
the birds of the air, making you rule over them all—you are the head of
gold. 39After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and yet a third
kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40And there shall be
a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters
all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these.
41And as you saw the feet and toes partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron,
it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it,
just as you saw iron mixed with the miry clay. 42And as the toes of the feet
were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and
partly brittle. 43As you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, so they will mix
with one another in marriage, b but they will not hold together, just as iron
does not mix with clay. 44And in the days of those kings the God of heaven
will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its
sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these
kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever; 45just as you
saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it
broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A
great God has made known to the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is
certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Daniel and His Friends Promoted
46 Then King Nebuchadnez'zar fell upon his face, and did homage to
Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him.
47The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of
kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this
mystery.” 48Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts,
and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief prefect
over all the wise men of Babylon. 49Daniel made request of the king, and he
appointed Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego over the affairs of the
province of Babylon; but Daniel remained at the king’s court.
The Golden Image
3 King Nebuchadnez'zar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty
cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the
province of Babylon. 2Then King Nebuchadnez'zar sent to assemble the
satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the
justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the
dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3Then the
satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the
justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, were
assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnez'zar had
set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples,
nations, and languages, 5that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe,
lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down
and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnez'zar has set up; 6and
whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a
burning fiery furnace.” 7Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the
sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of
music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the
golden image which King Nebuchadnez'zar had set up.
8 Therefore at that time certain Chalde'ans came forward and maliciously
accused the Jews. 9They said to King Nebuchadnez'zar, “O king, live for
ever! 10You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the
sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of
music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; 11and whoever does
not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12There
are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province
of Babylon: Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego. These men, O king, pay
no heed to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image
which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnez'zar in furious rage commanded that Shad'rach,
Me'shach, and Abed'nego be brought. Then they brought these men before
the king. 14Nebuchadnez'zar said to them, “Is it true, O Shad'rach,
Me'shach, and Abed'nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the
golden image which I have set up? 15Now if you are ready when you hear
the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of
music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, well and
good; but if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a
burning fiery furnace; and who is the god that will deliver you out of my
hands?”
16 Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego answered the king, “O
Nebuchadnez'zar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17If it be
so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. c 18But if not, be it
known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the
golden image which you have set up.”
The Fiery Furnace
19 Then Nebuchadnez'zar was full of fury, and the expression of his face
was changed against Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego. He ordered the
furnace heated seven times more than it was accustomed to be heated.
20And he ordered certain mighty men of his army to bind Shad'rach,
Me'shach, and Abed'nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21Then these men were bound in their mantles, d their tunics, d their hats,
and their other garments, and they were cast into the burning fiery furnace.
22Because the king’s order was strict and the furnace very hot, the flame of
the fire slew those men who took up Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego.
23And these three men, Shad'rach, Me'shach, and Abed'nego, fell bound
and all your works are true and your ways right,
and all your judgments are truth.
5You have executed true judgments in all that you have brought upon us
rebels,
and to an unjust king, the most wicked in all the world.
10And now we cannot open our mouths;
shame and disgrace have befallen your servants and worshipers.
11For your name’s sake do not give us up utterly,
and do not break your covenant,
12 and do not withdraw your mercy from us,
and are brought low this day in all the world because of our sins.
15And at this time there is no prince, or prophet, or leader,
tree in the midst of the earth; and its height was great. 11The tree grew and
became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end
of the whole earth. 12Its leaves were fair and its fruit abundant, and in it was
food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of
the air dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher,
a holy one,* came down from heaven. 14He cried aloud and said thus, ‘Hew
down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its
fruit; let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15But
leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and
bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of
heaven; let his lot be with the beasts in the grass of the earth; 16let his mind
be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let
seven times pass over him. 17The sentence is by the decree of the watchers,
the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may
know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom
he will, and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18This dream I, King
Nebuchadnez'zar, saw. And you, O Belteshaz'zar, declare the interpretation,
because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me
the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods i is in
you.”
Daniel Interprets the Second Dream
19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshaz'zar, was dismayed for a
moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshaz'zar, let
not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My
lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for
your enemies! 20The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that
its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth;
21whose leaves were fair and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for
all; under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the
birds of the air dwelt— 22it is you, O king, who have grown and become
strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion
to the ends of the earth. 23And whereas the king saw a watcher, a holy one,
coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Hew down the tree and destroy it,
but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and
bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let him be wet with the dew of
heaven; and let his lot be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass
over him’; 24this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most
High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25that you shall be driven
from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field;
you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew
of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most
High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will. 26And as it
was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom
shall be sure for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules.
27Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; break off your
sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to
the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your tranquillity.”
28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnez'zar. 29At the end of twelve
months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30and
the king said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty
power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31While the
words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O
King Nebuchadnez'zar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from
you, 32and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be
with the beasts of the field; and you shall be made to eat grass like an ox;
and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most
High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”
33Immediately the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnez'zar. He was driven
from among men, and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the
dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails
were like birds’ claws.
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnez'zar, lifted my eyes to heaven,
and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and
honored him who lives for ever;
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing;
was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was slain, and its body destroyed
and given over to be burned with fire. 12As for the rest of the beasts, their
dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a
time. 13I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man, *
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14And to him was given dominion
8 In the third year of the reign of King Bel- shaz'zar a vision appeared to
me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. 2And I saw in the
vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the capital, which is in the province
of E'lam; and I saw in the vision, and I was at the river U'lai. 3I raised my
eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the river. It had
two horns; and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and
the higher one came up last. 4I saw the ram charging westward and
northward and southward; no beast could stand before him, and there was
no one who could rescue from his power; he did as he pleased and
magnified himself.
5 As I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west across the
face of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a
conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6He came to the ram with the two
horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the river, and he ran at him
in his mighty wrath. 7I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged
against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns; and the ram had no
power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and
trampled upon him; and there was no one who could rescue the ram from
his power. 8Then the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly; but when he
was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four
conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceedingly
great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10It
grew great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host of the stars it
cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. 11It magnified itself,
even up to the Prince of the host; and the continual burnt offering was taken
away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. 12And the
host was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through
transgression; n and truth was cast down to the ground, and the horn acted
and prospered. 13Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one
said to the one that spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the
continual burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the
giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled under foot?” o 14And
he said to him, p “For two thousand and three hundred evenings and
mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”
Gabriel Interprets the Vision
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and
behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. 16And I
heard a man’s voice between the banks of the U'lai, and it called, “Gabriel,
make this man understand the vision.” 17So he came near where I stood;
and when he came, I was frightened and fell upon my face. But he said to
me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
18 As he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the
ground; but he touched me and set me on my feet. 19He said, “Behold, I will
make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation; for it
pertains to the appointed time of the end. 20As for the ram which you saw
with the two horns, these are the kings of Me'dia and Persia. 21And the he-
goat q is the king of Greece; and the great horn between his eyes is the first
king. 22As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose,
four kingdoms shall arise from his r nation, but not with his power. 23And at
the latter end of their rule, when the transgressors have reached their full
measure, a king of bold countenance, one who understands riddles, shall
arise. 24His power shall be great, s and he shall cause fearful destruction,
and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people
of the saints. 25By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand,
and in his own mind he shall magnify himself. Without warning he shall
destroy many; and he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes; but,
by no human hand, he shall be broken. 26The vision of the evenings and the
mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it pertains
to many days hence.”
27 And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days; then I rose
and went about the king’s business; but I was appalled by the vision and did
not understand it.
Daniel’s Prayer for the People
9 In the first year of Dari'us the son of Ahas'uerus, by birth a Mede, who
became king over the realm of the Chalde'ans— 2in the first year of his
reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years which,
according to the word of the LORD to Jeremi'ah the prophet, must pass
before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and
supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4I prayed to the LORD
my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome
God, who keeps covenant and merciful love with those who love him and
keep his commandments, 5we have sinned and done wrong and acted
wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and
ordinances; 6we have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke
in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people
of the land. 7To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us confusion of
face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in all the lands
to which you have driven them, because of the treachery which they have
committed against you. 8To us, O Lord, belongs confusion of face, to our
kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against
you. 9To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because we have
rebelled against him, 10and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God
by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey
your voice. And the curse and oath which are written in the law of Moses
the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned
against him. 12He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and
against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity; for
under the whole heaven there has not been done the like of what has been
done against Jerusalem. 13As it is written in the law of Moses, all this
calamity has come upon us, yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD
our God, turning from our iniquities and giving heed to your truth.
14Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon
us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which he has done,
and we have not obeyed his voice. 15And now, O Lord our God, who
brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have
made you a name, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your
wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill; because for our
sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have
become a byword among all who are round about us. 17Now therefore, O
our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his supplications, and
for your own sake, O Lord, t cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary,
which is desolate. 18O my God, incline your ear and hear; open your eyes
and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by your name; for
we do not present our supplications before you on the ground of our
righteousness, but on the ground of your great mercy. 19O LORD, hear; O
LORD, forgive; O LORD, give heed and act; delay not, for your own sake, O
my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”
The Seventy Weeks
20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of
my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God
for the holy hill of my God; 21while I was speaking in prayer, the man
Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift
flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22He came u and he said to me,
“O Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding.
23At the beginning of your supplications a word went forth, and I have
come to tell it to you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the
word and understand the vision.
24 * “Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and
your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone
for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and
prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. v 25Know therefore and understand
that from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the
coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for
sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a
troubled time. 26And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut
off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince who is to come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its w end shall come with a flood,
and to the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed. 27And he shall
make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week
he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of
abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is
poured out on the desolator.”
Daniel’s Vision “for Days Yet to Come”
10 * In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to
Daniel, who was named Belteshaz'zar. And the word was true, and it was a
great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the
vision.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3I ate no
delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at
all, for the full three weeks. 4On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as
I was standing on the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5I lifted up
my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were
belted with gold of U'phaz. 6His body was like beryl, his face like the
appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs
like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the
noise of a multitude. 7And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who
were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them,
and they fled to hide themselves. 8So I was left alone and saw this great
vision, and no strength was left in me; my radiant appearance was fearfully
changed, and I retained no strength. 9Then I heard the sound of his words;
and when I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in a deep sleep
with my face to the ground.
10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands
and knees. 11And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, give heed
to the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent
to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling.
12Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set
your mind to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your
words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13The
prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but
Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, so I left him there with
the prince of the kingdom of Persia x 14and came to make you understand
what is to befall your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet
to come.”
15 When he had spoken to me according to these words, I turned my face
toward the ground and was speechless. 16And behold, one in the likeness of
the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke. I said
to him who stood before me, “O my lord, by reason of the vision pains have
come upon me, and I retain no strength. 17How can my lord’s servant talk
with my lord? For now no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in
me.”
18 Again one having the appearance of a man touched me and
strengthened me. 19And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not, peace be
with you; be strong and of good courage.” And when he spoke to me, I was
strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
20Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will
return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I am through with him,
behold, the prince of Greece will come. 21But I will tell you what is
inscribed in the book of truth: there is none who contends by my side
against these except Michael, your prince.
11 And as for me, in the first year of Dari'us the Mede, I stood up to
confirm and strengthen him.
Coming Conflict of the Nations
2 “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall
arise in Persia; and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them; and when he
has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the
kingdom of Greece. 3Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with
great dominion and do according to his will. 4And when he has arisen, his
kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but
not to his posterity, nor according to the dominion with which he ruled; for
his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.
5 “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall
be stronger than he and his dominion shall be a great dominion. 6After some
years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south
shall come to the king of the north to make peace; but she shall not retain
the strength of her arm, and he and his offspring shall not endure; but she
shall be given up, and her attendants, her child, and he who got possession
of y her.
“In those times a branch z from her roots shall arise in his place; he shall
come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he
shall deal with them and shall prevail. 8He shall also carry off to Egypt their
gods with their molten images and with their precious vessels of silver and
of gold; and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the
north. 9Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but
shall return into his own land.
10 “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces,
which shall come on and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry
the war as far as his fortress. 11Then the king of the south, moved with
anger, shall come out and fight with the king of the north; and he shall raise
a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. 12And when the
multitude is taken, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of
thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13For the king of the north shall again
raise a multitude, greater than the former; and after some years a he shall
come on with a great army and abundant supplies.
14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south; and the
men of violence among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to
fulfil the vision; but they shall fail. 15Then the king of the north shall come
and throw up siegeworks, and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of
the south shall not stand, or even his picked troops, for there shall be no
strength to stand. 16But he who comes against him shall do according to his
own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious
land, and all of it shall be in his power. 17He shall set his face to come with
the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of peace b and
perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the
kingdom; c but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18Afterward he shall
turn his face to the islands, and shall take many of them; but a commander
shall put an end to his insolence; indeed d he shall turn his insolence back
upon him. 19Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his
own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.
20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute
through the glory of the kingdom; but within a few days he shall be broken,
neither in anger nor in battle. 21In his place shall arise a contemptible
person to whom royal majesty has not been given; he shall come in without
warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22Armies shall be utterly
swept away before him and broken, and the prince of the covenant also.
23And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act
themselves to them with flattery; 35and some of those who are wise shall
fall, to refine and to cleanse them f and to make them white, until the time
of the end, for it is yet for the time appointed.
36 “And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and
magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things
against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is
accomplished; for what is determined shall be done. 37He shall give no heed
to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women; he shall not give
heed to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. 38He shall
honor the god of fortresses instead of these; a god whom his fathers did not
know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly
gifts. 39He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign
god; those who acknowledge him he shall magnify with honor. He shall
make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.
The Time of the End
40 “At the time of the end the king of the south shall attack g him; but the
king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and
horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall come into countries and shall
overflow and pass through. 41He shall come into the glorious land. And tens
of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: E'dom
and Moab and the main part of the Am'monites. 42He shall stretch out his
hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43He
shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious
things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall follow in his
train. 44But tidings from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall
go forth with great fury to exterminate and utterly destroy many. 45And he
shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain;
yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of
your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been
since there was a nation till that time; but at that time your people shall be
delivered, every one whose name shall be found written in the book. 2And
many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And those
who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those
who turn many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4But you,
Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end.
Many shall run back and forth, and knowledge shall increase.”
5 Then I Daniel looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of
the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6And I h said to the man
clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall
it be till the end of these wonders?” 7The man clothed in linen, who was
above the waters of the stream, raised his right hand and his left hand
toward heaven; and I heard him swear by him who lives for ever that it
would be for a time, two times, and half a time; and that when the shattering
of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be
accomplished. 8I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord,
what shall be the issue of these things?” 9He said, “Go your way, Daniel,
for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10Many shall
purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the
wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but
those who are wise shall understand. 11And from the time that the continual
burnt offering is taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate is set
up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12Blessed is he
who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.
13But go your way till the end; and you shall rest, and shall stand in your
came to them.
7 When the people departed at noon, Susanna would go into her
husband’s garden to walk. 8The two elders used to see her every day, going
in and walking about, and they began to desire her. 9And they perverted
their minds and turned away their eyes from looking to Heaven or
remembering righteous judgments. 10Both were overwhelmed with passion
for her, but they did not tell each other of their distress, 11for they were
ashamed to disclose their lustful desire to possess her. 12And they watched
eagerly, day after day, to see her.
13 They said to each other, “Let us go home, for it is mealtime.” 14And
when they went out, they parted from each other. But turning back, they
met again; and when each pressed the other for the reason, they confessed
their lust. And then together they arranged for a time when they could find
her alone.
The Elders Attempt to Seduce Susanna
15 Once, while they were watching for an opportune day, she went in as
before with only two maids, and wished to bathe in the garden, for it was
very hot. 16And no one was there except the two elders, who had hid
themselves and were watching her. 17She said to her maids, “Bring me oil
and ointments, and shut the garden doors so that I may bathe.” 18They did
as she said, shut the garden doors, and went out by the side doors to bring
what they had been commanded; and they did not see the elders, because
they were hidden.
19 When the maids had gone out, the two elders rose and ran to her, and
said: 20“Look, the garden doors are shut, no one sees us, and we are in love
with you; so give your consent, and lie with us. 21If you refuse, we will
testify against you that a young man was with you, and this was why you
sent your maids away.”
22 Susanna sighed deeply, and said, “I am hemmed in on every side. For if
I do this thing, it is death for me; and if I do not, I shall not escape your
hands. 23I choose not to do it and to fall into your hands, rather than to sin
in the sight of the Lord.”
24 Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the two elders shouted
against her. 25And one of them ran and opened the garden doors. 26When
the household servants heard the shouting in the garden, they rushed in at
the side door to see what had happened to her. 27And when the elders told
their tale, the servants were greatly ashamed, for nothing like this had ever
been said about Susanna.
The Elders Testify against Susanna
28 The next day, when the people gathered at the house of her husband
Jo'akim, the two elders came, full of their wicked plot to have Susanna put
to death. 29They said before the people, “Send for Susanna, the daughter of
Hilki'ah, who is the wife of Jo'akim.” 30So they sent for her. And she came,
with her parents, her children, and all her kindred.
31 Now Susanna was a woman of great refinement, and beautiful in
appearance. 32As she was veiled, the wicked men ordered her to be
unveiled, that they might feed upon her beauty. 33But her family and friends
and all who saw her wept.
34 Then the two elders stood up in the midst of the people, and laid their
hands upon her head. 35And she, weeping, looked up toward heaven, for her
heart trusted in the Lord. 36The elders said, “As we were walking in the
garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, shut the garden doors,
and dismissed the maids. 37Then a young man, who had been hidden, came
to her and lay with her. 38We were in a corner of the garden, and when we
saw this wickedness we ran to them. 39We saw them embracing, but we
could not hold the man, for he was too strong for us, and he opened the
doors and dashed out. 40So we seized this woman and asked her who the
young man was, but she would not tell us. These things we testify.”
41 The assembly believed them, because they were elders of the people
and judges; and they condemned her to death.
42 Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, “O eternal God,
who discern what is secret, who are aware of all things before they come to
be, 43you know that these men have borne false witness against me. And
now I am to die! Yet I have done none of the things that they have wickedly
invented against me!”
Daniel Rescues Susanna
44 The Lord heard her cry. 45And as she was being led away to be put to
death, God aroused the holy spirit of a young lad named Daniel; 46and he
cried with a loud voice, “I am innocent of the blood of this woman.”
47 All the people turned to him, and said, “What is this that you have
said?” 48Taking his stand in the midst of them, he said, “Are you such fools,
you sons of Israel? Have you condemned a daughter of Israel without
examination and without learning the facts? 49Return to the place of
judgment. For these men have borne false witness against her.”
50 Then all the people returned in haste. And the elders said to him,
“Come, sit among us and inform us, for God has given you that right.”
51And Daniel said to them, “Separate them far from each other, and I will
examine them.”
52 When they were separated from each other, he summoned one of them
and said to him, “You old relic of wicked days, your sins have now come
home, which you have committed in the past, 53pronouncing unjust
judgments, condemning the innocent and letting the guilty go free, though
the Lord said, ‘Do not put to death an innocent and righteous person.’
54Now then, if you really saw her, tell me this: Under what tree did you see
them being intimate with each other?” He answered, “Under a mastic tree.”
a 55And Daniel said, “Very well! You have lied against your own head, for
the angel of God has received the sentence from God and will immediately
cut a you in two.”
56 Then he put him aside, and commanded them to bring the other. And
he said to him, “You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty has
deceived you and lust has perverted your heart. 57This is how you both have
been dealing with the daughters of Israel, and they were intimate with you
through fear; but a daughter of Judah would not endure your wickedness.
58Now then, tell me: Under what tree did you catch them being intimate
are unbroken, O king.” 18As soon as the doors were opened, the king looked
at the table, and shouted in a loud voice, “You are great, O Bel; and with
you there is no deceit, none at all.”
19 Then Daniel laughed, and restrained the king from going in, and said,
“Look at the floor, and notice whose footsteps these are.” 20The king said,
“I see the footsteps of men and women and children.”
21 Then the king was enraged, and he seized the priests and their wives
and children; and they showed him the secret doors through which they
were accustomed to enter and devour what was on the table. 22Therefore the
king put them to death, and gave Bel over to Daniel, who destroyed it and
its temple.
Daniel Kills a Dragon
23 There was also a great dragon, which the Babylonians revered. 24And
the king said to Daniel, “You cannot deny that this is a living god; so
worship him.” 25Daniel said, “I will worship the Lord my God, for he is the
living God. 26But if you, O king, will give me permission, I will slay the
dragon without sword or club.” The king said, “I give you permission.”
27 Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and boiled them together and
made cakes, which he fed to the dragon. The dragon ate them, and burst
open. And Daniel said, “See what you have been worshiping!”
28 When the Babylonians heard it, they were very indignant and
conspired against the king, saying, “The king has become a Jew; he has
destroyed Bel, and slain the dragon, and slaughtered the priests.” 29Going to
the king, they said, “Hand Daniel over to us, or else we will kill you and
your household.” 30The king saw that they were pressing him hard, and
under compulsion he handed Daniel over to them.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
31 They threw Daniel into the lions’ den, and he was there for six days.
32There were seven lions in the den, and every day they had been given two
human bodies and two sheep; but these were not given to them now, so that
they might devour Daniel.
33 Now the prophet Habak'kuk was in Jude'a. He had boiled pottage and
had broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field to take it to the
reapers. 34But the angel of the Lord said to Habak'kuk, “Take the dinner
which you have to Babylon, to Daniel, in the lions’ den.” 35Habak'kuk said,
“Sir, I have never seen Babylon, and I know nothing about the den.” 36Then
the angel of the Lord took him by the crown of his head, and lifted him by
his hair and set him down in Babylon, right over the den, with the rushing
sound of the wind itself.
37 Then Habak'kuk shouted, “Daniel, Daniel! Take the dinner which God
has sent you.” 38And Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and
have not forsaken those who love you.” 39So Daniel arose and ate. And the
angel of God immediately returned Habak'kuk to his own place.
40 On the seventh day the king came to mourn for Daniel. When he came
to the den he looked in, and there sat Daniel. 41And the king shouted with a
loud voice, “You are great, O Lord God of Daniel, and there is no other
besides you.” 42And he pulled Daniel a out, and threw into the den the men
who had attempted his destruction, and they were devoured immediately
before his eyes.
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Hosea
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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THE BOOK OF HOSEA
1 *The word of the LORD that came to Hose'a the son of Bee'ri, in the
days of Uzzi'ah, Jo'tham, A'haz, and Hezeki'ah, kings of Judah, and in the
days of Jerobo'am the son of Jo'ash, king of Israel.
Hosea Marries a Harlot and Has Children
2 When the LORD first spoke through Hose'a, the LORD said to Hosea,
“Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry, for the
land commits great harlotry by forsaking the LORD.” 3So he went and took
Gomer the daughter of Dibla'im, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 And the LORD said to him, “Call his name Jezre'el; for yet a little while,
and I will punish the house of Je'hu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put
an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5And on that day, I will break
the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezre'el.”
6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him,
“Call her name Not pitied, for I will no more have pity on the house of
Israel, to forgive them at all. 7But I will have pity on the house of Judah,
and I will deliver them by the LORD their God; I will not deliver them by
bow, nor by sword, nor by war, nor by horses, nor by horsemen.”
8 When she had weaned Not pitied, she conceived and bore a son. 9And
the LORD said, “Call his name Not my people, for you are not my people
and I am not your God.” a
Israel’s Restoration
10 b Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the
sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it
was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Sons
of the living God.” 11And the people of Judah and the people of Israel shall
be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head; and
they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezre'el.
Israel’s Infidelity, Punishment, and Redemption
2 c Say to your brother, d “My people,” and to your sister, e “She has
obtained pity.”
2“Plead with your mother, plead—
play the harlot, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4For the
children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without
sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5Afterward the children of
Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and
they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.
God Accuses Israel
4 Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel;
for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or kindness,
and no knowledge of God in the land;
2there is swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery;
I found Israel.
Like the first fruit on the fig tree,
in its first season,
I saw your fathers.
But they came to Ba'al-pe'or,
and consecrated themselves to Ba'al, l
and became detestable like the thing they loved.
11E'phraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird—
shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars;
and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us,
and to the hills, Fall upon us.
9From the days of Gib'e-ah, you have sinned, O Israel;
there they have continued.
Shall not war overtake them in Gibe-ah?
10I will come s against the wayward people to chastise them;
and nations shall be gathered against them
when they are chastised t for their double iniquity.
11E'phraim was a trained heifer
he loves to oppress.
8E'phraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich,
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Joel
Chapters
123
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THE BOOK OF JOEL
Lament and Call to Repentance
1 *The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethu'el:
2Hear this, you aged men,
give ear, all inhabitants of the land!
Has such a thing happened in your days,
or in the days of your fathers?
3Tell your children of it,
wail, O vinedressers,
for the wheat and the barley;
because the harvest of the field has perished.
12The vine withers,
sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16 gather the people.
and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
28 c “And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
29Even upon the menservants and maidservants
Prepare war,
stir up the mighty men.
Let all the men of war draw near,
let them come up.
10Beat your plowshares into swords,
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Amos
Chapters
123456789
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THE BOOK OF AMOS
Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors
1 *The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Teko'a, which
he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzzi'ah king of Judah and in the
days of Jerobo'am the son of Jo'ash, king of Israel, two years a before the
earthquake. 2And he said:
“The LORD roars from Zion,
and utters his voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds mourn,
and the top of Carmel withers.”
3Thus says the LORD:
and the revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away.”
8The Lord GOD has sworn by himself
Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there; 13but never again prophesy
at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
Amos’ Reply
14 Then Amos answered Amazi'ah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s
son; p but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, 15and the LORD
took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy
to my people Israel.’
16“Now therefore hear the word of the LORD.
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THE BOOK OF OBADIAH
Edom Will Be Brought Low and Israel Triumph
1*The vision of Obadi'ah.
Thus says the Lord GOD concerning E'dom:
We have heard tidings from the LORD,
and a messenger has been sent among the nations:
“Rise up! let us rise against her for battle!”
2Behold, I will make you small among the nations,
if plunderers by night—
how you have been destroyed!—
would they not steal only enough for themselves?
If grape gatherers came to you,
would they not leave gleanings?
6How Esau has been pillaged,
so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter.
10For the violence done to your brother Jacob,
shame shall cover you,
and you shall be cut off for ever.
11On the day that you stood aloof,
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Jonah
Chapters
1234
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THE BOOK OF JONAH
Jonah Tries to Flee God
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amit'tai, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nin'eveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their
wickedness has come up before me.” 3But Jonah rose to flee to Tar'shish
from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship
going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went on board, to go with them to
Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty
tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5Then the
mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god; and they threw the wares
that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone
down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep.
6So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper?
Arise, call upon your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we
do not perish.”
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may
know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and
the lot fell upon Jonah. 8Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account
this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And from where do
you come? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9And he
said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who
made the sea and the dry land.” 10Then the men were exceedingly afraid,
and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that
he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea and Swallowed
11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may
quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12He
said to them, “Take me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet
down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has
come upon you.” 13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back
to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous
against them. 14Therefore they cried to the LORD, “We beg you, O LORD, let
us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood; for you,
O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” 15So they took up Jonah and threw
him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. 16Then the men feared
the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made
vows.
17 a And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah
was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance
2 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish,
2saying,
he said, “I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10And the LORD said,
“You pity the plant, b for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow,
which came into being in a night, and perished in a night. 11And should not
I pity Nin'eveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and
twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left,
and also much cattle?”
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Micah
Chapters
1234567
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THE BOOK OF MICAH
Prophecy concerning Samaria and Judah
1 *The word of the LORD that came to Mi'cah of Mo'resheth in the days
of Jo'tham, A'haz, and Hezeki'ah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning
Samar'ia and Jerusalem.
2Hear, you peoples, all of you;
listen, O earth, and all that is in it;
and let the Lord GOD be a witness against you,
the Lord from his holy temple.
3For behold, the LORD is coming forth out of his place,
and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth.
4And the mountains will melt under him
inhabitants of Sha'phir,
in nakedness and shame;
the inhabitants of Za'anan
do not come forth;
the wailing of Beth-e'zel
shall take away from you its standing place.
12For the inhabitants of Ma'roth
inhabitants of La'chish;
you were c the beginning of sin
to the daughter of Zion,
for in you were found
the transgressions of Israel.
14Therefore you shall give parting gifts
to Mo'resheth-gath;
the houses of Ach'zib shall be a deceitful thing
to the kings of Israel.
15I will again bring a conqueror upon you,
inhabitants of Mare'shah;
the glory of Israel
shall come to Adul'lam.
16Make yourselves bald and cut off your hair,
for the children of your delight;
make yourselves as bald as the eagle,
for they shall go from you into exile.
Evils of the People Denounced but a Remnant Will Be Gathered
2 Woe to those who devise wickedness
and work evil upon their beds!
When the morning dawns, they perform it,
because it is in the power of their hand.
2They covet fields, and seize them;
and houses, and take them away;
they oppress a man and his house,
a man and his inheritance.
3Therefore thus says the LORD:
O daughter of Zion,
for I will make your horn iron
and your hoofs bronze;
you shall beat in pieces many peoples,
and shall i devote their gain to the LORD,
their wealth to the Lord of the whole earth.
A Ruler from Bethlehem
5 j Now you are walled about with a wall; k
siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike upon the cheek
the ruler of Israel.
2 l But you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah,
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
16For you have kept the statutes of Omri, u
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Nahum
Chapters
123
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THE BOOK OF NAHUM
God’s Wrath toward Nineveh and Peace for Judah
1 *An oracle concerning Nin'eveh. The book of the vision of Na'hum of
El'kosh.
2The LORD is a jealous God and avenging,
O king of Assyria;
your nobles slumber.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
with none to gather them.
19There is no assuaging your hurt,
your wound is grievous.
All who hear the news of you
clap their hands over you.
For upon whom has not come
your unceasing evil?
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Habakkuk
Chapters
123
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THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK
The Prophet’s Complaint
1 *The oracle of God which Habak'kuk the prophet saw.
2O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
3Why do you make me see wrongs
and look upon trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
4So the law is slacked
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Zephaniah
Chapters
123
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THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH
The Day of the Lord
1 *The word of the LORD which came to Zephani'ah the son of Cu'shi,
son of Gedali'ah, son of Amari'ah, son of Hezeki'ah, in the days of Josi'ah
the son of A'mon, king of Judah.
2“I will utterly sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.
3“I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea.
I will overthrow a the wicked;
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.
4“I will stretch out my hand against Judah,
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Ba'al
and the name of the idolatrous priests; b
5those who bow down on the roofs
to the host of the heavens;
those who bow down and swear to the LORD
and yet swear by Milcom;
6those who have turned back from following the LORD,
faithless men;
her priests profane what is sacred,
they do violence to the law.
5The LORD within her is righteous,
he does no wrong;
every morning he shows forth his justice,
each dawn he does not fail;
but the unjust knows no shame.
6“I have cut off nations;
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Haggai
Chapters
12
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THE BOOK OF HAGGAI
The Command to Rebuild the Temple
1 *In the second year of Dari'us the king, in the sixth month, on the first
day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Hag'gai the prophet to
Zerub'babel the son of She-al'ti-el, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son
of Jehoz'adak, the high priest, 2“Thus says the LORD of hosts: This people
say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” 3Then the
word of the LORD came by Hag'gai the prophet, 4“Is it a time for you
yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?
5Now therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared.
6You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have
enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but
no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag
with holes.
7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. 8Go up to
the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it
and that I may appear in my glory, says the LORD. 9You have looked for
much, and behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it
away. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins,
while you busy yourselves each with his own house. 10Therefore the
heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its
produce. 11And I have called for a drought upon the land and the hills, upon
the grain, the new wine, the oil, upon what the ground brings forth, upon
men and cattle, and upon all their labors.”
The People Obey
12 Then Zerub'babel the son of She-al'ti-el, and Joshua the son of
Jehoz'adak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the
voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Hag'gai the prophet, as the
LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared before the LORD.
13Then Hag'gai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the
LORD’s message, “I am with you, says the LORD.” 14And the LORD stirred
up the spirit of Zerub'babel the son of She-al'ti-el, governor of Judah, and
the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehoz'adak, the high 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 God, 15on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in
the sixth month.
The Splendor of the Temple
2 In the second year of Dari'us the king, 1in the seventh month, on the
twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Hag'gai the
prophet, 2“Speak now to Zerub'babel the son of She-al'ti-el, governor of
Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehoz'adak, the high priest, and to all the
remnant of the people, and say, 3‘Who is left among you that saw this house
in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not in your sight as
nothing? 4Yet now take courage, O Zerub'babel, says the LORD; take
courage, O Joshua, son of Jehoz'adak, the high priest; take courage, all you
people of the land, says the LORD; work, for I am with you, says the LORD
of hosts, 5according to the promise that I made you when you came out of
Egypt. My Spirit abides among you; fear not. 6For thus says the LORD of
hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth
and the sea and the dry land; 7and I will shake all nations, so that the
treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with
splendor, says the LORD of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,
says the LORD of hosts. 9The latter splendor of this house shall be greater
than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give
prosperity, says the LORD of hosts.’ ”
A Rebuke and a Promise
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of
Dari'us, the word of the LORD came by Hag'gai the prophet, 11“Thus says
the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests to decide this question, 12‘If one carries
holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and touches with his skirt bread, or
pottage, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The
priests answered, “No.” 13Then said Hag'gai, “If one who is unclean by
contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?”
The priests answered, “It does become unclean.” 14Then Hag'gai said, “So
is it with this people, and with this nation before me, says the LORD; and so
with every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
15Please now, consider what will come to pass from this day onward.
Before a stone was placed upon a stone in the temple of the LORD, 16how
did you fare? a When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were
but ten; when one came to the winevat to draw fifty measures, there were
but twenty. 17I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and
mildew and hail; yet you did not return to me, says the LORD. 18Consider
from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since
the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider: 19Is
the seed yet in the barn? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the
olive tree still yield nothing? From this day on I will bless you.”
God’s Promise to Zerubbabel
20 The word of the LORD came a second time to Hag'gai on the twenty-
fourth day of the month, 21“Speak to Zerub'babel, governor of Judah,
saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22and to overthrow
the throne of kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms
of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders; and the horses
and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his fellow. 23On
that day, says the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerub'babel my servant,
the son of She-al'ti-el, says the LORD, and make you like a signet ring; for I
have chosen you, says the LORD of hosts.”
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Zechariah
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH
Israel Urged to Repent
1 *In the eighth month, in the second year of Dari'us, the word of the
LORD came to Zechari'ah the son of Berechi'ah, son of Iddo, the prophet,
saying, 2“The LORD was very angry with your fathers. 3Therefore say to
them, Thus says the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts,
and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. 4Be not like your fathers, to
whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return
from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or
heed me, says the LORD. 5Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets,
do they live for ever? 6But my words and my statutes, which I commanded
my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they
repented and said, As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our
ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.”
First Vision: The Horsemen
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month which is the month of
Shebat', in the second year of Dari'us, the word of the LORD came to
Zechari'ah the son of Berechi'ah, son of Iddo, the prophet; and Zechariah
said, 8“I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding upon a red horse! He
was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen; and behind him were red,
sorrel, and white horses. 9Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel
who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ 10So the
man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they
whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’ 11And they answered the angel
of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, ‘We have patrolled
the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’ 12Then the angel of the
LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on
Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have had indignation
these seventy years?’ 13And the LORD answered gracious and comforting
words to the angel who talked with me. 14So the angel who talked with me
said to me, ‘Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous
for Jerusalem and for Zion. 15And I am very angry with the nations that are
at ease; for while I was only a little angry they furthered the disaster.
16Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with
compassion; my house shall be built in it, says the LORD of hosts, and the
measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 17Cry again, Thus
says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and
the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’ ”
Second Vision: Four Horns and Four Smiths
18 a And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four horns! 19And I said
to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?” And he answered me,
“These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
20Then the LORD showed me four smiths. 21And I said, “What are these
coming to do?” He answered, “These are the horns which scattered Judah,
so that no man raised his head; and these have come to terrify them, to cast
down the horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of
Judah to scatter it.”
Third Vision: The Man with a Measuring Line
2 b And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring
line in his hand! 2Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me,
“To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its breadth and what is its length.”
3And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another
angel came forward to meet him, 4and said to him, “Run, say to that young
man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the
multitude of men and cattle in it. 5For I will be to her a wall of fire round
about, says the LORD, and I will be the glory within her.’ ”
6 Ho! ho! Flee from the land of the north, says the LORD; for I have
spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, says the LORD. 7Ho!
Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. 8For thus said
the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you,
for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: 9“Behold, I will shake
my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served
them. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. 10Sing and
rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for behold, I come and I will dwell in the midst
of you, says the LORD. 11And many nations shall join themselves to the
LORD in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of
you, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 12And
the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again
choose Jerusalem.”
13 Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for he has roused himself from
his holy dwelling.
Fourth Vision: Joshua and Satan
3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of
the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2And the
LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has
chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”
3Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.
4And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the
filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your
iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel.” 5And I
said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban
on his head and clothed him with garments; and the angel of the LORD was
standing by.
6 And the angel of the LORD enjoined Joshua, 7“Thus says the LORD of
hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule
my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of
access among those who are standing here. 8Hear now, O Joshua the high
priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men of good
omen: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9For behold, upon the
stone which I have set before Joshua, upon a single stone with seven facets,
I will engrave its inscription, says the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the
guilt of this land in a single day. 10In that day, says the LORD of hosts, every
one of you will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree.”
Fifth Vision: The Lampstand and Olive Trees
4 And the angel who talked with me came again, and waked me, like a
man that is wakened out of his sleep. 2And he said to me, “What do you
see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the
top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps which
are on the top of it. 3And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of
the bowl and the other on its left.” 4And I said to the angel who talked with
me, “What are these, my lord?” 5Then the angel who talked with me
answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”
6Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerub'babel: Not by
might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 7What are
you, O great mountain? Before Zerub'babel you shall become a plain; and
he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ ”
8Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9“The hands of
Zerub'babel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also
complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
10For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall
see the plummet in the hand of Zerub'babel.
“These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole
earth.” 11Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right
and the left of the lampstand?” 12And a second time I said to him, “What
are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden
pipes from which the oil c is poured out?” 13He said to me, “Do you not
know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14Then he said, “These are the
two anointed who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”
Sixth Vision: The Flying Scroll
5 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! 2And he
said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length
is twenty cubits, and its breadth ten cubits.” 3Then he said to me, “This is
the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land; for every one who
steals shall be cut off henceforth according to it, and every one who swears
falsely shall be cut off henceforth according to it. 4I will send it forth, says
the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of
him who swears falsely by my name; and it shall abide in his house and
consume it, both timber and stones.”
Seventh Vision: The Woman in an Ephah
5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift
your eyes, and see what this is that goes forth.” 6And I said, “What is it?”
He said, “This is the ephah that goes forth.” And he said, “This is their
iniquity d in all the land.” 7And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and
there was a woman sitting in the ephah! 8And he said, “This is
Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the ephah, and thrust down the
leaden weight upon its mouth. 9Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold,
two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings; they had wings
like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between earth and
heaven. 10Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they
taking the ephah?” 11He said to me, “To the land of Shi'nar, to build a house
for it; and when this is prepared, they will set the ephah down there on its
base.”
Eighth Vision: Four Chariots
6 And again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out
from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze.
2The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3the third white
horses, and the fourth chariot dappled gray e horses. 4Then I said to the
angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5And the angel
answered me, “These are going forth to the four winds of heaven, after
presenting themselves before the LORD of all the earth. 6The chariot with
the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go toward
the west country, f and the dappled ones go toward the south country.”
7When the steeds came out, they were impatient to get off and patrol the
earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8Then
he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set
my Spirit at rest in the north country.”
The Crown and the Branch
9 And the word of the LORD came to me: 10“Take from the exiles Hel'dai,
Tobi'jah, and Jedai'ah, who have arrived from Babylon; and go the same
day to the house of Josi'ah, the son of Zephani'ah. 11Take from them silver
and gold, and make a crown, g and set it upon the head of Joshua, the son of
Jehoz'adak, the high priest; 12and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall grow up in his
place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. 13It is he who shall build
the temple of the LORD, and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule
upon his throne. And there shall be a priest by his throne, and peaceful
understanding shall be between them both.” ’ 14And the crown h shall be in
the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Hel'dai, i Tobi'jah, Jedai'ah, and
Josi'ah j the son of Zephani'ah.
15 “And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of
the LORD; and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the
LORD your God.”
Hypocritical Fasting Condemned
7 In the fourth year of King Dari'us, the word of the LORD came to
Zechari'ah in the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chis'lev. 2Now the
people of Bethel had sent Share'zer and Reg'em-mel'ech and their men, to
entreat the favor of the LORD, 3and to ask the priests of the house of the
LORD of hosts and the prophets, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth
month, as I have done for so many years?” 4Then the word of the LORD of
hosts came to me: 5“Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When
you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these
seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6And when you eat and when
you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7When
Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, with her cities round about her,
and the South and the lowland were inhabited, were not these the words
which the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets?”
Punishment for Rejecting God’s Commands
8 And the word of the LORD came to Zechari'ah, saying, 9“Thus says the
LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy each to his
brother, 10do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the
poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.”
11But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped
their ears that they might not hear. 12They made their hearts like adamant
lest they should hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had
sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came
from the LORD of hosts. 13“As I called, and they would not hear, so they
called, and I would not hear,” says the LORD of hosts, 14“and I scattered
them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known.
Thus the land they left was desolate, so that no one went back and forth,
and the pleasant land was made desolate.”
God’s Promise to Zion
8 And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 2“Thus says
the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am
jealous for her with great wrath. 3Thus says the LORD: I will return to Zion,
and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the
faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain.
4Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the
streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand for very age. 5And the streets of
the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6Thus says the
LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in
these days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, says the LORD of hosts?
7Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east
country and from the west country; 8and I will bring them to dwell in the
midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people and I will be their God, in
faithfulness and in righteousness.”
9 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in
these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets,
since the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid,
that the temple might be built. 10For before those days there was no wage
for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for
him who went out or came in; for I set every man against his fellow. 11But
now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days,
says the LORD of hosts. 12For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine
shall yield its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens
shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess
all these things. 13And as you have been a byword of cursing among the
nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you and you
shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”
14 For thus says the LORD of hosts: “As I planned to do evil to you, when
your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of
hosts, 15so again I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and
to the house of Judah; fear not. 16These are the things that you shall do:
Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true
and make for peace, 17do not devise evil in your hearts against one another,
and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, says the LORD.”
Joyful Fasting
18 And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 19“Thus says
the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and
the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of
Judah seasons of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth
and peace.
Many Peoples Will Be Drawn to Jerusalem
20 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the
inhabitants of many cities; 21the inhabitants of one city shall go to another,
saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the
LORD of hosts; I am going.’ 22Many peoples and strong nations shall come
to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the LORD.
23Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of
every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with
you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Judgment on Israel’s Enemies
9 An Oracle
The word of the LORD is against the land of Had'rach
and will rest upon Damascus.
For to the LORD belong the cities of Ar'am, k
even as all the tribes of Israel;
2Hamath also, which borders thereon,
south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft upon its site from the
Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and
from the Tower of Hanan'el to the king’s wine presses. 11And it shall be
inhabited, for there shall be no more curse; x Jerusalem shall dwell in
security.
12 And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the
peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh shall rot while they are
still on their feet, their eyes shall rot in their sockets, and their tongues shall
rot in their mouths. 13And on that day a great panic from the LORD shall fall
on them, so that each will lay hold on the hand of his fellow, and the hand
of the one will be raised against the hand of the other; 14even Judah will
fight against Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the nations round about shall
be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance. 15And a plague
like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys,
and whatever beasts may be in those camps.
Survivors of the Nations Will Come to Jerusalem
16 Then every one that survives of all the nations that have come against
Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of
hosts, and to keep the feast of booths. 17And if any of the families of the
earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts,
there will be no rain upon them. 18And if the family of Egypt do not go up
and present themselves, then upon them shall y come the plague with which
the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of booths.
19This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the
nations that do not go up to keep the feast of booths.
20 And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses,
“Holy to the LORD.” And the pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the
bowls before the altar; 21and every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be
sacred to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of
them and boil the flesh of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be
a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.
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Malachi
Chapters
1234
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THE BOOK OF MALACHI
Israel Preferred to Edom
1 * The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Mal'achi. a
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved
us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” says the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob
3but I have hated Esau; I have laid waste his hill country and left his
heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4If E'dom says, “We are shattered but we
will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will
tear down, till they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the
LORD is angry for ever.” 5Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say,
“Great is the LORD, beyond the border of Israel!”
Corruption of the Priesthood
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father,
where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD
of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we
despised your name?’ 7By offering polluted food upon my altar. And you
say, ‘How have we polluted it?’ b By thinking that the LORD’s table may
be despised. 8When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that no evil? And
when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that no evil? Present that to
your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the
LORD of hosts. 9And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious
to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you?
says the LORD of hosts. 10Oh, that there were one among you who would
shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire upon my altar in vain! I have
no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering
from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is
great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name,
and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the LORD
of hosts. 12But you profane it when you say that the LORD’s table is
polluted, and the food for it c may be despised. 13‘What a weariness this is,’
you say, and you sniff at me, d says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has
been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your
offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. 14Cursed be the
cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the
Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and
my name is feared among the nations.
2 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2If you will not listen, if
you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts,
then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; indeed I
have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3Behold, I will
rebuke your offspring, and spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your
offerings, and I will put you out of my presence. e 4So shall you know that I
have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says
the LORD of hosts. 5My covenant with him was a covenant of life and peace,
and I gave them to him, that he might fear; and he feared me, he stood in
awe of my name. 6True instruction f was in his mouth, and no wrong was
found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he
turned many from iniquity. 7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge,
and men should seek instruction f from his mouth, for he is the messenger
of the LORD of hosts. 8But you have turned aside from the way; you have
caused many to stumble by your instruction; f you have corrupted the
covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, 9and so I make you despised and
abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but
have shown partiality in your instruction.” f
The Covenant Profaned by Judah
10 Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why then
are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11
Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and
in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he
loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12May the LORD cut
off from the tents of Jacob, for the man who does this, any to witness g or
answer, or to bring an offering to the LORD of hosts!
13 And this again you do. You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, with
weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts
it with favor at your hand. 14You ask, “Why does he not?” Because the
LORD was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth,
to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your
wife by covenant. 15Has not the one God made h and sustained for us the
spirit of life? And what does he desire? i Godly offspring. So take heed to
yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth. 16“For I hate j
divorce, says the LORD the God of Israel, and covering one’s garment with
violence, says the LORD of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be
faithless.”
17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, “How have
we wearied him?” By saying, “Every one who does evil is good in the sight
of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of
justice?”
The Coming Messenger
3 “Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the
Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of
the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of
hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when
he appears?
“For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine
them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD. 4Then
the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the
days of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness
against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely,
against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the
orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me,
says the LORD of hosts.
God Must Not Be Robbed
6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not
consumed. 7From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my
statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says
the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8Will man rob God?
Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In your
tithes and offerings. 9You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me;
the whole nation of you. 10Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that
there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the
LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour
down for you an overflowing blessing. 11I will rebuke the devourer k for
you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil; and your vine in the
field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12Then all nations will
call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
13 “Your words have been stout against me, says the LORD. Yet you say,
‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14You have said, ‘It is vain to serve
God. What is the good of our keeping his charge or of walking as in
mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15Henceforth we deem the arrogant
blessed; evildoers not only prosper but when they put God to the test they
escape.’ ”
The Reward of Those Who Fear the Lord
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another; the LORD
heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him
of those who feared the LORD and thought on his name. 17“They shall be
mine, says the LORD of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act,
and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18Then once
more you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between
one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
The Great Day of the Lord
4 l “For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the
arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn
them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor
branch. 2But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise,
with healing in its wings. You shall go forth leaping like calves from the
stall. 3And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the
soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances
that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, I will send you Eli'jah the prophet before the great and
awesome day of the LORD comes. 6And he will turn the hearts of fathers to
their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and
strike the land with a curse.” m
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1 Maccabees
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES
Alexander the Great
1 * After Alexander son of Philip, the Mace- donian, who came from
the land of Kittim, had defeated a Dari'us, king of the Persians and the
Medes, he succeeded him as king. (He had previously become king of
Greece.) 2He fought many battles, conquered strongholds, and put to death
the kings of the earth. 3He advanced to the ends of the earth, and plundered
many nations. When the earth became quiet before him, he was exalted, and
his heart was lifted up. 4He gathered a very strong army and ruled over
countries, nations, and princes, and they became tributary to him.
5 After this he fell sick and perceived that he was dying. 6So he
summoned his most honored officers, who had been brought up with him
from youth, and divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive.
7And after Alexander had reigned twelve years, he died.
8 Then his officers began to rule, each in his own place. 9They all put on
crowns after his death, and so did their sons after them for many years; and
they caused many evils on the earth.
Antiochus Epiphanes and Renegade Jews
10 From them came forth a sinful root, Anti'ochus Epiph'anes, son of
Anti'ochus the king; he had been a hostage in Rome. He began to reign in
the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. b
11 In those days lawless men came forth from Israel, and misled many,
saying, “Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round about us,
for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us.” 12This
proposal pleased them, 13and some of the people eagerly went to the king.
He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. 14So they
built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, 15and
removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant.
They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.
Antiochus in Egypt
16 When Anti'ochus saw that his kingdom was established, he
determined to become king of the land of Egypt, that he might reign over
both kingdoms. 17So he invaded Egypt with a strong force, with chariots
and elephants and cavalry and with a large fleet. 18He engaged Ptol'emy
king of Egypt in battle, and Ptolemy turned and fled before him, and many
were wounded and fell. 19And they captured the fortified cities in the land
of Egypt, and he plundered the land of Egypt.
Persecution of the Jews
20 After subduing Egypt, Anti'ochus returned in the one hundred and
forty-third year. c He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a
strong force. 21He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden
altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. 22He took also the table
for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls, the
golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front
of the temple; he stripped it all off. 23He took the silver and the gold, and
the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures which he found.
24Taking them all, he departed to his own land.
month in the cities. 59And on the twenty-fifth day of the month they offered
sacrifice on the altar which was upon the altar of burnt offering.
60According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their
children circumcised, 61and their families and those who circumcised them;
and they hung the infants from their mothers’ necks.
62 But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to
eat unclean food. 63They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to
profane the holy covenant; and they did die. 64And very great wrath came
upon Israel.
Mattathias and His Sons
2 In those days Mattathi'as the son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the
sons of Jo'arib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Mo'dein. 2He had five
sons, John surnamed Gaddi, 3Simon called Thassi, 4Judas called
Mac''cabe'us, 5Elea'zar called Av'aran, and Jonathan called Ap'phus. 6He
saw the blasphemies being committed in Judah and Jerusalem, 7and said,
“Alas! Why was I born to see this,
the ruin of my people, the ruin of the holy city,
and to dwell there when it was given over to the enemy,
the sanctuary given over to aliens?
8Her temple has become like a man without honor; e
9 her glorious vessels have been carried into captivity.
fathers. 21Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. 22We will
not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right
hand or to the left.”
23 When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in
the sight of all to offer sacrifice upon the altar in Mo'dein, according to the
king’s command. 24When Mattathi'as saw it, he burned with zeal and his
heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him
upon the altar. 25At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was
forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. 26Thus he burned with
zeal for the law, as Phin'ehas did against Zimri the son of Sa'lu.
27 Then Mattathi'as cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: “Let
every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out
with me!” 28And he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in
the city.
29 Then many who were seeking righteousness and justice went down to
the wilderness to dwell there, 30they, their sons, their wives, and their cattle,
because evils pressed heavily upon them. 31And it was reported to the
king’s officers, and to the troops in Jerusalem the city of David, that men
who had rejected the king’s command had gone down to the hiding places
in the wilderness. 32Many pursued them, and overtook them; they
encamped opposite them and prepared for battle against them on the
sabbath day. 33And they said to them, “Enough of this! Come out and do
what the king commands, and you will live.” 34But they said, “We will not
come out, nor will we do what the king commands and so profane the
sabbath day.” 35Then the enemy g hastened to attack them. 36But they did
not answer them or hurl a stone at them or block up their hiding places,
37for they said, “Let us all die in our innocence; heaven and earth testify for
us that you are killing us unjustly.” 38So they attacked them on the sabbath,
and they died, with their wives and children and cattle, to the number of a
thousand persons.
39 When Mattathi'as and his friends learned of it, they mourned for them
deeply. 40And each said to his neighbor: “If we all do as our brethren have
done and refuse to fight with the Gentiles for our lives and for our
ordinances, they will quickly destroy us from the earth.” 41So they made
this decision that day: “Let us fight against every man who comes to attack
us on the sabbath day; let us not all die as our brethren died in their hiding
places.”
Counterattack
42 Then there united with them a company of Hasid'eans, mighty
warriors of Israel, every one who offered himself willingly for the law.
43And all who became fugitives to escape their troubles joined them and
flame. 60Daniel because of his innocence was delivered from the mouth of
the lions.
61 “And so observe, from generation to generation, that none who put
their trust in him will lack strength. 62Do not fear the words of a sinner, for
his splendor will turn into dung and worms. 63Today he will be exalted, but
tomorrow he will not be found, because he has returned to the dust, and his
plans will perish. 64My children, be courageous and grow strong in the law,
for by it you will gain honor.
65 “Now behold, I know that Simeon your brother is wise in counsel;
always listen to him; he shall be your father. 66Judas Mac''cabe'us has been
a mighty warrior from his youth; he shall command the army for you and
fight the battle against the peoples. h 67You shall rally about you all who
observe the law, and avenge the wrong done to your people. 68Pay back the
Gentiles in full, and heed what the law commands.”
69 Then he blessed them, and was gathered to his fathers. 70He died in
the one hundred and forty-sixth year i and was buried in the tomb of his
fathers at Mo'dein. And all Israel mourned for him with great lamentation.
Early Victories of Judas Maccabeus
3 Then Judas his son, who was called Mac''- cabe'us, took command in
his place. 2All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him;
they gladly fought for Israel.
3He extended the glory of his people.
them to be ready for any need. 29Then he saw that the money in the treasury
was exhausted, and that the revenues from the country were small because
of the dissension and disaster which he had caused in the land by abolishing
the laws that had existed from the earliest days. 30He feared that he might
not have such funds as he had before for his expenses and for the gifts
which he used to give more lavishly than preceding kings. 31He was greatly
perplexed in mind, and determined to go to Persia and collect the revenues
from those regions and raise a large fund.
32 He left Lys'ias, a distinguished man of royal lineage, in charge of the
king’s affairs from the river Euphra'tes to the borders of Egypt. 33Lys'ias
was also to take care of Anti'ochus his son until he returned. 34And he
turned over to Lys'ias l half of his troops and the elephants, and gave him
orders about all that he wanted done. As for the residents of Judea and
Jerusalem, 35Lys'ias was to send a force against them to wipe out and
destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem; he was to
banish the memory of them from the place, 36settle aliens in all their
territory, and distribute their land. 37Then the king took the remaining half
of his troops and departed from Antioch his capital in the one hundred and
forty-seventh year. m He crossed the Euphra'tes river and went through the
upper provinces.
Preparations for Battle
38 Lys'ias chose Ptol'emy the son of Dorym'enes, and Nica'nor and
Gor'gias, mighty men among the friends of the king, 39and sent with them
forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of
Judah and destroy it, as the king had commanded. 40So they departed with
their entire force, and when they arrived they encamped near Emma'us in
the plain. 41When the traders of the region heard what was said of them,
they took silver and gold in immense amounts, and shackles, n and went to
the camp to get the sons of Israel for slaves. And forces from Syria and the
land of the Philis'tines joined with them.
42 Now Judas and his brothers saw that misfortunes had increased and
that the forces were encamped in their territory. They also learned what the
king had commanded to do to the people to cause their final destruction.
43But they said to one another, “Let us repair the destruction of our people,
and fight for our people and the sanctuary.” 44And the congregation
assembled to be ready for battle, and to pray and ask for mercy and
compassion.
45Jerusalem was uninhabited like a wilderness;
which the Gentiles were consulting the images of their idols. 49They also
brought the garments of the priesthood and the first fruits and the tithes, and
they stirred up the Naz'irites who had completed their days; 50and they cried
aloud to Heaven, saying,
“What shall we do with these?
Where shall we take them?
51Your sanctuary is trampled down and profaned,
their trumpets 14and engaged in battle. The Gentiles were crushed and fled
into the plain, 15and all those in the rear fell by the sword. They pursued
them to Gaza'ra, and to the plains of Idume'a, and to Azo'tus and Jam'nia;
and three thousand of them fell. 16Then Judas and his force turned back
from pursuing them, 17and he said to the people, “Do not be greedy for
plunder, for there is a battle before us; 18Gor'gias and his force are near us
in the hills. But stand now against our enemies and fight them, and
afterward seize the plunder boldly.”
19 Just as Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared, coming
out of the hills. 20They saw that their army o had been put to flight, and that
the Jews o were burning the camp, for the smoke that was seen showed
what had happened. 21When they perceived this they were greatly
frightened, and when they also saw the army of Judas drawn up in the plain
for battle, 22they all fled into the land of the Philis'tines. 23Then Judas
returned to plunder the camp, and they seized much gold and silver, and
cloth dyed blue and sea purple, and great riches. 24On their return they sang
hymns and praises to Heaven, for he is good, for his mercy endures for ever.
25Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.
trumpets, and cried out to Heaven. 41Then Judas detailed men to fight
against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
42 He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, 43and they cleansed the
sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. 44They
deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been
profaned. 45And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach
upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, 46and
stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should
come a prophet to tell what to do with them. 47Then they took unhewn q
stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. 48They
also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the
courts. 49They made new holy vessels, and brought the lampstand, the altar
of incense, and the table into the temple. 50Then they burned incense on the
altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the
temple. 51They placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains. Thus
they finished all the work they had undertaken.
52 Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month,
which is the month of Chis'lev, in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, r
53they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of
burnt offering which they had built. 54At the very season and on the very
day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps
and lutes and cymbals. 55All the people fell on their faces and worshiped
and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. 56So they celebrated the
dedication of the altar for eight days, and offered burnt offerings with
gladness; they offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. 57They
decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields;
they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and furnished them
with doors. 58There was very great gladness among the people, and the
reproach of the Gentiles was removed.
59 Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined
that every year at that season the days of the dedication of the altar should
be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the
twenty-fifth day of the month of Chis'lev.
60 At that time they fortified Mount Zion with high walls and strong
towers round about, to keep the Gentiles from coming and trampling them
down as they had done before. 61And he stationed a garrison there to hold
it. He also s fortified Beth-zur, so that the people might have a stronghold
that faced Idume'a.
Wars with Neighboring Peoples
5 When the Gentiles round about heard that the altar had been built and
the sanctuary dedicated as it was before, they became very angry, 2and they
determined to destroy the descendants of Jacob who lived among them. So
they began to kill and destroy among the people. 3But Judas made war on
the sons of Esau in Idume'a, at Ak''rabatte'ne, because they kept lying in
wait for Israel. He dealt them a heavy blow and humbled them and
despoiled them. 4He also remembered the wickedness of the sons of Bae'an,
who were a trap and a snare to the people and ambushed them on the
highways. 5They were shut up by him in their towers; and he encamped
against them, vowed their complete destruction, and burned with fire their t
towers and all who were in them. 6Then he crossed over to attack the
Am'monites, where he found a strong band and many people with Timothy
as their leader. 7He engaged in many battles with them and they were
crushed before him; he struck them down. 8He also took Ja'zer and its
villages; then he returned to Judea.
Liberation of Galilean Jews
9 Now the Gentiles in Gilead gathered together against the Israelites who
lived in their territory, and planned to destroy them. But they fled to the
stronghold of Dath'ema, 10and sent to Judas and his brothers a letter which
said, “The Gentiles around us have gathered together against us to destroy
us. 11They are preparing to come and capture the stronghold to which we
have fled, and Timothy is leading their forces. 12Now then come and rescue
us from their hands, for many of us have fallen, 13and all our brethren who
were in the land of Tob have been killed; the enemy u have captured their
wives and children and goods, and have destroyed about a thousand men
there.”
14 While the letter was still being read, behold, other messengers, with
their garments torn, came from Galilee and made a similar report; 15they
said that against them had gathered together men of Ptolema'is and Tyre and
Si'don, and all Galilee of the Gentiles, v “to annihilate us.” 16When Judas
and the people heard these messages, a great assembly was called to
determine what they should do for their brethren who were in distress and
were being attacked by enemies. w 17Then Judas said to Simon his brother,
“Choose your men and go and rescue your brethren in Galilee; I and
Jonathan my brother will go to Gilead.” 18But he left Joseph, the son of
Zechari'ah, and Azari'ah, a leader of the people, with the rest of the forces,
in Judea to guard it; 19and he gave them this command, “Take charge of this
people, but do not engage in battle with the Gentiles until we return.”
20Then three thousand men were assigned to Simon to go to Galilee, and
encamp where he was. 50So the men of the forces encamped, and he fought
against the city all that day and all the night, and the city was delivered into
his hands. 51He destroyed every male by the edge of the sword, and razed
and plundered the city. Then he passed through the city over the slain.
52 And they crossed the Jordan into the large plain before Beth-shan.
53And Judas kept rallying the laggards and encouraging the people all the
way till he came to the land of Judah. 54So they went up to Mount Zion
with gladness and joy, and offered burnt offerings, because not one of them
had fallen before they returned in safety.
55 Now while Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead and Simon his brother
was in Galilee before Ptolema'is, 56Joseph, the son of Zechari'ah, and
Azari'ah, the commanders of the forces, heard of their brave deeds and of
the heroic war they had fought. 57So they said, “Let us also make a name
for ourselves; let us go and make war on the Gentiles around us.” 58And
they issued orders to the men of the forces that were with them, and they
marched against Jam'nia. 59And Gor'gias and his men came out of the city
to meet them in battle. 60Then Joseph and Azari'ah were routed, and were
pursued to the borders of Judea; as many as two thousand of the people of
Israel fell that day. 61Thus the people suffered a great rout because, thinking
to do a brave deed, they did not listen to Judas and his brothers. 62But they
did not belong to the family of those men through whom deliverance was
given to Israel.
63 The man Judas and his brothers were greatly honored in all Israel and
among all the Gentiles, wherever their name was heard. 64Men gathered to
them and praised them.
Success at Hebron and Philistia
65 Then Judas and his brothers went forth and fought the sons of Esau in
the land to the south. He struck He'bron and its villages and tore down its
strongholds and burned its towers round about. 66Then he marched off to go
into the land of the Philis'tines, and passed through Mar'isa. c * 67On that
day some priests, who wished to do a brave deed, fell in battle, for they
went out to battle unwisely. 68But Judas turned aside to Azo'tus in the land
of the Philis'tines; * he tore down their altars, and the graven images of their
gods he burned with fire; he plundered the cities and returned to the land of
Judah.
The Last Days of Antiochus Epiphanes
6 King Anti'ochus was going through the upper provinces when he heard
that Elyma'is in Persia was a city famed for its wealth in silver and gold.
2Its temple was very rich, containing golden shields, breastplates, and
weapons left there by Alexander, the son of Philip, the Macedonian king
who first reigned over the Greeks. 3So he came and tried to take the city and
plunder it, but he could not, because his plan became known to the men of
the city 4and they withstood him in battle. So he fled and in great grief
departed from there to return to Babylon.
5 Then some one came to him in Persia and reported that the armies
which had gone into the land of Judah had been routed; 6that Lys'ias had
gone first with a strong force, but had turned and fled before the Jews; d that
the Jews e had grown strong from the arms, supplies, and abundant spoils
which they had taken from the armies they had cut down; 7that they had
torn down the abomination which he had erected upon the altar in
Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as
before, and also Beth-zur, his city.
8 When the king heard this news, he was astounded and badly shaken. He
took to his bed and became sick from grief, because things had not turned
out for him as he had planned. 9He lay there for many days, because deep
grief continually gripped him, and he concluded that he was dying. 10So he
called all his friends and said to them, “Sleep departs from my eyes and I
am downhearted with worry. 11I said to myself, ‘To what distress I have
come! And into what a great flood I now am plunged! For I was kind and
beloved in my power.’ 12But now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem. I
seized all her vessels of silver and gold; and I sent to destroy the inhabitants
of Judah without good reason. 13I know that it is because of this that these
evils have come upon me; and behold, I am perishing of deep grief in a
strange land.”
14 Then he called for Philip, one of his friends, and made him ruler over
all his kingdom. 15He gave him the crown and his robe and the signet, that
he might guide Anti'ochus his son and bring him up to be king. 16Thus
Anti'ochus the king died there in the one hundred and forty-ninth year. f
17And when Lys'ias learned that the king was dead, he set up Anti'ochus the
king’s g son to reign. Lysias h had brought him up as a boy, and he named
him Eu'pator.
Renewed Attacks from Syria
18 Now the men in the citadel kept hemming Israel in around the
sanctuary. They were trying in every way to harm them and strengthen the
Gentiles. 19So Judas decided to destroy them, and assembled all the people
to besiege them. 20They gathered together and besieged the citadel i in the
one hundred and fiftieth year; j and he built siege towers and other engines
of war. 21But some of the garrison escaped from the siege and some of the
ungodly Israelites joined them. 22They went to the king and said, “How
long will you fail to do justice and to avenge our brethren? 23We were
happy to serve your father, to live by what he said and to follow his
commands. 24For this reason the sons of our people besieged the citadel k
and became hostile to us; moreover, they have put to death as many of us as
they have caught, and they have seized our inheritances. 25And not against
us alone have they stretched out their hands, but also against all the lands on
their borders. 26And behold, today they have encamped against the citadel
in Jerusalem to take it; they have fortified both the sanctuary and Beth-zur;
27and unless you quickly prevent them, they will do still greater things, and
towers, engines of war to throw fire and stones, machines to shoot arrows,
and catapults. 52The Jews q also made engines of war to match theirs, and
fought for many days. >53But they had no food in storage, r because it was
the seventh year; those who found safety in Judea from the Gentiles had
consumed the last of the stores. 54Few men were left in the sanctuary,
because famine had prevailed over the rest and they had been scattered,
each to his own place.
Syria Offers Terms
55 Then Lys'ias heard that Philip, whom King Anti'ochus while still
living had appointed to bring up Antiochus his son to be king, 56had
returned from Persia and Med'ia with the forces that had gone with the king,
and that he was trying to seize control of the government. 57So he quickly
gave orders to depart, and said to the king, to the commanders of the forces,
and to the men, “We daily grow weaker, our food supply is scant, the place
against which we are fighting is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom press
urgently upon us. 58Now then let us come to terms with these men, and
make peace with them and with all their nation, 59and agree to let them live
by their laws as they did before; for it was on account of their laws which
we abolished that they became angry and did all these things.”
60 The speech pleased the king and the commanders, and he sent to the
Jews s an offer of peace, and they accepted it. 61So the king and the
commanders gave them their oath. On these conditions the Jews t evacuated
the stronghold. 62But when the king entered Mount Zion and saw what a
strong fortress the place was, he broke the oath he had sworn and gave
orders to tear down the wall all around. 63Then he departed with haste and
returned to Antioch. He found Philip in control of the city, but he fought
against him, and took the city by force.
Expedition of Bacchides and Alcimun
7 In the one hundred and fifty-first year u Deme'trius the son of Seleu'cus
set forth from Rome, sailed with a few men to a city by the sea, and there
began to reign. 2As he was entering the royal palace of his fathers, the army
seized Anti'ochus and Lys'ias to bring them to him. 3But when this act
became known to him, he said, “Do not let me see their faces!” 4So the
army killed them, and Deme'trius took his seat upon the throne of his
kingdom.
5 Then there came to him all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel; they
were led by Al'cimus, who wanted to be high priest. 6And they brought to
the king this accusation against the people: “Judas and his brothers have
destroyed all your friends, and have driven us out of our land. 7Now then
send a man whom you trust; let him go and see all the ruin which Judas v
has brought upon us and upon the land of the king, and let him punish them
and all who help them.”
8 So the king chose Bacchi'des, one of the king’s friends, governor of the
province Beyond the River; he was a great man in the kingdom and was
faithful to the king. 9And he sent him, and with him the ungodly Al'cimus,
whom he made high priest; and he commanded him to take vengeance on
the sons of Israel. 10So they marched away and came with a large force into
the land of Judah; and he sent messengers to Judas and his brothers with
peaceable but treacherous words. 11But they paid no attention to their
words, for they saw that they had come with a large force.
12 Then a group of scribes appeared in a body before Al'cimus and
Bacchi'des to ask for just terms. 13The Hasid'eans were first among the sons
of Israel to seek peace from them, 14for they said, “A priest of the line of
Aaron has come with the army, and he will not harm us.” 15And he spoke
peaceable words to them and swore this oath to them, “We will not seek to
injure you or your friends.” 16So they trusted him; but he seized sixty of
them and killed them in one day, in accordance with the word which was
written,
17“The flesh of your saints and their blood
“There is no truth or justice in them, for they have violated the agreement
and the oath which they swore.”
19 Then Bacchi'des departed from Jerusalem and encamped in Beth-
za'ith. And he sent and seized many of the men who had deserted to him, w
and some of the people, and killed them and threw them into the great pit.
20He placed Al'cimus in charge of the country and left with him a force to
help him; then Bacchi'des went back to the king.
21 Al'cimus strove for the high priesthood, 22and all who were troubling
their people joined him. They gained control of the land of Judah and did
great damage in Israel. 23And Judas saw all the evil that Al'cimus and those
with him had done among the sons of Israel; it was more than the Gentiles
had done. 24So Judas x went out into all the surrounding parts of Judea, and
took vengeance on the men who had deserted, and he prevented those in the
city y from going out into the country. 25When Al'cimus saw that Judas and
those with him had grown strong, and realized that he could not withstand
them, he returned to the king and brought wicked charges against them.
Nicanor in Judea
26 Then the king sent Nica'nor, one of his honored princes, who hated
and detested Israel, and he commanded him to destroy the people. 27So
Nica'nor came to Jerusalem with a large force, and treacherously sent to
Judas and his brothers this peaceable message, 28“Let there be no fighting
between me and you; I shall come with a few men to see you face to face in
peace.” 29So he came to Judas, and they greeted one another peaceably. But
the enemy were ready to seize Judas. 30It became known to Judas that
Nica'nor x had come to him with treacherous intent, and he was afraid of
him and would not meet him again. 31When Nica'nor learned that his plan
had been disclosed, he went out to meet Judas in battle near
Caph''arsal'ama. 32About five hundred men of the army of Nica'nor fell, and
the rest z fled into the city of David.
Nicanor Threatens the Temple
33 After these events Nica'nor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the
priests came out of the sanctuary, and some of the elders of the people, to
greet him peaceably and to show him the burnt offering that was being
offered for the king. 34But he mocked them and derided them and defiled
them and spoke arrogantly, 35and in anger he swore this oath, “Unless Judas
and his army are delivered into my hands this time, then if I return safely I
will burn up this house.” And he went out in great anger. 36Then the priests
went in and stood before the altar and the temple, and they wept and said,
37“You chose this house to be called by your name,
8 Now Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they were very
strong and were well-disposed toward all who made an alliance with them,
that they pledged friendship to those who came to them, 2and that they were
very strong. Men told him of their wars and of the brave deeds which they
were doing among the Gauls, how they had defeated them and forced them
to pay tribute, 3and what they had done in the land of Spain to get control of
the silver and gold mines there, 4and how they had gained control of the
whole region by their planning and patience, even though the place was far
distant from them. They also subdued the kings who came against them
from the ends of the earth, until they crushed them and inflicted great
disaster upon them; the rest paid them tribute every year. 5Philip, and
Per'seus king of the Macedonians, g and the others who rose up against
them, they crushed in battle and conquered. 6They also defeated Anti'ochus
the Great, king of Asia, who went to fight against them with a hundred and
twenty elephants and with cavalry and chariots and a very large army. He
was crushed by them; 7they took him alive and decreed that he and those
who should reign after him should pay a heavy tribute and give hostages
and surrender some of their best provinces, 8the country of India and Med'ia
and Lyd'ia. These they took from him and gave to Eu'menes the king. 9The
Greeks planned to come and destroy them, 10but this became known to
them, and they sent a general against the Greeks h and attacked them. Many
of them were wounded and fell, and the Romans i took captive their wives
and children; they plundered them, conquered the land, tore down their
strongholds, and enslaved them to this day. 11The remaining kingdoms and
islands, as many as ever opposed them, they destroyed and enslaved; 12but
with their friends and those who rely on them they have kept friendship.
They have subdued kings far and near, and as many as have heard of their
fame have feared them. 13Those whom they wish to help and to make kings,
they make kings, and those whom they wish they depose; and they have
been greatly exalted. 14Yet for all this not one of them has put on a crown or
worn purple as a mark of pride, 15but they have built for themselves a
senate chamber, and every day three hundred and twenty senators
constantly deliberate concerning the people, to govern them well. 16They
trust one man each year to rule over them and to control all their land; they
all heed the one man, and there is no envy or jealousy among them.
An Alliance with Rome
17 So Judas chose Eupol'emus the son of John, son of Ac'cos, and Jason
the son of Elea'zar, and sent them to Rome to establish friendship and
alliance, 18and to free themselves from the yoke; for they saw that the
kingdom of the Greeks was completely enslaving Israel. 19They went to
Rome, a very long journey; and they entered the senate chamber and spoke
as follows: 20“Judas, who is also called Mac''cabe'us, and his brothers and
the people of the Jews have sent us to you to establish alliance and peace
with you, that we may be enrolled as your allies and friends.” 21The
proposal pleased them, 22and this is a copy of the letter which they wrote in
reply, on bronze tablets, and sent to Jerusalem to remain with them there as
a memorial of peace and alliance:
23 “May all go well with the Romans and with the nation of the Jews at
sea and on land for ever, and may sword and enemy be far from them. 24If
war comes first to Rome or to any of their allies in all their dominion, 25the
nation of the Jews shall act as their allies wholeheartedly, as the occasion
may indicate to them. 26And to the enemy who makes war they shall not
give or supply grain, arms, money, or ships, as Rome has decided; and they
shall keep their obligations without receiving any return. 27In the same way,
if war comes first to the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall willingly act
as their allies, as the occasion may indicate to them. 28And to the enemy
allies shall be given no grain, arms, money, or ships, as Rome has decided;
and they shall keep these obligations and do so without deceit. 29Thus on
these terms the Romans make a treaty with the Jewish people. 30If after
these terms are in effect both parties shall determine to add or delete
anything, they shall do so at their discretion, and any addition or deletion
that they may make shall be valid.
31 “And concerning the wrongs which King Deme'trius is doing to them
we have written to him as follows, ‘Why have you made your yoke heavy
upon our friends and allies the Jews? 32If now they appeal again for help
against you, we will defend their rights and fight you on sea and on land.’ ”
Bacchides Returns to Judea
9 When Deme'trius heard that Nica'nor and his army had fallen in battle,
he sent Bacchi'des and Al'cimus into the land of Judah a second time, and
with them the right wing of the army. 2They went by the road which leads
to Gilgal and encamped against Mes'aloth in Arbe'la, and they took it and
killed many people. 3In the first month of the one hundred and fifty-second
year j they encamped against Jerusalem; 4then they marched off and went to
Bere'a with twenty thousand foot soldiers and two thousand cavalry.
5 Now Judas was encamped in El'asa, and with him were three thousand
picked men. 6When they saw the huge number of the enemy forces, they
were greatly frightened, and many slipped away from the camp, until no
more than eight hundred of them were left.
7 When Judas saw that his army had slipped away and the battle was
imminent, he was crushed in spirit, for he had no time to assemble them.
8He became faint, but he said to those who were left, “Let us rise and go up
against our enemies. We may be able to fight them.” 9But they tried to
dissuade him, saying, “We are not able. Let us rather save our own lives
now, and let us come back with our brethren and fight them; we are too
few.” 10But Judas said, “Far be it from us to do such a thing as to flee from
them. If our time has come, let us die bravely for our brethren, and leave no
cause to question our honor.”
The Last Battle of Judas
11 Then the army of Bacchi'des k marched out from the camp and took its
stand for the encounter. The cavalry was divided into two companies, and
the slingers and the archers went ahead of the army, as did all the chief
warriors. 12Bacchi'des was on the right wing. Flanked by the two
companies, the phalanx advanced to the sound of the trumpets; and the men
with Judas also blew their trumpets. 13The earth was shaken by the noise of
the armies, and the battle raged from morning till evening.
14 Judas saw that Bacchi'des and the strength of his army were on the
right; then all the stouthearted men went with him, 15and they crushed the
right wing, and he pursued them as far as Mount Azo'tus. 16When those on
the left wing saw that the right wing was crushed, they turned and followed
close behind Judas and his men. 17The battle became desperate, and many
on both sides were wounded and fell. 18Judas also fell, and the rest fled.
19 Then Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother and buried him in
the tomb of their fathers at Mo'dein, 20and wept for him. And all Israel
made great lamentation for him; they mourned many days and said,
21“How is the mighty fallen,
he did, and his greatness, have not been recorded, for they were very many.
Jonathan Succeeds Judas
23 After the death of Judas, the lawless emerged in all parts of Israel; all
the doers of injustice appeared. 24In those days a very great famine
occurred, and the country deserted with them to the enemy. 25And
Bacchi'des chose the ungodly and put them in charge of the country. 26They
sought and searched for the friends of Judas, and brought them to
Bacchi'des, and he took vengeance on them and made sport of them. 27Thus
there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that
prophets ceased to appear among them.
28 Then all the friends of Judas assembled and said to Jonathan, 29
“Since the death of your brother Judas there has been no one like him to go
against our enemies and Bacchi'des, and to deal with those of our nation
who hate us. 30So now we have chosen you today to take his place as our
ruler and leader, to fight our battle.” 31And Jonathan at that time accepted
the leadership and took the place of Judas his brother.
The Campaigns of Jonathan
32 When Bacchi'des learned of this, he tried to kill him. 33But Jonathan
and Simon his brother and all who were with him heard of it, and they fled
into the wilderness of Teko'a and camped by the water of the pool of
As'phar. 34Bacchi'des found this out on the sabbath day, and he with all his
army crossed the Jordan.
35 And Jonathan l sent his brother as leader of the multitude and begged
the Nab''ate'ans, who were his friends, for permission to store with them the
great amount of baggage which they had. 36But the sons of Jam'bri from
Med'eba came out and seized John and all that he had, and departed with it.
After these things it was reported to Jonathan and Simon his brother, “The
sons of Jam'bri are celebrating a great wedding, and are conducting the
bride, a daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan, from Nad'abath*
with a large escort.” 38And they remembered the blood of John their
brother, and went up and hid under cover of the mountain. 39They raised
their eyes and looked, and saw a tumultuous procession with much
baggage; and the bridegroom came out with his friends and his brothers to
meet them with tambourines and musicians and many weapons. 40Then
they rushed upon them from the ambush and began killing them. Many
were wounded and fell, and the rest fled to the mountain; and they took all
their goods. 41Thus the wedding was turned into mourning and the voice of
their musicians into a funeral dirge. 42And when they had fully avenged the
blood of their brother, they returned to the marshes of the Jordan.
43 When Bacchi'des heard of this, he came with a large force on the
sabbath day to the banks of the Jordan. 44And Jonathan said to those with
him, “Let us rise up now and fight for our lives, for today things are not as
they were before. 45For look! the battle is in front of us and behind us; the
water of the Jordan is on this side and on that, with marsh and thicket; there
is no place to turn. 46Cry out now to Heaven that you may be delivered
from the hands of our enemies.” 47So the battle began, and Jonathan
stretched out his hand to strike Bacchi'des, but he eluded him and went to
the rear. 48Then Jonathan and the men with him leaped into the Jordan and
swam across to the other side, and the enemy m did not cross the Jordan to
attack them. 49And about one thousand of Bacchi'des’ men fell that day.
Bacchides Builds Fortifications
n
50 Bacchi'des then returned to Jerusalem and built strong cities in
Judea: the fortress in Jericho, and Emma'us, and Beth-ho'ron, and Beth'el,
and Tim'nath, and o Phar'athon, and Teph'on, with high walls and gates and
bars. 51And he placed garrisons in them to harass Israel. 52He also fortified
the city of Beth-zur, and Gaza'ra, and the citadel, and in them he put troops
and stores of food. 53And he took the sons of the leading men of the land as
hostages and put them under guard in the citadel at Jerusalem.
54 In the one hundred and fifty-third year, p in the second month, Al'cimus
gave orders to tear down the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary. He tore
down the work of the prophets! 55But he only began to tear it down, for at
that time Al'cimus was stricken and his work was hindered; his mouth was
stopped and he was paralyzed, so that he could no longer say a word or give
commands concerning his house. 56And Al'cimus died at that time in great
agony. 57When Bacchi'des saw that Al'cimus was dead, he returned to the
king, and the land of Judah had rest for two years.
The End of the War
58 Then all the lawless plotted and said, “See! Jonathan and his men are
living in quiet and confidence. So now let us bring Bacchi'des back, and he
will capture them all in one night.” 59And they went and consulted with
him. 60He started to come with a large force, and secretly sent letters to all
his allies in Judea, telling them to seize Jonathan and his men; but they were
unable to do it, because their plan became known. 61And Jonathan’s men q
seized about fifty of the men of the country who were leaders in this
treachery, and killed them.
62 Then Jonathan with his men, and Simon, withdrew to Beth-ba'si in the
wilderness; he rebuilt the parts of it that had been demolished, and they
fortified it. 63When Bacchi'des learned of this, he assembled all his forces,
and sent orders to the men of Judea. 64Then he came and encamped against
Beth-ba'si; he fought against it for many days and made machines of war.
65 But Jonathan left Simon his brother in the city, while he went out into
the country; and he went with only a few men. 66He struck down Odomer'a
and his brothers and the sons of Pha'siron in their tents. 67Then he r began
to attack and went into battle with his forces; and Simon and his men sallied
out from the city and set fire to the machines of war. 68They fought with
Bacchi'des, and he was crushed by them. They distressed him greatly, for
his plan and his expedition had been in vain. 69So he was greatly enraged at
the lawless men who had counseled him to come into the country, and he
killed many of them. Then he decided to depart to his own land.
70 When Jonathan learned of this, he sent ambassadors to him to make
peace with him and obtain release of the captives. 71He agreed, and did as
he said; and he swore to Jonathan s that he would not try to harm him as
long as he lived. 72He restored to him the captives whom he had formerly
taken from the land of Judah; then he turned and departed to his own land,
and came no more into their territory. 73Thus the sword ceased from Israel.
And Jonathan dwelt in Mich'mash. And Jonathan began to judge the people,
and he destroyed the ungodly out of Israel.
Revolt of Alexander Epiphanes
10 In the one hundred and sixtieth year t Alexander Epiph'anes, the son
of Anti'ochus, landed and occupied Ptolema'is. They welcomed him, and
there he began to reign. 2When Deme'trius the king heard of it, he
assembled a very large army and marched out to meet him in battle. 3And
Deme'trius sent Jonathan a letter in peaceable words to honor him; 4for he
said, “Let us act first to make peace with him u before he makes peace with
Alexander against us, 5for he will remember all the wrongs which we did to
him and to his brothers and his nation.” 6So Deme'trius v gave him authority
to recruit troops, to equip them with arms, and to become his ally; and he
commanded that the hostages in the citadel should be released to him.
7 Then Jonathan came to Jerusalem and read the letter in the hearing of
all the people and of the men in the citadel. 8They were greatly alarmed
when they heard that the king had given him authority to recruit troops.
9But the men in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he
good for what you do for us. 28We will grant you many immunities and give
you gifts.
29 “And now I free you and exempt all the Jews from payment of tribute
and salt tax and crown levies, 30and instead of collecting the third of the
grain and the half of the fruit of the trees that I should receive, I release
them from this day and henceforth. I will not collect them from the land of
Judah or from the three districts added to it from Samar'ia and Galilee, from
this day and for all time. 31And let Jerusalem and her environs, her tithes
and her revenues, be holy and free from tax. 32I release also my control of
the citadel in Jerusalem and give it to the high priest, that he may station in
it men of his own choice to guard it. 33And every one of the Jews taken as a
captive from the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom, I set free
without payment; and let all officials cancel also the taxes on their cattle.
34 “And all the feasts and sabbaths and new moons and appointed days,
and the three days before a feast and the three after a feast—let them all be
days of immunity and release for all the Jews who are in my kingdom. 35No
one shall have authority to exact anything from them or annoy any of them
about any matter.
36 “Let Jews be enrolled in the king’s forces to the number of thirty
thousand men, and let the maintenance be given them that is due to all the
forces of the king. 37Let some of them be stationed in the great strongholds
of the king, and let some of them be put in positions of trust in the kingdom.
Let their officers and leaders be of their own number, and let them live by
their own laws, just as the king has commanded in the land of Judah.
38 “As for the three districts that have been added to Judea from the
country of Samar'ia, let them be so annexed to Judea that they are
considered to be under one ruler and obey no other authority but the high
priest. 39Ptolema'is and the land adjoining it I have given as a gift to the
sanctuary in Jerusalem, to meet the necessary expenses of the sanctuary. 40I
also grant fifteen thousand shekels of silver yearly out of the king’s
revenues from appropriate places. 41And all the additional funds which the
government officials have not paid as they did in the first years, y they shall
give from now on for the service of the temple. z 42Moreover, the five
thousand shekels of silver which my officials a have received every year
from the income of the services of the temple, this too is canceled, because
it belongs to the priests who minister there. 43And whoever takes refuge at
the temple in Jerusalem, or in any of its precincts, because he owes money
to the king or has any debt, let him be released and receive back all his
property in my kingdom.
44 “Let the cost of rebuilding and restoring the structures of the
sanctuary be paid from the revenues of the king. 45And let the cost of
rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and fortifying it round about, and the cost
of rebuilding the walls in Judea, also be paid from the revenues of the
king.”
Death of Demetrius
46 When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they did not believe
or accept them, because they remembered the great wrongs which
Deme'trius b had done in Israel and how he had greatly oppressed them.
47They favored Alexander, because he had been the first to speak peaceable
words to them, and they remained his allies all his days.
48 Now Alexander the king assembled large forces and encamped
opposite Deme'trius. 49The two kings met in battle, and the army of
Deme'trius fled, and Alexander c pursued him and defeated them. 50He
pressed the battle strongly until the sun set, and Deme'trius fell on that day.
Treaty of Ptolemy and Alexander
51 Then Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptol'emy king of Egypt with the
following message: 52“Since I have returned to my kingdom and have taken
my seat on the throne of my fathers, and established my rule—for I crushed
Deme'trius and gained control of our country; 53I met him in battle, and he
and his army were crushed by us, and we have taken our seat on the throne
of his kingdom—54now therefore let us establish friendship with one
another; give me now your daughter as my wife, and I will become your
son-in-law, and will make gifts to you and to her in keeping with your
position.”
55 Ptol'emy the king replied and said, “Happy was the day on which you
returned to the land of your fathers and took your seat on the throne of their
kingdom. 56And now I will do for you as you wrote, but meet me at
Ptolema'is, so that we may see one another, and I will become your father-
in-law, as you have said.”
57 So Ptol'emy set out from Egypt, he and Cleopa'tra his daughter, and
came to Ptolema'is in the one hundred and sixty-second year. d 58Alexander
the king met him, and Ptol'emy e gave him Cleopa'tra his daughter in
marriage, and celebrated her wedding at Ptolema'is with great pomp, as
kings do.
59 Then Alexander the king wrote to Jonathan to come to meet him. 60So
he went with pomp to Ptolema'is and met the two kings; he gave them and
their friends silver and gold and many gifts, and found favor with them. 61A
group of pestilent men from Israel, lawless men, gathered together against
him to accuse him; but the king paid no attention to them. 62The king gave
orders to take off Jonathan’s garments and to clothe him in purple, and they
did so. 63The king also seated him at his side; and he said to his officers,
“Go forth with him into the middle of the city and proclaim that no one is to
bring charges against him about any matter, and let no one annoy him for
any reason.” 64And when his accusers saw the honor that was paid him, in
accordance with the proclamation, and saw him clothed in purple, they all
fled. 65Thus the king honored him and enrolled him among his chief
friends, and made him general and governor of the province. 66And
Jonathan returned to Jerusalem in peace and gladness.
Apollonius Is Defeated by Jonathan
67 In the one hundred and sixty-fifth year f Deme'trius the son of
Demetrius came from Crete to the land of his fathers. 68When Alexander
the king heard of it, he was greatly grieved and returned to Antioch. 69And
Deme'trius appointed Apollo'nius the governor of Coe'le-syr'ia, and he
assembled a large force and encamped against Jam'nia. Then he sent the
following message to Jonathan the high priest:
70 “You are the only one to rise up against us, and I have become a
laughingstock and reproach because of you. Why do you assume authority
against us in the hill country? 71If you now have confidence in your forces,
come down to the plain to meet us, and let us match strength with each
other there, for I have with me the power of the cities. 72Ask and learn who
I am and who the others are that are helping us. Men will tell you that you
cannot stand before us, for your fathers were twice put to flight in their own
land. 73And now you will not be able to withstand my cavalry and such an
army in the plain, where there is no stone or pebble, or place to flee.”
74 When Jonathan heard the words of Apollo'nius, his spirit was aroused.
He chose ten thousand men and set out from Jerusalem, and Simon his
brother met him to help him. 75He encamped before Joppa, but the men of
the city closed its gates, for Apollo'nius had a garrison in Joppa. 76So they
fought against it, and the men of the city became afraid and opened the
gates, and Jonathan gained possession of Joppa.
77 When Apollo'nius heard of it, he mustered three thousand cavalry and
a large army, and went to Azo'tus as though he were going farther. At the
same time he advanced into the plain, for he had a large troop of cavalry
and put confidence in it. 78Jonathan g pursued him to Azo'tus, and the
armies engaged in battle. 79Now Apollo'nius had secretly left a thousand
cavalry behind them. 80Jonathan learned that there was an ambush behind
him, for they surrounded his army and shot arrows at his men from early
morning till late afternoon. 81But his men stood fast, as Jonathan
commanded, and the enemy’s h horses grew tired.
82 Then Simon brought forward his force and engaged the phalanx in
battle (for the cavalry was exhausted); they were overwhelmed by him and
fled, 83and the cavalry was dispersed in the plain. They fled to Azo'tus and
entered Beth-da'gon, the temple of their idol, for safety. 84But Jonathan
burned Azo'tus and the surrounding towns and plundered them; and the
temple of Da'gon, and those who had taken refuge in it he burned with fire.
85The number of those who fell by the sword, with those burned alive, came
more; 89and he sent to him a golden buckle, such as it is the custom to give
to the kinsmen of kings. He also gave him Ek'ron and all its environs as his
possession.
Ptolemy Invades Syria
11 Then the king of Egypt gathered great forces, like the sand by the
seashore, and many ships; and he tried to get possession of Alexander’s
kingdom by trickery and add it to his own kingdom. 2He set out for Syria
with peaceable words, and the people of the cities opened their gates to him
and went to meet him, for Alexander the king had commanded them to
meet him, since he was Alexander’s i father-in-law. 3But when Ptol'emy
entered the cities he stationed forces as a garrison in each city.
4 When he j approached Azo'tus, they showed him the temple of Da'gon
burned down, and Azotus and its suburbs destroyed, and the corpses lying
about, and the charred bodies of those whom Jonathan k had burned in the
war, for they had piled them in heaps along his route. 5They also told the
king what Jonathan had done, to throw blame on him; but the king kept
silent. 6Jonathan met the king at Joppa with pomp, and they greeted one
another and spent the night there. 7And Jonathan went with the king as far
as the river called Eleu'therus; then he returned to Jerusalem.
8 So King Ptol'emy gained control of the coastal cities as far as Seleu'cia
by the sea, and he kept devising evil designs against Alexander. 9He sent
envoys to Deme'trius the king, saying, “Come, let us make a covenant with
each other, and I will give you in marriage my daughter who was
Alexander’s wife, and you shall reign over your father’s kingdom. 10For I
now regret that I gave him my daughter, for he has tried to kill me.” 11He
threw blame on Alexander l because he coveted his kingdom. 12So he took
his daughter away from him and gave her to Deme'trius. He was estranged
from Alexander, and their enmity became manifest.
13 Then Ptol'emy entered Antioch and put on the crown of Asia. Thus he
put two crowns upon his head, the crown of Egypt and that of Asia. 14Now
Alexander the king was in Cili'cia at that time, because the people of that
region were in revolt. 15And Alexander heard of it and came against him in
battle. Ptol'emy marched out and met him with a strong force, and put him
to flight. 16So Alexander fled into Arabia to find protection there, and King
Ptol'emy was exalted. 17And Zab'diel the Arab cut off the head of
Alexander and sent it to Ptol'emy. 18But King Ptol'emy died three days later,
and his troops in the strongholds were killed by the inhabitants of the
strongholds. 19So Deme'trius became king in the one hundred and sixty-
seventh year. m
Jonathan’s Diplomacy
20 In those days Jonathan assembled the men of Judea to attack the citadel
in Jerusalem, and he built many engines of war to use against it. 21But
certain lawless men who hated their nation went to the king and reported to
him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel. 22When he heard this he was
angry, and as soon as he heard it he set out and came to Ptolema'is; and he
wrote Jonathan not to continue the siege, but to meet him for a conference
at Ptolemais as quickly as possible.
23 When Jonathan heard this, he gave orders to continue the siege; and he
chose some of the elders of Israel and some of the priests, and put himself
in danger, 24for he went to the king at Ptolema'is, taking silver and gold and
clothing and numerous other gifts. And he won his favor. 25Although
certain lawless men of his nation kept making complaints against him, 26the
king treated him as his predecessors had treated him; he exalted him in the
presence of all his friends. 27He confirmed him in the high priesthood and
in as many other honors as he had formerly had, and made him to be
regarded as one of his chief friends. 28Then Jonathan asked the king to free
Judea and the three districts of Samar'ia n from tribute, and promised him
three hundred talents. 29The king consented, and wrote a letter to Jonathan
about all these things; its contents were as follows:
30 “King Deme'trius to Jonathan his brother and to the nation of the
Jews, greeting. 31This copy of the letter which we wrote concerning you to
Las'thenes our kinsman we have written to you also, so that you may know
what it says. 32‘King Deme'trius to Las'thenes his father, greeting. 33To the
nation of the Jews, who are our friends and fulfil their obligations to us, we
have determined to do good, because of the good will they show toward us.
34We have confirmed as their possession both the territory of Judea and the
three districts of Aphai'rema and Lydda and Rath'amin; the latter, with all
the region bordering them, were added to Judea from Samar'ia. To all those
who offer sacrifice in Jerusalem, we have granted release from o the royal
taxes which the king formerly received from them each year, from the crops
of the land and the fruit of the trees. 35And the other payments henceforth
due to us of the tithes, and the taxes due to us, and the salt pits and the
crown taxes due to us—from all these we shall grant them release. 36And
not one of these grants shall be canceled from this time forth for ever.
37Now therefore take care to make a copy of this, and let it be given to
glory in the eyes of the king and of all the people in his kingdom, and they
returned to Jerusalem with much spoil.
52 So Deme'trius the king sat on the throne of his kingdom, and the land
was quiet before him. 53But he broke his word about all that he had
promised; and he became estranged from Jonathan and did not repay the
favors which Jonathan q had done him, but oppressed him greatly.
Trypho Seizes Power
54 After this Try'pho returned, and with him the young boy Anti'ochus
who began to reign and put on the crown. 55All the troops that Deme'trius
had cast off gathered around him, and they fought against Demetrius, r and
he fled and was routed. 56And Try'pho captured the elephants s and gained
control of Antioch. 57Then the young Anti'ochus wrote to Jonathan, saying,
“I confirm you in the high priesthood and set you over the four districts and
make you one of the friends of the king.” 58And he sent him gold plate and
a table service, and granted him the right to drink from gold cups and dress
in purple and wear a gold buckle. 59Simon his brother he made governor
from the Ladder of Tyre to the borders of Egypt.
Campaigns of Jonathan and Simon
60 Then Jonathan set forth and traveled beyond the river and among the
cities, and all the army of Syria gathered to him as allies. When he came to
Aska'lon, the people of the city met him and paid him honor. 61From there
he departed to Gaza, but the men of Gaza shut him out. So he beseiged it
and burned its suburbs with fire and plundered them. 62Then the people of
Gaza pleaded with Jonathan, and he made peace with them, and took the
sons of their rulers as hostages and sent them to Jerusalem. And he passed
through the country as far as Damascus.
63 Then Jonathan heard that the officers of Deme'trius had come to
Ka'desh in Galilee with a large army, intending to remove him from office.
64He went to meet them, but left his brother Simon in the country. 65Simon
encamped before Beth-zur and fought against it for many days and hemmed
it in. 66Then they asked him to grant them terms of peace, and he did so. He
removed them from there, took possession of the city, and set a garrison
over it.
67 Jonathan and his army encamped by the waters of Gennes'aret. Early
in the morning they marched to the plain of Ha'zor, 68and behold, the army
of the foreigners met him in the plain; they had set an ambush against him
in the mountains, but they themselves met him face to face. 69Then the men
in ambush emerged from their places and joined battle. 70All the men with
Jonathan fled; not one of them was left except Mattathi'as the son of
Ab'salom and Judas the son of Chal'phi, commanders of the forces of the
army. 71Jonathan tore his garments and put dust on his head, and prayed.
72Then he turned back to the battle against the enemy t and routed them,
and they fled. 73When his men who were fleeing saw this, they returned to
him and joined him in the pursuit as far as Ka'desh, to their camp, and there
they encamped. 74As many as three thousand of the foreigners fell that day.
And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.
Alliances with Rome and Sparta
12 Now when Jonathan saw that the time was favorable for him, he
chose men and sent them to Rome to confirm and renew the friendship with
them. 2He also sent letters to the same effect to the Spartans and to other
places. 3So they went to Rome and entered the senate chamber and said,
“Jonathan the high priest and the Jewish nation have sent us to renew the
former friendship and alliance with them.” 4And the Romans u gave them
letters to the people in every place, asking them to provide for the envoys v
safe conduct to the land of Judah.
5 This is a copy of the letter which Jonathan wrote to the Spartans:
6“Jonathan the high priest, the senate of the nation, the priests, and the rest
many wars have encircled us; the kings round about us have waged war
against us. 14We were unwilling to annoy you and our other allies and
friends with these wars, 15for we have the help which comes from Heaven
for our aid; and we were delivered from our enemies and our enemies were
humbled. 16We therefore have chosen Nume'nius the son of Anti'ochus and
Antip'ater the son of Jason, and have sent them to Rome to renew our
former friendship and alliance with them. 17We have commanded them to
go also to you and greet you and deliver to you this letter from us
concerning the renewal of our brotherhood. 18And now please send us a
reply to this.”
19 This is a copy of the letter which they sent to Oni'as: 20 “A'rius, king
of the Spartans, to Oni'as the high priest, greeting. 21It has been found in
writing concerning the Spartans and the Jews that they are brethren and are
of the family of Abraham. 22And now that we have learned this, please
write us concerning your welfare; 23we on our part write to you that your
cattle and your property belong to us, and ours belong to you. We therefore
command that our envoys x report to you accordingly.”
Further Campaigns of Jonathan and Simon
24 Now Jonathan heard that the commanders of Deme'trius had returned,
with a larger force than before, to wage war against him. 25So he marched
away from Jerusalem and met them in the region of Ha'math, for he gave
them no opportunity to invade his own country. 26He sent spies to their
camp, and they returned and reported to him that the enemy y were being
drawn up in formation to fall upon the Jews z by night. 27So when the sun
set, Jonathan commanded his men to be alert and to keep their arms at hand
so as to be ready all night for battle, and he stationed outposts around the
camp. 28When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were prepared
for battle, they were afraid and were terrified at heart; so they kindled fires
in their camp and withdrew. a 29But Jonathan and his men did not know it
until morning, for they saw the fires burning. 30Then Jonathan pursued
them, but he did not overtake them, for they had crossed the Eleu'therus
river. 31So Jonathan turned aside against the Arabs who are called
Zabade'ans and he crushed them and plundered them. 32Then he broke
camp and went to Damascus, and marched through all that region.
33 Simon also went forth and marched through the country as far as
Aska'lon and the neighboring strongholds. He turned aside to Joppa and
took it by surprise, 34for he had heard that they were ready to hand over the
stronghold to the men whom Deme'trius had sent. And he stationed a
garrison there to guard it.
35 When Jonathan returned he convened the elders of the people and
planned with them to build strongholds in Judea, 36to build the walls of
Jerusalem still higher, and to erect a high barrier between the citadel and the
city to separate it from the city, in order to isolate it so that its garrison b
could neither buy nor sell. 37So they gathered together to build up the city;
part of the wall on the valley to the east had fallen, and he repaired the
section called Chaphen'atha. 38And Simon built Ad'ida in the Shephe'lah; he
fortified it and installed gates with bolts.
Trypho Captures Jonathan
39 Then Try'pho attempted to become king of Asia and put on the crown,
and to raise his hand against Anti'ochus the king. 40He feared that Jonathan
might not permit him to do so, but might make war on him, so he kept
seeking to seize and kill him, and he marched forth and came to Beth-shan.
41Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand picked fighting men,
and he came to Beth-shan. 42When Try'pho saw that he had come with a
large army, he was afraid to raise his hand against him. 43So he received
him with honor and commended him to all his friends, and he gave him
gifts and commanded his friends and his troops to obey him as they would
himself. 44Then he said to Jonathan, “Why have you wearied all these
people when we are not at war? 45Dismiss them now to their homes and
choose for yourself a few men to stay with you, and come with me to
Ptolema'is. I will hand it over to you as well as the other strongholds and
the remaining troops and all the officials, and will turn round and go home.
For that is why I am here.”
46 Jonathan c trusted him and did as he said; he sent away the troops, and
they returned to the land of Judah. 47He kept with himself three thousand
men, two thousand of whom he left in Galilee, while a thousand
accompanied him. 48But when Jonathan entered Ptolema'is, the men of
Ptolemais closed the gates and seized him, and all who had entered with
him they killed with the sword.
49 Then Try'pho sent troops and cavalry into Galilee and the Great Plain
to destroy all Jonathan’s soldiers. 50But they realized that Jonathan c had
been seized and had perished along with his men, and they encouraged one
another and kept marching in close formation, ready for battle. 51When
their pursuers saw that they would fight for their lives, they turned back.
52So they all reached the land of Judah safely, and they mourned for
Jonathan and his companions and were in great fear; and all Israel mourned
deeply. 53And all the nations round about them tried to destroy them, for
they said, “They have no leader or helper. Now therefore let us make war
on them and blot out the memory of them from among men.”
Simon Takes Command
13 Simon heard that Try'pho had assembled a large army to invade the
land of Judah and destroy it, 2and he saw that the people were trembling
and fearful. So he went up to Jerusalem, and gathering the people together
3he encouraged them, saying to them, “You yourselves know what great
things I and my brothers and the house of my father have done for the laws
and the sanctuary; you know also the wars and the difficulties which we
have seen. 4By reason of this all my brothers have perished for the sake of
Israel, and I alone am left. 5And now, far be it from me to spare my life in
any time of distress, for I am not better than my brothers. 6But I will avenge
my nation and the sanctuary and your wives and children, for all the nations
have gathered together out of hatred to destroy us.”
7 The spirit of the people was rekindled when they heard these words,
8and they answered in a loud voice, “You are our leader in place of Judas
and Jonathan your brother. 9Fight our battles, and all that you say to us we
will do.” 10So he assembled all the warriors and hastened to complete the
walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it on every side. 11He sent Jonathan the
son of Ab'salom to Joppa, and with him a considerable army; he drove out
its occupants and remained there.
Deceit and Treachery of Trypho
12 Then Try'pho departed from Ptolema'is with a large army to invade the
land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him under guard. 13And Simon
encamped in Ad'ida, facing the plain. 14Try'pho learned that Simon had
risen up in place of Jonathan his brother, and that he was about to join battle
with him, so he sent envoys to him and said, 15“It is for the money that
Jonathan your brother owed the royal treasury, in connection with the
offices he held, that we are detaining him. 16Send now a hundred talents of
silver and two of his sons as hostages, so that when released he will not
revolt against us, and we will release him.”
17 Simon knew that they were speaking deceitfully to him, but he sent to
get the money and the sons, lest he arouse great hostility among the people,
who might say, 18 “Because Simon d did not send him the money and the
sons, he perished.” 19So he sent the sons and the hundred talents, but
Try'pho e broke his word and did not release Jonathan.
20 After this Try'pho came to invade the country and destroy it, and he
circled around by the way to Ado'ra. But Simon and his army kept
marching along opposite him to every place he went. 21Now the men in the
citadel kept sending envoys to Try'pho urging him to come to them by way
of the wilderness and to send them food. 22So Try'pho got all his cavalry
ready to go, but that night a very heavy snow fell, and he did not go because
of the snow. He marched off and went into the land of Gilead. 23When he
approached Bas'kama, he killed Jonathan, and he was buried there. 24Then
Try'pho turned back and departed to his own land.
Jonathan’s Tomb
25 And Simon sent and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and
buried him in Mo'dein, the city of his fathers. 26All Israel bewailed him
with great lamentation, and mourned for him many days. 27And Simon built
a monument over the tomb of his father and his brothers; he made it high
that it might be seen, with polished stone at the front and back. 28He also
erected seven pyramids, opposite one another, for his father and mother and
four brothers. 29And for the pyramids f he devised an elaborate setting,
erecting about them great columns, and upon the columns he put suits of
armor for a permanent memorial, and beside the suits of armor carved
ships, so that they could be seen by all who sail the sea. 30This is the tomb
which he built in Mo'dein; it remains to this day.
Judea Gains Independence
31 Try'pho dealt treacherously with the young king Anti'ochus; he killed
him 32and became king in his place, putting on the crown of Asia; and he
brought great calamity upon the land. 33But Simon built up the strongholds
of Judea and walled them all around, with high towers and great walls and
gates and bolts, and he stored food in the strongholds. 34Simon also chose
men and sent them to Deme'trius the king with a request to grant relief to
the country, for all that Try'pho did was to plunder. 35Deme'trius the king
sent him a favorable reply to this request, and wrote him a letter as follows,
36“King Deme'trius to Simon, the high priest and friend of kings, and to the
elders and nation of the Jews, greeting. 37We have received the gold crown
and the palm branch which you g sent, and we are ready to make a general
peace with you and to write to our officials to grant you release from
tribute. 38All the grants that we have made to you remain valid, and let the
strongholds that you have built be your possession. 39We pardon any errors
and offenses committed to this day, and cancel the crown tax which you
owe; and whatever other tax has been collected in Jerusalem shall be
collected no longer. 40And if any of you are qualified to be enrolled in our
bodyguard, h let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us.”
41 In the one hundred and seventieth year i the yoke of the Gentiles was
removed from Israel, 42and the people began to write in their documents
and contracts, “In the first year of Simon the great high priest and
commander and leader of the Jews.”
The Capture of Gazara by Simon
43 In those days Simon j encamped against Gaza'ra k and surrounded it
with troops. He made a siege engine, brought it up to the city, and battered
and captured one tower. 44The men in the siege engine leaped out into the
city, and a great tumult arose in the city. 45The men in the city, with their
wives and children, went up on the wall with their clothes torn, and they
cried out with a loud voice, asking Simon to make peace with them; 46they
said, “Do not treat us according to our wicked acts but according to your
mercy.” 47So Simon reached an agreement with them and stopped fighting
against them. But he expelled them from the city and cleansed the houses in
which the idols were, and then entered it with hymns and praise. 48He cast
out of it all uncleanness, and settled in it men who observed the law. He
also strengthened its fortifications and built in it a house for himself.
Simon Regains the Citadel
49 The men in the citadel at Jerusalem were prevented from going out to
the country and back to buy and sell. So they were very hungry, and many
of them perished from famine. 50Then they cried to Simon to make peace
with them, and he did so. But he expelled them from there and cleansed the
citadel from its pollutions. 51On the twenty-third day of the second month,
in the one hundred and seventy-first year, l the Jews m entered it with praise
and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments,
and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and
removed from Israel. And Simon n decreed that every year they should
celebrate this day with rejoicing. He strengthened the fortifications of the
temple hill alongside the citadel, and he and his men dwelt there. 53And
Simon saw that John his son had reached manhood, so he made him
commander of all the forces, and he dwelt in Gaza'ra.
Capture of Demetrius; and the Eulogy of Simon
14 In the one hundred and seventy-second year o Deme'trius the king
assembled his forces and marched into Med'ia to secure help, so that he
could make war against Try'pho. 2When Ar'saces the king of Persia and
Med'ia heard that Deme'trius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his
commanders to take him alive. 3And he went and defeated the army of
Deme'trius, and seized him and took him to Ar'saces, who put him under
guard.
4The land p had rest all the days of Simon.
of the sanctuary and appoint men over its tasks and over the country and the
weapons and the strongholds, and that he should take charge of the
sanctuary, 43and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the
country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in
purple and wear gold.
44 “And none of the people or priests shall be permitted to nullify any of
these decisions or to oppose what he says, or to convene an assembly in the
country without his permission, or to be clothed in purple or put on a gold
buckle. 45Whoever acts contrary to these decisions or nullifies any of them
shall be liable to punishment.”
46 And all the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accord
with these decisions. 47So Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, to
be commander and ethnarch of the Jews and priests, and to be protector of
them all. b 48And they gave orders to inscribe this decree upon bronze
tablets, to put them up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the
sanctuary, 49and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and
his sons might have them.
Letter of Antiochus VII
15 Anti'ochus, the son of Deme'trius the king, sent a letter from the
islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to all
the nation; 2its contents were as follows: “King Anti'ochus to Simon the
high priest and ethnarch and to the nation of the Jews, greeting. 3Whereas
certain pestilent men have gained control of the kingdom of our fathers, and
I intend to lay claim to the kingdom so that I may restore it as it formerly
was, and have recruited a host of mercenary troops and have equipped
warships, 4and intend to make a landing in the country so that I may
proceed against those who have destroyed our country and those who have
devastated many cities in my kingdom, 5now therefore I confirm to you all
the tax remissions that the kings before me have granted you, and release
from all the other payments from which they have released you. 6I permit
you to mint your own coinage as money for your country, 7and I grant
freedom to Jerusalem and the sanctuary. All the weapons which you have
prepared and the strongholds which you have built and now hold shall
remain yours. 8Every debt you owe to the royal treasury and any such future
debts shall be canceled for you from now on and for all time. 9When we
gain control of our kingdom, we will bestow great honor upon you and your
nation and the temple, so that your glory will become manifest in all the
earth.”
10 In the one hundred and seventy-fourth year c Anti'ochus set out and
invaded the land of his fathers. All the troops rallied to him, so that there
were few with Try'pho. 11Anti'ochus pursued him, and he came in his flight
to Dor, which is by the sea; 12for he knew that troubles had converged upon
him, and his troops had deserted him. 13So Anti'ochus encamped against
Dor, and with him were a hundred and twenty thousand warriors and eight
thousand cavalry. 14He surrounded the city, and the ships joined battle from
the sea; he pressed the city hard from land and sea, and permitted no one to
leave or enter it.
Rome Supports the Jews
15 Then Nume'nius and his companions arrived from Rome, with letters
to the kings and countries, in which the following was written: 16“Lucius,
consul of the Romans, to King Ptol'emy, greeting. 17The envoys of the Jews
have come to us as our friends and allies to renew our ancient friendship
and alliance. They had been sent by Simon the high priest and by the people
of the Jews, 18and have brought a gold shield weighing a thousand minas.
19We therefore have decided to write to the kings and countries that they
should not seek their harm or make war against them and their cities and
their country, or make alliance with those who war against them. 20And it
has seemed good to us to accept the shield from them. 21Therefore if any
pestilent men have fled to you from their country, hand them over to Simon
the high priest, that he may punish them according to their law.”
22 The consul d wrote the same thing to Deme'trius the king and to
At'talus and A''riara'thes and Ar'saces, 23and to all the countries, and to
Samp'sames, e and to the Spartans, and to De'los, and to Myn'dos, and to
Sic'yon, and to Ca'ria, and to Sa'mos, and to Pamphyl'ia, and to Ly'cia, and
to Hal''icarnas'sus, and to Rhodes, and to Phase'lis, and to Cos, and to Si'de,
and to Ar'adus and Gorty'na and Cni'dus and Cyprus and Cyre'ne. 24They
also sent a copy of these things to Simon the high priest.
Antiochus VII Threatens Simon
25 Anti'ochus the king besieged Dor anew, f continually throwing his
forces against it and making engines of war; and he shut Try'pho up and
kept him from going out or in. 26And Simon sent to Anti'ochus g two
thousand picked men, to fight for him, and silver and gold and much
military equipment. 27But he refused to receive them, and he broke all the
agreements he formerly had made with Simon, g and became estranged
from him. 28He sent to him Ath''eno'bius, one of his friends, to confer with
him, saying, “You hold control of Joppa and Gaza'ra and the citadel in
Jerusalem; they are cities of my kingdom. 29You have devastated their
territory, you have done great damage in the land, and you have taken
possession of many places in my kingdom. 30Now then, hand over the cities
which you have seized and the tribute money of the places which you have
conquered outside the borders of Judea; 31or else give me for them five
hundred talents of silver, and for the destruction that you have caused and
the tribute money of the cities, five hundred talents more. Otherwise we
will come and conquer you.”
32 So Ath''eno'bius the friend of the king came to Jerusalem, and when
he saw the splendor of Simon, and the sideboard with its gold and silver
plate, and his great magnificence, he was amazed. He reported to him the
words of the king, 33but Simon gave him this reply: “We have neither taken
foreign land nor seized foreign property, but only the inheritance of our
fathers, which at one time had been unjustly taken by our enemies. 34Now
that we have the opportunity, we are firmly holding the inheritance of our
fathers. 35As for Joppa and Gaza'ra, which you demand, they were causing
great damage among the people and to our land; for them we will give you
a hundred talents.” Ath''eno'bius h did not answer him a word, 36but
returned in wrath to the king and reported to him these words and the
splendor of Simon and all that he had seen. And the king was greatly
angered.
Victory over Cendebeus
37 Now Try'pho embarked on a ship and escaped to Orthosi'a. 38Then the
king made Cendebe'us commander-in-chief of the coastal country, and gave
him troops of infantry and cavalry. 39He commanded him to encamp against
Judea, and commanded him to build up Ked'ron and fortify its gates, and to
make war on the people; but the king pursued Try'pho. 40So Cendebe'us
came to Jam'nia and began to provoke the people and invade Judea and take
the people captive and kill them. 41He built up Ked'ron and stationed there
horsemen and troops, so that they might go out and make raids along the
highways of Judea, as the king had ordered him.
16 John went up from Gaza'ra and reported to Simon his father what
Cendebe'us had done. 2And Simon called in his two older sons Judas and
John, and said to them: “I and my brothers and the house of my father have
fought the wars of Israel from our youth until this day, and things have
prospered in our hands so that we have delivered Israel many times. 3But
now I have grown old, and you by His mercy are mature in years. Take my
place and my brother’s, and go out and fight for our nation, and may the
help which comes from Heaven be with you.”
4 So John i chose out of the country twenty thousand warriors and
horsemen, and they marched against Cendebe'us and camped for the night
in Mo'dein. 5Early in the morning they arose and marched into the plain,
and behold, a large force of infantry and horsemen was coming to meet
them; and a stream lay between them. 6Then he and his army lined up
against them. And he saw that the soldiers were afraid to cross the stream,
so he crossed over first; and when his men saw him, they crossed over after
him. 7Then he divided the army and placed the horsemen in the midst of the
infantry, for the cavalry of the enemy were very numerous. 8And they
sounded the trumpets, and Cendebe'us and his army were put to flight, and
many of them were wounded and fell; the rest fled into the stronghold. 9At
that time Judas the brother of John was wounded, but John pursued them
until Cendebe'us j reached Ked'ron, which he had built. 10They also fled
into the towers that were in the fields of Azo'tus, and John j burned it with
fire, and about two thousand of them fell. And he returned to Judea safely.
Murder of Simon and His Sons
11 Now Ptol'emy the son of Abu'bus had been appointed governor over
the plain of Jericho, and he had much silver and gold, 12for he was son-in-
law of the high priest. 13His heart was lifted up; he determined to get
control of the country, and made treacherous plans against Simon and his
sons, to do away with them. 14Now Simon was visiting the cities of the
country and attending to their needs, and he went down to Jericho with
Mattathi'as and Judas his sons, in the one hundred and seventy-seventh
year, k in the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat'. 15The son of
Abu'bus received them treacherously in the little stronghold called Dok,
which he had built; he gave them a great banquet, and hid men there.
16When Simon and his sons were drunk, Ptol'emy and his men rose up, took
their weapons, and rushed in against Simon in the banquet hall, and they
killed him and his two sons and some of his servants. 17So he committed an
act of great treachery and returned evil for good.
John Succeeds Simon
18 Then Ptol'emy wrote a report about these things and sent it to the king,
asking him to send troops to aid him and to turn over to him the cities and
the country. 19He sent other men to Gaza'ra to do away with John; he sent
letters to the captains asking them to come to him so that he might give
them silver and gold and gifts; 20and he sent other men to take possession of
Jerusalem and the temple hill. 21But some one ran ahead and reported to
John at Gaza'ra that his father and brothers had perished, and that “he has
sent men to kill you also.” 22When he heard this, he was greatly shocked;
and he seized the men who came to destroy him and killed them, for he had
found out that they were seeking to destroy him.
23 The rest of the acts of John and his wars and the brave deeds which he
did, and the building of the walls which he built, and his achievements,
24behold, they are written in the chronicles of his high priesthood, from the
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2 Maccabees
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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THE SECOND BOOK OF MACCABEES
A Letter to the Jews in Egypt
1 The Jewish brethren in Jerusalem and those in the land of Judea,
To their Jewish brethren in Egypt,
Greeting, and good peace.
2 May God do good to you, and may he remember his covenant with
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, his faithful servants. 3May he give you all a
heart to worship him and to do his will with a strong heart and a willing
spirit. 4May he open your heart to his law and his commandments, and may
he bring peace. 5May he hear your prayers and be reconciled to you, and
may he not forsake you in time of evil. 6We are now praying for you here.
7 In the reign of Deme'trius, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, a we
Jews wrote to you, in the critical distress which came upon us in those years
after Jason and his company revolted from the holy land and the kingdom
8and burned the gate and shed innocent blood. We begged the Lord and we
were heard, and we offered sacrifice and cereal offering, and we lighted the
lamps and we set out the loaves. 9And now see that you keep the feast of
booths in the month of Chis'lev, in the one hundred and eighty-eighth year.
b
A Letter to Aristobulus
10 Those in Jerusalem and those in Judea and the senate and Judas,
To Aristob'ulus, who is of the family of the anointed priests, teacher of
Ptol'emy the king, and to the Jews in Egypt,
Greeting, and good health.
11 Having been saved by God out of grave dangers we thank him greatly
for taking our side against the king. c 12For he drove out those who fought
against the holy city. 13For when the leader reached Persia with a force that
seemed irresistible, they were cut to pieces in the temple of Nane'a by a
deception employed by the priests of Nanea. 14For under pretext of
intending to marry her, Anti'ochus came to the place together with his
friends, to secure most of its treasures as a dowry. 15When the priests of the
temple of Nane'a had set out the treasures and Anti'ochus had come with a
few men inside the wall of the sacred precinct, they closed the temple as
soon as he entered it. 16Opening the secret door in the ceiling, they threw
stones and struck down the leader and his men, and dismembered them and
cut off their heads and threw them to the people outside. 17Blessed in every
way be our God, who has brought judgment upon those who have behaved
impiously.
Fire Consumes Nehemiah’s Sacrifice
18 Since on the twenty-fifth day of Chis'lev we shall celebrate the
purification of the temple, we thought it necessary to notify you, in order
that you also may celebrate the feast of booths and the feast of the fire given
when Nehemi'ah, who built the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices.
19 For when our fathers were being led captive to Persia, the pious priests
of that time took some of the fire of the altar and secretly hid it in the
hollow of a dry cistern, where they took such precautions that the place was
unknown to any one. 20But after many years had passed, when it pleased
God, Nehemi'ah, having been commissioned by the king of Persia, sent the
descendants of the priests who had hidden the fire to get it. And when they
reported to us that they had not found fire but thick liquid, he ordered them
to dip it out and bring it. 21And when the materials for the sacrifices were
presented, Nehemi'ah ordered the priests to sprinkle the liquid on the wood
and what was laid upon it. 22When this was done and some time had passed
and the sun, which had been clouded over, shone out, a great fire blazed up,
so that all marveled. 23And while the sacrifice was being consumed, the
priests offered prayer—the priests and every one. Jonathan led, and the rest
responded, as did Nehemi'ah. 24The prayer was to this effect:
“O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, who are awe-inspiring and
strong and just and merciful, who alone are King and are kind, 25who alone
are bountiful, who alone are just and almighty and eternal, who rescue
Israel from every evil, who chose the fathers and consecrated them,
26accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel and preserve your
portion and make it holy. 27Gather together our scattered people, set free
those who are slaves among the Gentiles, look upon those who are rejected
and despised, and let the Gentiles know that you are our God. 28Afflict
those who oppress and are insolent with pride. 29Plant your people in your
holy place, as Moses said.”
30 Then the priests sang the hymns. 31And when the materials of the
sacrifice were consumed, Nehemi'ah ordered that the liquid that was left
should be poured upon large stones. 32When this was done, a flame blazed
up; but when the light from the altar shone back, it went out. 33When this
matter became known, and it was reported to the king of the Persians that,
in the place where the exiled priests had hidden the fire, the liquid had
appeared with which Nehemi'ah and his associates had burned the materials
of the sacrifice, 34the king investigated the matter, and enclosed the place
and made it sacred. 35And with those persons whom the king favored he
exchanged many excellent gifts. 36Nehemi'ah and his associates called this
“nephthar,” which means purification, but by most people it is called
naphtha. d
Jeremiah Hides the Tent, Ark, and Altar
2 One finds in the records that Jeremi'ah the prophet ordered those who
were being deported to take some of the fire, as has been told, 2and that the
prophet after giving them the law instructed those who were being deported
not to forget the commandments of the Lord, nor to be led astray in their
thoughts upon seeing the gold and silver statues and their adornment. 3And
with other similar words he exhorted them that the law should not depart
from their hearts.
4 It was also in the writing that the prophet, having received an oracle,
ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went
out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance
of God. 5And Jeremi'ah came and found a cave, and he brought there the
tent and the ark and the altar of incense, and he sealed up the entrance.
6Some of those who followed him came up to mark the way, but could not
find it. 7When Jeremi'ah learned of it, he rebuked them and declared: “The
place shall be unknown until God gathers his people together again and
shows his mercy. 8And then the Lord will disclose these things, and the
glory of the Lord and the cloud will appear, as they were shown in the case
of Moses, and as Solomon asked that the place should be specially
consecrated.”
9 It was also made clear that being possessed of wisdom Solomon e
offered sacrifice for the dedication and completion of the temple. 10Just as
Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven and devoured
the sacrifices, so also Solomon prayed, and the fire came down and
consumed the whole burnt offerings. 11And Moses said, “They were
consumed because the sin offering had not been eaten.” 12Likewise
Solomon also kept the eight days.
13 The same things are reported in the records and in the memoirs of
Nehemi'ah, and also that he founded a library and collected the books about
the kings and prophets, and the writings of David, and letters of kings about
votive offerings. 14In the same way Judas also collected all the books that
had been lost on account of the war which had come upon us, and they are
in our possession. 15So if you have need of them, send people to get them
for you.
16 Since, therefore, we are about to celebrate the purification, we write to
you. Will you therefore please keep the days? 17It is God who has saved all
his people, and has returned the inheritance to all, and the kingship and
priesthood and consecration, 18as he promised through the law. For we have
hope in God that he will soon have mercy upon us and will gather us from
everywhere under heaven into his holy place, for he has rescued us from
great evils and has purified the place.
The Compiler’s Preface
19 The story of Judas Mac''cabe'us and his brothers, and the purification
of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar, 20and further the wars
against Anti'ochus Epiph'anes and his son Eu'pator, 21and the appearances
which came from heaven to those who strove zealously on behalf of
Judaism, so that though few in number they seized the whole land and
pursued the barbarian hordes, 22and recovered the temple famous
throughout the world and freed the city and restored the laws that were
about to be abolished, while the Lord with great kindness became gracious
to them—23all this, which has been set forth by Jason of Cyre'ne in five
volumes, we shall attempt to condense into a single book. 24For considering
the flood of numbers involved and the difficulty there is for those who wish
to enter upon the narratives of history because of the mass of material, 25we
have aimed to please those who wish to read, to make it easy for those who
are inclined to memorize, and to profit all readers. 26For us who have
undertaken the toil of abbreviating, it is no light matter but calls for sweat
and loss of sleep, 27just as it is not easy for one who prepares a banquet and
seeks the benefit of others. However, to secure the gratitude of many we
will gladly endure the uncomfortable toil, 28leaving the responsibility for
exact details to the compiler, while devoting our effort to arriving at the
outlines of the condensation. 29For as the master builder of a new house
must be concerned with the whole construction, while the one who
undertakes its painting and decoration has to consider only what is suitable
for its adornment, such in my judgment is the case with us. 30It is the duty
of the original historian to occupy the ground and to discuss matters from
every side and to take trouble with details, 31but the one who recasts the
narrative should be allowed to strive for brevity of expression and to forego
exhaustive treatment. 32At this point therefore let us begin our narrative,
adding only so much to what has already been said; for it is foolish to
lengthen the preface while cutting short the history itself.
Arrival of Heliodorus in Jerusalem
3 While the holy city was inhabited in unbro- ken peace and the laws
were very well observed because of the piety of the high priest Oni'as and
his hatred of wickedness, 2it came about that the kings themselves honored
the place and glorified the temple with the finest presents, 3so that even
Seleu'cus, the king of Asia, defrayed from his own revenues all the
expenses connected with the service of the sacrifices. 4But a man named
Simon, of the tribe of Benjamin, who had been made captain of the temple,
had a disagreement with the high priest about the administration of the city
market; 5and when he could not prevail over Oni'as he went to Apollo'nius
of Tarsus, f who at that time was governor of Coe'le-syr'ia and Phoeni'cia.
6He reported to him that the treasury in Jerusalem was full of untold sums
of money, so that the amount of the funds could not be reckoned, and that
they did not belong to the account of the sacrifices, but that it was possible
for them to fall under the control of the king. 7When Apollo'nius met the
king, he told him of the money about which he had been informed. The
king g chose He''liodo'rus, who was in charge of his affairs, and sent him
with commands to effect the removal of the aforesaid money. 8He''liodo'rus
at once set out on his journey, ostensibly to make a tour of inspection of the
cities of Coe'le-syr'ia and Phoeni'cia, but in fact to carry out the king’s
purpose.
9 When he had arrived at Jerusalem and had been kindly welcomed by
the high priest of h the city, he told about the disclosure that had been made
and stated why he had come, and he inquired whether this really was the
situation. 10The high priest explained that there were some deposits
belonging to widows and orphans, 11and also some money of Hyrca'nus,
son of Tobi'as, a man of very prominent position, and that it totaled in all
four hundred talents of silver and two hundred of gold. To such an extent
the impious Simon had misrepresented the facts. 12And he said that it was
utterly impossible that wrong should be done to those people who had
trusted in the holiness of the place and in the sanctity and inviolability of
the temple which is honored throughout the whole world. 13But
He''liodo'rus, because of the king’s commands which he had, said that this
money must in any case be confiscated for the king’s treasury. 14So he set a
day and went in to direct the inspection of these funds.
There was no little distress throughout the whole city. 15The priests
prostrated themselves before the altar in their priestly garments and called
toward heaven upon him who had given the law about deposits, that he
should keep them safe for those who had deposited them. 16To see the
appearance of the high priest was to be wounded at heart, for his face and
the change in his color disclosed the anguish of his soul. 17For terror and
bodily trembling had come over the man, which plainly showed to those
who looked at him the pain lodged in his heart. 18People also hurried out of
their houses in crowds to make a general supplication because the holy
place was about to be brought into contempt. 19Women, clothed with
sackcloth under their breasts, thronged the streets. Some of the maidens
who were kept indoors ran together to the gates, and some to the walls,
while others peered out of the windows. 20And holding up their hands to
heaven, they all made entreaty. 21There was something pitiable in the
prostration of the whole populace and the anxiety of the high priest in his
great anguish.
The Lord Protects His Temple
22 While they were calling upon the Almighty Lord that he would keep
what had been entrusted safe and secure for those who had entrusted it,
23He''liodo'rus went on with what had been decided. 24But when he arrived
at the treasury with his bodyguard, then and there the Sovereign of spirits
and of all authority caused so great a manifestation that all who had been so
bold as to accompany him were astounded by the power of God, and
became faint with terror. 25For there appeared to them a magnificently
caparisoned horse, with a rider of frightening mien, and it rushed furiously
at He''liodo'rus and struck at him with its front hoofs. Its rider was seen to
have armor and weapons of gold. 26Two young men also appeared to him,
remarkably strong, gloriously beautiful and splendidly dressed, who stood
on each side of him and scourged him continuously, inflicting many blows
on him. 27When he suddenly fell to the ground and deep darkness came
over him, his men took him up and put him on a stretcher 28and carried him
away, this man who had just entered the aforesaid treasury with a great
retinue and all his bodyguard but was now unable to help himself; and they
recognized clearly the sovereign power of God. 29While he lay prostrate,
speechless because of the divine intervention and deprived of any hope of
recovery, 30they praised the Lord who had acted marvelously for his own
place. And the temple, which a little while before was full of fear and
disturbance, was filled with joy and gladness, now that the Almighty Lord
had appeared.
Onias Prays for Heliodorus
31 Quickly some of He''liodo'rus’ friends asked Oni'as to call upon the
Most High and to grant life to one who was lying quite at his last breath.
32And the high priest, fearing that the king might get the notion that some
foul play had been perpetrated by the Jews with regard to He''liodo'rus,
offered sacrifice for the man’s recovery. 33While the high priest was making
the offering of atonement, the same young men appeared again to
He''liodo'rus dressed in the same clothing, and they stood and said, “Be very
grateful to Oni'as the high priest, since for his sake the Lord has granted you
your life. 34And see that you, who have been scourged by heaven, report to
all men the majestic power of God.” Having said this they vanished.
The Conversion of Heliodorus
35 Then He''liodo'rus offered sacrifice to the Lord and made very great
vows to the Savior of his life, and having bidden Oni'as farewell, he
marched off with his forces to the king. 36And he bore testimony to all men
of the deeds of the supreme God, which he had seen with his own eyes.
37When the king asked He''liodo'rus what sort of person would be suitable
refreshment, induced the king to change his mind. 47Menela'us, the cause of
all the evil, he acquitted of the charges against him, while he sentenced to
death those unfortunate men, who would have been freed uncondemned if
they had pleaded even before Scyth'ians. 48And so those who had spoken
for the city and the villages t and the holy vessels quickly suffered the
unjust penalty. 49Therefore even the Ty'rians, showing their hatred of the
crime, provided magnificently for their funeral. 50But Menela'us, because of
the cupidity of those in power, remained in office, growing in wickedness,
having become the chief plotter against his fellow citizens.
Jason Tries to Regain Control
5 About this time Anti'ochus made his second invasion of Egypt. 2And it
happened that over all the city, for almost forty days, there appeared golden-
clad horsemen charging through the air, in companies fully armed with
lances and drawn swords—3troops of horsemen drawn up, attacks and
counterattacks made on this side and on that, brandishing of shields,
massing of spears, hurling of missiles, the flash of golden trappings, and
armor of all sorts. 4Therefore all men prayed that the apparition might prove
to have been a good omen.
5 When a false rumor arose that Anti'ochus was dead, Jason took no less
than a thousand men and suddenly made an assault upon the city. When the
troops upon the wall had been forced back and at last the city was being
taken, Menela'us took refuge in the citadel. 6But Jason kept relentlessly
slaughtering his fellow citizens, not realizing that success at the cost of
one’s kindred is the greatest misfortune, but imagining that he was setting
up trophies of victory over enemies and not over fellow countrymen. 7He
did not gain control of the government, however; and in the end got only
disgrace from his conspiracy, and fled again into the country of the
Am'monites. 8Finally he met a miserable end. Accused u before Ar'etas the
ruler of the Arabs, fleeing from city to city, pursued by all men, hated as a
rebel against the laws, and abhorred as the executioner of his country and
his fellow citizens, he was cast ashore in Egypt; 9and he who had driven
many from their own country into exile died in exile, having embarked to
go to the Lac''edaemo'nians in hope of finding protection because of their
kinship. 10He who had cast out many to lie unburied had no one to mourn
for him; he had no funeral of any sort and no place in the tomb of his
fathers.
11 When news of what had happened reached the king, he took it to mean
that Judea was in revolt. So, raging inwardly, he left Egypt and took the city
by storm. 12And he commanded his soldiers to cut down relentlessly every
one they met and to slay those who went into the houses. 13Then there was
killing of young and old, destruction of boys, women, and children, and
slaughter of virgins and infants. 14Within the total of three days eighty
thousand were destroyed, forty thousand in hand-to-hand fighting; and as
many were sold into slavery as were slain.
Pillage of the Temple
15 Not content with this, Anti'ochus v dared to enter the most holy temple
in all the world, guided by Menela'us, who had become a traitor both to the
laws and to his country. 16He took the holy vessels with his polluted hands,
and swept away with profane hands the votive offerings which other kings
had made to enhance the glory and honor of the place. 17Anti'ochus was
elated in spirit, and did not perceive that the Lord was angered for a little
while because of the sins of those who dwelt in the city, and that therefore
he was disregarding the holy place. 18But if it had not happened that they
were involved in many sins, this man would have been scourged and turned
back from his rash act as soon as he came forward, just as He''liodo'rus was,
whom Seleu'cus the king sent to inspect the treasury. 19But the Lord did not
choose the nation for the sake of the holy place, but the place for the sake of
the nation. 20Therefore the place itself shared in the misfortunes that befell
the nation and afterward participated in its benefits; and what was forsaken
in the wrath of the Almighty was restored again in all its glory when the
great Lord became reconciled.
21 So Anti'ochus carried off eighteen hundred talents from the temple,
and hurried away to Antioch, thinking in his arrogance that he could sail on
the land and walk on the sea, because his mind was elated. 22And he left
governors to afflict the people: at Jerusalem, Philip, by birth a Phryg'ian and
in character more barbarous than the man who appointed him; 23and at
Ger'izim, Andron'icus; and besides these Menela'us, who lorded it over his
fellow citizens worse than the others did. In his malice toward the Jewish
citizens, w 24Anti'ochus x sent Apollo'nius, the captain of the Mysians, with
an army of twenty-two thousand, and commanded him to slay all the grown
men and to sell the women and boys as slaves. 25When this man arrived in
Jerusalem, he pretended to be peaceably disposed and waited until the holy
sabbath day; then, finding the Jews not at work, he ordered his men to
parade under arms. 26He put to the sword all those who came out to see
them, then rushed into the city with his armed men and killed great numbers
of people.
27 But Judas Mac''cabe'us, with about nine others, got away to the
wilderness, and kept himself and his companions alive in the mountains as
wild animals do; they continued to live on what grew wild, so that they
might not share in the defilement.
The Suppression of Judaism
6 Not long after this, the king sent an Athe- nian y senator z to compel
the Jews to forsake the laws of their fathers and cease to live by the laws of
God, 2and also to pollute the temple in Jerusalem and call it the temple of
Olympian Zeus, and to call the one in Ger'izim the temple of Zeus the
Friend of Strangers, as did the people who dwelt in that place.
3 Harsh and utterly grievous was the onslaught of evil. 4For the temple
was filled with debauchery and reveling by the Gentiles, who dallied with
harlots and had intercourse with women within the sacred precincts, and
besides brought in things for sacrifice that were unfit. 5The altar was
covered with abominable offerings which were forbidden by the laws. 6A
man could neither keep the sabbath, nor observe the feasts of his fathers,
nor so much as confess himself to be a Jew.
7 On the monthly celebration of the king’s birthday, the Jews a were
taken, under bitter constraint, to partake of the sacrifices; and when the
feast of Diony'sus came, they were compelled to walk in the procession in
honor of Dionysus, wearing wreaths of ivy. 8At the suggestion of Ptol'emy a
decree was issued to the neighboring Greek cities, that they should adopt
the same policy toward the Jews and make them partake of the sacrifices,
9and should slay those who did not choose to change over to Greek
customs. One could see, therefore, the misery that had come upon them.
10For example, two women were brought in for having circumcised their
children. These women they publicly paraded about the city, with their
babies hung at their breasts, then hurled them down headlong from the wall.
11Others who had assembled in the caves near by, to observe the seventh
day secretly, were betrayed to Philip and were all burned together, because
their piety kept them from defending themselves, in view of their regard for
that most holy day.
Providential Significance of the Persecution
12 Now I urge those who read this book not to be depressed by such
calamities, but to recognize that these punishments were designed not to
destroy but to discipline our people. 13In fact, not to let the impious alone
for long, but to punish them immediately, is a sign of great kindness. 14For
in the case of the other nations the Lord waits patiently to punish them until
they have reached the full measure of their sins; but he does not deal in this
way with us, 15in order that he may not take vengeance on us afterward
when our sins have reached their height. 16Therefore he never withdraws
his mercy from us. Though he disciplines us with calamities, he does not
forsake his own people. 17Let what we have said serve as a reminder; we
must go on briefly with the story.
The Martyrdom of Eleazar
18 Elea'zar, one of the scribes in high position, a man now advanced in
age and of noble presence, was being forced to open his mouth to eat
swine’s flesh. 19But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with
pollution, went up to the rack of his own accord, spitting out the flesh, 20as
men ought to go who have the courage to refuse things that it is not right to
taste, even for the natural love of life.
21 Those who were in charge of that unlawful sacrifice took the man
aside, because of their long acquaintance with him, and privately urged him
to bring meat of his own providing, proper for him to use, and pretend that
he was eating the flesh of the sacrificial meal which had been commanded
by the king, 22so that by doing this he might be saved from death, and be
treated kindly on account of his old friendship with them. 23But making a
high resolve, worthy of his years and the dignity of his old age and the gray
hairs which he had reached with distinction and his excellent life even from
childhood, and moreover according to the holy God-given law, he declared
himself quickly, telling them to send him to Hades.
24 “Such pretense is not worthy of our time of life,” he said, “lest many
of the young should suppose that Elea'zar in his ninetieth year has gone
over to an alien religion, 25and through my pretense, for the sake of living a
brief moment longer, they should be led astray because of me, while I defile
and disgrace my old age. 26For even if for the present I should avoid the
punishment of men, yet whether I live or die I shall not escape the hands of
the Almighty. 27Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will show
myself worthy of my old age 28and leave to the young a noble example of
how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws.”
When he had said this, he went b at once to the rack. 29And those who a
little before had acted toward him with good will now changed to ill will,
because the words he had uttered were in their opinion sheer madness. c
30When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned aloud and said: “It
is clear to the Lord in his holy knowledge that, though I might have been
saved from death, I am enduring terrible sufferings in my body under this
beating, but in my soul I am glad to suffer these things because I fear him.”
31 So in this way he died, leaving in his death an example of nobility and
a memorial of courage, not only to the young but to the great body of his
nation.
The Martyrdom of the Seven Brothers
7 It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and
were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to
partake of unlawful swine’s flesh. 2One of them, acting as their spokesman,
said, “What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die
rather than transgress the laws of our fathers.”
3 The king fell into a rage, and gave orders that pans and caldrons be
heated. 4These were heated immediately, and he commanded that the
tongue of their spokesman be cut out and that they scalp him and cut off his
hands and feet, while the rest of the brothers and the mother looked on.
5When he was utterly helpless, the king d ordered them to take him to the
fire, still breathing, and to fry him in a pan. The smoke from the pan spread
widely, but the brothers e and their mother encouraged one another to die
nobly, saying, 6“The Lord God is watching over us and in truth has
compassion on us, as Moses declared in his song which bore witness
against the people to their faces, when he said, ‘And he will have
compassion on his servants.’”
7 After the first brother had died in this way, they brought forward the
second for their sport. They tore off the skin of his head with the hair, and
asked him, “Will you eat rather than have your body punished limb by
limb?” 8He replied in the language of his fathers, and said to them, “No.”
Therefore he in turn underwent tortures as the first brother had done. 9And
when he was at his last breath, he said, “You accursed wretch, you dismiss
us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to an
everlasting renewal of life, * because we have died for his laws.”
10 After him, the third was the victim of their sport. When it was
demanded, he quickly put out his tongue and courageously stretched forth
his hands, 11and said nobly, “I got these from Heaven, and because of his
laws I disdain them, and from him I hope to get them back again.” 12As a
result the king himself and those with him were astonished at the young
man’s spirit, for he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
13 When he too had died, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the
same way. 14And when he was near death, he said, “One cannot but choose
to die at the hands of men and to cherish the hope that God gives of being
raised again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life!”
15 Next they brought forward the fifth and maltreated him. 16But he
looked at the king, f and said, “Because you have authority among men,
mortal though you are, you do what you please. But do not think that God
has forsaken our people. 17Keep on, and see how his mighty power will
torture you and your descendants!”
18 After him they brought forward the sixth. And when he was about to
die, he said, “Do not deceive yourself in vain. For we are suffering these
things on our own account, because of our sins against our own God.
Therefore g astounding things have happened. 19But do not think that you
will go unpunished for having tried to fight against God!”
20 The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honorable
memory. Though she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she
bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord. 21She
encouraged each of them in the language of their fathers. Filled with a
noble spirit, she fired her woman’s reasoning with a man’s courage, and
said to them, 22“I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It
was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements
within each of you. 23Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the
beginning of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give
life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the
sake of his laws.”
24 Anti'ochus felt that he was being treated with contempt, and he was
suspicious of her reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive,
Antiochus h not only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths
that he would make him rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of
his fathers, and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with
public affairs. 25Since the young man would not listen to him at all, the king
called the mother to him and urged her to advise the youth to save himself.
26After much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son. 27But,
leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding
the cruel tyrant: “My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my
womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you
up to this point in your life, and have taken care of you. i 28I beg you, my
child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them,
and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed. j Thus
also mankind comes into being. 29Do not fear this butcher, but prove
worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God’s mercy I may get
you back again with your brothers.”
30 While she was still speaking, the young man said, “What are you k
waiting for? I will not obey the king’s command, but I obey the command
of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses. 31But you, l who
have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will certainly not
escape the hands of God. 32For we are suffering because of our own sins.
33And if our living Lord is angry for a little while, to rebuke and discipline
us, he will again be reconciled with his own servants. 34But you, unholy
wretch, you most defiled of all men, do not be elated in vain and puffed up
by uncertain hopes, when you raise your hand against the children of
heaven. 35You have not yet escaped the judgment of the almighty, all-seeing
God. 36For our brothers after enduring a brief suffering have drunk m of
everflowing life under God’s covenant; but you, by the judgment of God,
will receive just punishment for your arrogance. 37I, like my brothers, give
up body and life for the laws of our fathers, appealing to God to show
mercy soon to our nation and by afflictions and plagues to make you
confess that he alone is God, 38and through me and my brothers to bring to
an end the wrath of the Almighty which has justly fallen on our whole
nation.”
39 The king fell into a rage, and handled him worse than the others,
being exasperated at his scorn. 40So he died in his integrity, putting his
whole trust in the Lord.
41 Last of all, the mother died, after her sons.
42 Let this be enough, then, about the eating of sacrifices and the extreme
tortures.
The Revolt of Judas Maccabeus
8 But Judas, who was also called Mac''cabe'us, and his companions
secretly entered the villages and summoned their kinsmen and enlisted
those who had continued in the Jewish faith, and so they gathered about six
thousand men. 2They begged the Lord to look upon the people who were
oppressed by all, and to have pity on the temple which had been profaned
by ungodly men, 3and to have mercy on the city which was being destroyed
and about to be leveled to the ground, and to heed the blood that cried out to
him, 4and to remember also the lawless destruction of the innocent babies
and the blasphemies committed against his name, and to show his hatred of
evil.
5 As soon as Mac''cabe'us got his army organized, the Gentiles could not
withstand him, for the wrath of the Lord had turned to mercy. 6Coming
without warning, he would set fire to towns and villages. He captured
strategic positions and put to flight not a few of the enemy. 7He found the
nights most advantageous for such attacks. And talk of his valor spread
everywhere.
8 When Philip saw that the man was gaining ground little by little, and
that he was pushing ahead with more frequent successes, he wrote to
Ptol'emy, the governor of Coe'le-syr'ia and Phoeni'cia, for aid to the king’s
government. 9And Ptol'emy n promptly appointed Nica'nor the son of
Patro'clus, one of the king’s chief friends, and sent him, in command of no
fewer than twenty thousand Gentiles of all nations, to wipe out the whole
race of Judea. He associated with him Gor'gias, a general and a man of
experience in military service. 10Nica'nor determined to make up for the
king the tribute due to the Romans, two thousand talents, by selling the
captured Jews into slavery. 11And he immediately sent to the cities on the
seacoast, inviting them to buy Jewish slaves and promising to hand over
ninety slaves for a talent, not expecting the judgment from the Almighty
that was about to overtake him.
Preparation for Battle
12 Word came to Judas concerning Nica'nor’s invasion; and when he told
his companions of the arrival of the army, 13those who were cowardly and
distrustful of God’s justice ran off and got away. 14Others sold all their
remaining property, and at the same time begged the Lord to rescue those
who had been sold by the ungodly Nica'nor before he ever met them, 15if
not for their own sake, yet for the sake of the covenants made with their
fathers, and because he had called them by his holy and glorious name.
16But Mac''cabe'us gathered his men together, to the number of six
thousand, and exhorted them not to be frightened by the enemy and not to
fear the great multitude of Gentiles who were wickedly coming against
them, but to fight nobly, 17keeping before their eyes the lawless outrage
which the Gentiles o had committed against the holy place, and the torture
of the derided city, and besides, the overthrow of their ancestral way of life.
18“For they trust to arms and acts of daring,” he said, “but we trust in the
Almighty God, who is able with a single nod to strike down those who are
coming against us and even the whole world.”
19 Moreover, he told them of the times when help came to their
ancestors; both the time of Sennach'erib, when one hundred and eighty-five
thousand perished, 20and the time of the battle with the Galatians that took
place in Babylonia, when eight thousand in all went into the affair, with
four thousand Macedonians; and when the Macedonians were hard pressed,
the eight thousand, by the help that came to them from heaven, destroyed
one hundred and twenty thousand and took much booty.
Judas Defeats Nicanor
21 With these words he filled them with good courage and made them
ready to die for their laws and their country; then he divided his army into
four parts. 22He appointed his brothers also, Simon and Joseph and
Jonathan, each to command a division, putting fifteen hundred men under
each. 23Besides, he appointed Elea'zar to read aloud p from the holy book,
and gave the watchword, “God’s help”; then, leading the first division
himself, he joined battle with Nica'nor.
24 With the Almighty as their ally, they slew more than nine thousand of
the enemy, and wounded and disabled most of Nica'nor’s army, and forced
them all to flee. 25They captured the money of those who had come to buy
them as slaves. After pursuing them for some distance, they were obliged to
return because the hour was late. 26For it was the day before the sabbath,
and for that reason they did not continue their pursuit. 27And when they had
collected the arms of the enemy and stripped them of their spoils, they kept
the sabbath, giving great praise and thanks to the Lord, who had preserved
them for that day and allotted it to them as the beginning of mercy. 28After
the sabbath they gave some of the spoils to those who had been tortured and
to the widows and orphans, and distributed the rest among themselves and
their children. 29When they had done this, they made common supplication
and begged the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants.
30 In encounters with the forces of Timothy and Bacchi'des they killed
more than twenty thousand of them and got possession of some exceedingly
high strongholds, and they divided very much plunder, giving to those who
had been tortured and to the orphans and widows, and also to the aged,
shares equal to their own. 31Collecting the arms of the enemy, q they stored
them all carefully in strategic places, and carried the rest of the spoils to
Jerusalem. 32They killed the commander of Timothy’s forces, a most
unholy man, and one who had greatly troubled the Jews. 33While they were
celebrating the victory in the city of their fathers, they burned those who
had set fire to the sacred gates, Callis'thenes and some others, who had fled
into one little house; so these received the proper recompense for their
impiety. r
34 The thrice-accursed Nica'nor, who had brought the thousand merchants
to buy the Jews, 35having been humbled with the help of the Lord by
opponents whom he regarded as of the least account, took off his splendid
uniform and made his way alone like a runaway slave across the country till
he reached Antioch, having succeeded chiefly in the destruction of his own
army! 36Thus he who had undertaken to secure tribute for the Romans by
the capture of the people of Jerusalem proclaimed that the Jews had a
Defender, and that therefore the Jews were invulnerable, because they
followed the laws ordained by him.
The Last Campaign of Antiochus Ephiphanes
9 About that time, as it happened, Anti'ochus had retreated in disorder
from the region of Persia. 2For he had entered the city called Persep'olis,
and attempted to rob the temples and control the city. Therefore the people
rushed to the rescue with arms, and Anti'ochus and his men were defeated, s
with the result that Antiochus was put to flight by the inhabitants and beat a
shameful retreat. 3While he was in Ecbat'ana, news came to him of what
had happened to Nica'nor and the forces of Timothy. 4Transported with
rage, he conceived the idea of turning upon the Jews the injury done by
those who had put him to flight; so he ordered his charioteer to drive
without stopping until he completed the journey. But the judgment of
heaven rode with him! For in his arrogance he said, “When I get there I will
make Jerusalem a cemetery of Jews.”
5 But the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him an incurable and
unseen blow. As soon as he ceased speaking he was seized with a pain in
his bowels for which there was no relief and with sharp internal tortures—
6and that very justly, for he had tortured the bowels of others with many and
strange inflictions. 7Yet he did not in any way stop his insolence, but was
even more filled with arrogance, breathing fire in his rage against the Jews,
and giving orders to hasten the journey. And so it came about that he fell
out of his chariot as it was rushing along, and the fall was so hard as to
torture every limb of his body. 8Thus he who had just been thinking that he
could command the waves of the sea, in his superhuman arrogance, and
imagining that he could weigh the high mountains in a balance, was brought
down to earth and carried in a litter, making the power of God manifest to
all. 9And so the ungodly man’s body swarmed with worms, and while he
was still living in anguish and pain, his flesh rotted away, and because of
his stench the whole army felt revulsion at his decay. 10Because of his
intolerable stench no one was able to carry the man who a little while
before had thought that he could touch the stars of heaven. 11Then it was
that, broken in spirit, he began to lose much of his arrogance and to come to
his senses under the scourge of God, for he was tortured with pain every
moment. 12And when he could not endure his own stench, he uttered these
words: “It is right to be subject to God, and no mortal should think that he is
equal to God.” t
Antiochus Makes a Promise to God
13 Then the abominable fellow made a vow to the Lord, who would no
longer have mercy on him, stating 14that the holy city, which he was
hastening to level to the ground and to make a cemetery, he was now
declaring to be free; 15and the Jews, whom he had not considered worth
burying but had planned to throw out with their children to the beasts, for
the birds to pick, he would make, all of them, equal to citizens of Athens;
16and the holy sanctuary, which he had formerly plundered, he would adorn
with the finest offerings; and the holy vessels he would give back, all of
them, many times over; and the expenses incurred for the sacrifices he
would provide from his own revenues; 17and in addition to all this he also
would become a Jew and would visit every inhabited place to proclaim the
power of God. 18But when his sufferings did not in any way abate, for the
judgment of God had justly come upon him, he gave up all hope for himself
and wrote to the Jews the following letter, in the form of a supplication.
This was its content:
Antiochus’ Letter and Death
19 “To his worthy Jewish citizens, Anti'ochus their king and general sends
hearty greetings and good wishes for their health and prosperity. 20If you
and your children are well and your affairs are as you wish, I am glad. As
my hope is in heaven, 21I remember with affection your esteem and good
will. On my way back from the region of Persia I suffered an annoying
illness, and I have deemed it necessary to take thought for the general
security of all. 22I do not despair of my condition, for I have good hope of
recovering from my illness, 23but I observed that my father, on the
occasions when he made expeditions into the upper country, appointed his
successor, 24so that, if anything unexpected happened or any unwelcome
news came, the people throughout the realm would not be troubled, for they
would know to whom the government was left. 25Moreover, I understand
how the princes along the borders and the neighbors to my kingdom keep
watching for opportunities and waiting to see what will happen. So I have
appointed my son Anti'ochus to be king, whom I have often entrusted and
commended to most of you when I hastened off to the upper provinces; and
I have written to him what is written here. 26I therefore urge and beg you to
remember the public and private services rendered to you and to maintain
your present good will, each of you, toward me and my son. 27For I am sure
that he will follow my policy and will treat you with moderation and
kindness.”
28 So the murderer and blasphemer, having endured the more intense
suffering, such as he had inflicted on others, came to the end of his life by a
most pitiable fate, among the mountains in a strange land. 29And Philip, one
of his courtiers, took his body home; then, fearing the son of Anti'ochus, he
betook himself to Ptol'emy Phil''ome'tor in Egypt.
The Purification of the Temple
10 Now Mac''cabe'us and his followers, the Lord leading them on,
recovered the temple and the city; 2and they tore down the altars which had
been built in the public square by the foreigners, and also destroyed the
sacred precincts. 3They purified the sanctuary, and made another altar of
sacrifice; then, striking fire out of flint, they offered sacrifices, after a lapse
of two years, and they burned incense and lighted lamps and set out the
bread of the Presence. 4And when they had done this, they fell prostrate and
begged the Lord that they might never again fall into such misfortunes, but
that, if they should ever sin, they might be disciplined by him with
forbearance and not be handed over to blasphemous and barbarous nations.
5It happened that on the same day on which the sanctuary had been
profaned by the foreigners, the purification of the sanctuary took place, that
is, on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which was Chis'lev. 6And
they celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the feast of
booths, remembering how not long before, during the feast of booths, they
had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals.
7Therefore bearing ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also
fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had given
success to the purifying of his own holy place. 8They decreed by public
ordinance and vote that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these
days every year.
9 Such then was the end of Anti'ochus, who was called Epiph'anes.
10 Now we will tell what took place under Anti'ochus Eu'pator, who was
the son of that ungodly man, and will give a brief summary of the principal
calamities of the wars. 11This man, when he succeeded to the kingdom,
appointed one Lys'ias to have charge of the government and to be chief
governor of Coe'le-syr'ia and Phoeni'cia. 12Ptol'emy, who was called
Ma'cron, took the lead in showing justice to the Jews because of the wrong
that had been done to them, and attempted to maintain peaceful relations
with them. 13As a result he was accused before Eu'pator by the king’s
friends. He heard himself called a traitor at every turn, because he had
abandoned Cyprus, which Phil''ome'tor had entrusted to him, and had gone
over to Anti'ochus Epiph'anes. Unable to command the respect due his
office, u he took poison and ended his life.
Campaign in Idumea
14 When Gor'gias became governor of the region, he maintained a force
of mercenaries, and at every turn kept on warring against the Jews.
15Besides this, the Idume'ans, who had control of important strongholds,
were harassing the Jews; they received those who were banished from
Jerusalem, and endeavored to keep up the war. 16But Mac''cabe'us and his
men, after making solemn supplication and begging God to fight on their
side, rushed to the strongholds of the Idume'ans. 17Attacking them
vigorously, they gained possession of the places, and beat off all who fought
upon the wall, and slew those whom they encountered, killing no fewer
than twenty thousand.
18 When no less than nine thousand took refuge in two very strong
towers well equipped to withstand a siege, 19Mac''cabe'us left Simon and
Joseph, and also Zacchae'us and his men, a force sufficient to besiege them;
and he himself set off for places where he was more urgently needed. 20But
the men with Simon, who were money-hungry, were bribed by some of
those who were in the towers, and on receiving seventy thousand drachmas
let some of them slip away. 21When word of what had happened came to
Mac''cabe'us, he gathered the leaders of the people, and accused these men
of having sold their brethren for money by setting their enemies free to fight
against them. 22Then he slew these men who had turned traitor, and
immediately captured the two towers. 23Having success at arms in
everything he undertook, he destroyed more than twenty thousand in the
two strongholds.
Judas Defeats Timothy
24 Now Timothy, who had been defeated by the Jews before, gathered a
tremendous force of mercenaries and collected the cavalry from Asia in no
small number. He came on, intending to take Judea by storm. 25As he drew
near, Mac''cabe'us and his men sprinkled dust upon their heads and put on
sackcloth, in supplication to God. 26Falling upon the steps before the altar,
they begged him to be gracious to them and to be an enemy to their enemies
and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declares. 27And rising from
their prayer they took up their arms and advanced a considerable distance
from the city; and when they came near to the enemy they halted. 28Just as
dawn was breaking, the two armies joined battle, the one having as pledge
of success and victory not only their valor but their reliance upon the Lord,
while the other made rage their leader in the fight.
29 When the battle became fierce, there appeared to the enemy from
heaven five resplendent men on horses with golden bridles, and they were
leading the Jews. 30Surrounding Mac''cabe'us and protecting him with their
own armor and weapons, they kept him from being wounded. And they
showered arrows and thunderbolts upon the enemy, so that, confused and
blinded, they were thrown into disorder and cut to pieces. 31Twenty
thousand five hundred were slaughtered, besides six hundred horsemen.
32 Timothy himself fled to a stronghold called Gaza'ra, especially well
garrisoned, where Chae'reas was commander. 33Then Mac''cabe'us and his
men were glad, and they besieged the fort for four days. 34The men within,
relying on the strength of the place, blasphemed terribly and hurled out
wicked words. 35But at dawn of the fifth day, twenty young men in the
army of Mac''cabe'us, fired with anger because of the blasphemies, bravely
stormed the wall and with savage fury cut down every one they met.
36Others who came up in the same way wheeled around against the
defenders and set fire to the towers; they kindled fires and burned the
blasphemers alive. Others broke open the gates and let in the rest of the
force, and they occupied the city. 37They killed Timothy, who was hidden in
a cistern, and his brother Chae'reas, and Apolloph'anes. 38When they had
accomplished these things, with hymns and thanksgivings they blessed the
Lord who shows great kindness to Israel and gives them the victory.
Lysias Besieges Beth-zur
11 Very soon after this, Lys'ias, the king’s guardian and kinsman, who
was in charge of the government, being vexed at what had happened,
2gathered about eighty thousand men and all his cavalry and came against
the Jews. He intended to make the city a home for Greeks, 3and to levy
tribute on the temple as he did on the sacred places of the other nations, and
to put up the high priesthood for sale every year. 4He took no account
whatever of the power of God, but was elated with his ten thousands of
infantry, and his thousands of cavalry, and his eighty elephants. 5Invading
Judea, he approached Beth-zur, which was a fortified place about five
leagues v from Jerusalem, and pressed it hard.
6 When Mac''cabe'us and his men got word that Lys'ias w was besieging
the strongholds, they and all the people, with lamentations and tears,
begged the Lord to send a good angel to save Israel. 7Mac''cabe'us himself
was the first to take up arms, and he urged the others to risk their lives with
him to aid their brethren. Then they eagerly rushed off together. 8And there,
while they were still near Jerusalem, a horseman appeared at their head,
clothed in white and brandishing weapons of gold. 9And they all together
praised the merciful God, and were strengthened in heart, ready to assail not
only men but the wildest beasts or walls of iron. 10They advanced in battle
order, having their heavenly ally, for the Lord had mercy on them. 11They
hurled themselves like lions against the enemy, and slew eleven thousand of
them and sixteen hundred horsemen, and forced all the rest to flee. 12Most
of them got away stripped and wounded, and Lys'ias himself escaped by
disgraceful flight. 13And as he was not without intelligence, he pondered
over the defeat which had befallen him, and realized that the Hebrews were
invincible because the mighty God fought on their side. So he sent to them
14and persuaded them to settle everything on just terms, promising that he
Lys'ias urged. For the king granted every request in behalf of the Jews
which Maccabeus delivered to Lysias in writing.
16 The letter written to the Jews by Lys'ias was to this effect:
“Lysias to the people of the Jews, greeting. 17John and Ab'salom, who
were sent by you, have delivered your signed communication and have
asked about the matters indicated therein. 18I have informed the king of
everything that needed to be brought before him, and he has agreed to what
was possible. 19If you will maintain your good will toward the government,
I will endeavor for the future to help promote your welfare. 20And
concerning these matters and their details, I have ordered these men and my
representatives to confer with you. 21Farewell. The one hundred and forty-
eighth year, y Di''oscorin'thius twenty-fourth.”
22 The king’s letter ran thus:
“King Anti'ochus to his brother Lys'ias, greeting. 23Now that our father
has gone on to the gods, we desire that the subjects of the kingdom be
undisturbed in caring for their own affairs. 24We have heard that the Jews
do not consent to our father’s change to Greek customs but prefer their own
way of living and ask that their own customs be allowed them.
25Accordingly, since we choose that this nation also be free from
disturbance, our decision is that their temple be restored to them and that
they live according to the customs of their ancestors. 26You will do well,
therefore, to send word to them and give them pledges of friendship, so that
they may know our policy and be of good cheer and go on happily in the
conduct of their own affairs.”
27 To the nation the king’s letter was as follows:
“King Anti'ochus to the senate of the Jews and to the other Jews,
greeting. 28If you are well, it is as we desire. We also are in good health.
29Menela'us has informed us that you wish to return home and look after
your own affairs. 30Therefore those who go home by the thirtieth day of
Xan'thicus will have our pledge of friendship and full permission 31for the
Jews to enjoy their own food and laws, just as formerly, and none of them
shall be molested in any way for what he may have done in ignorance.
32And I have also sent Menela'us to encourage you. 33Farewell. The one
Each of them had a Greek force of one hundred and ten thousand infantry,
five thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three
hundred chariots armed with scythes.
3 Menela'us also joined them and with utter hypocrisy urged Anti'ochus
on, not for the sake of his country’s welfare, but because he thought that he
would be established in office. 4But the King of kings aroused the anger of
Anti'ochus against the scoundrel; and when Lys'ias informed him that this
man was to blame for all the trouble, he ordered them to take him to Beroe'a
and to put him to death by the method which is the custom in that place.
5For there is a tower in that place, fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it has
a rim running around it which on all sides inclines precipitously into the
ashes. 6There they all push to destruction any man guilty of sacrilege or
notorious for other crimes. 7By such a fate it came about that Menela'us the
lawbreaker died, without even burial in the earth. 8And this was eminently
just; because he had committed many sins against the altar whose fire and
ashes were holy, he met his death in ashes.
A Battle Near Modein
9 The king with barbarous arrogance was coming to show the Jews
things far worse than those that had been done p in his father’s time. 10But
when Judas heard of this, he ordered the people to call upon the Lord day
and night, now if ever to help those who were on the point of being
deprived of the law and their country and the holy temple, 11and not to let
the people who had just begun to revive fall into the hands of the
blasphemous Gentiles. 12When they had all joined in the same petition and
had begged the merciful Lord with weeping and fasting and lying prostrate
for three days without ceasing, Judas exhorted them and ordered them to
stand ready.
13 After consulting privately with the elders, he determined to march out
and decide the matter by the help of God before the king’s army could enter
Judea and get possession of the city. 14So, committing the decision to the
Creator of the world and exhorting his men to fight nobly to the death for
the laws, temple, city, country, and commonwealth, he pitched his camp
near Mo'dein. 15He gave his men the watchword, “God’s victory,” and with
a picked force of the bravest young men, he attacked the king’s pavilion at
night and slew as many as two thousand men in the camp. He stabbed q the
leading elephant and its rider. 16In the end they filled the camp with terror
and confusion and withdrew in triumph. 17This happened, just as day was
dawning, because the Lord’s help protected him.
Antiochus Makes a Treaty with the Jews
18 The king, having had a taste of the daring of the Jews, tried strategy in
attacking their positions. 19He advanced against Beth-zur, a strong fortress
of the Jews, was turned back, attacked again, r and was defeated. 20Judas
sent in to the garrison whatever was necessary. 21But Rhod'ocus, a man
from the ranks of the Jews, gave secret information to the enemy; he was
sought for, caught, and put in prison. 22The king negotiated a second time
with the people in Beth-zur, gave pledges, received theirs, withdrew,
attacked Judas and his men, was defeated; 23he got word that Philip, who
had been left in charge of the government, had revolted in Antioch; he was
dismayed, called in the Jews, yielded and swore to observe all their rights,
settled with them and offered sacrifice, honored the sanctuary and showed
generosity to the holy place. 24He received Mac''cabe'us, left Hegemon'ides
as governor from Ptolema'is to Ge'rar, 25and went to Ptolemais. The people
of Ptolema'is were indignant over the treaty; in fact they were so angry that
they wanted to annul its terms. s 26Lys'ias took the public platform, made
the best possible defense, convinced them, appeased them, gained their
good will, and set out for Antioch. This is how the king’s attack and
withdrawal turned out.
Alcimus Speaks against Judas
14 Three years later, word came to Judas and his men that Deme'trius,
the son of Seleu'cus, had sailed into the harbor of Trip'olis with a strong
army and a fleet, 2and had taken possession of the country, having made
away with Anti'ochus and his guardian Lys'ias.
3 Now a certain Al'cimus, who had formerly been high priest but had
wilfully defiled himself in the times of separation, realized that there was no
way for him to be safe or to have access again to the holy altar, 4and went to
King Deme'trius in about the one hundred and fifty-first year, t presenting to
him a crown of gold and a palm, and besides these some of the customary
olive branches from the temple. During that day he kept quiet. 5But he
found an opportunity that furthered his mad purpose when he was invited
by Deme'trius to a meeting of the council and was asked about the
disposition and intentions of the Jews. He answered:
6 “Those of the Jews who are called Hasid'eans, whose leader is Judas
Mac''cabe'us, are keeping up war and stirring up sedition, and will not let
the kingdom attain tranquillity. 7Therefore I have laid aside my ancestral
glory—I mean the high priesthood—and have now come here, 8first
because I am genuinely concerned for the interests of the king, and second
because I have regard also for my fellow citizens. For through the folly of
those whom I have mentioned our whole nation is now in no small
misfortune. 9Since you are acquainted, O king, with the details of this
matter, deign to take thought for our country and our hard-pressed nation
with the gracious kindness which you show to all. 10For as long as Judas
lives, it is impossible for the government to find peace.”
11 When he had said this, the rest of the king’s friends, who were hostile
to Judas, quickly inflamed Deme'trius still more. 12And he immediately
chose Nica'nor, who had been in command of the elephants, appointed him
governor of Judea, and sent him off 13with orders to kill Judas and scatter
his men, and to set up Al'cimus as high priest of the greatest temple. 14And
the Gentiles throughout Judea, who had fled before u Judas, flocked to join
Nica'nor, thinking that the misfortunes and calamities of the Jews would
mean prosperity for themselves.
Nicanor Makes Friends with Judas
15 When the Jews v heard of Nica'nor’s coming and the gathering of the
Gentiles, they sprinkled dust upon their heads and prayed to him who
established his own people for ever and always upholds his own heritage by
manifesting himself. 16At the command of the leader, they w set out from
there immediately and engaged them in battle at a village called Des'sau. x
17Simon, the brother of Judas, had encountered Nica'nor, but had been
more than five hundred soldiers to arrest him; 40for he thought that by
arresting b him he would do them an injury. 41When the troops were about
to capture the tower and were forcing the door of the courtyard, they
ordered that fire be brought and the doors burned. Being surrounded, Ra'zis
c fell upon his own sword, 42preferring to die nobly rather than to fall into
the hands of sinners and suffer outrages unworthy of his noble birth. 43But
in the heat of the struggle he did not hit exactly, and the crowd was now
rushing in through the doors. He bravely ran up on the wall, and manfully
threw himself down into the crowd. 44But as they quickly drew back, a
space opened and he fell in the middle of the empty space. 45Still alive and
aflame with anger, he rose, and though his blood gushed forth and his
wounds were severe he ran through the crowd; and standing upon a steep
rock, 46with his blood now completely drained from him, he tore out his
entrails, took them with both hands and hurled them at the crowd, calling
upon the Lord of life and spirit to give them back to him again. This was the
manner of his death.
Nicanor’s Arrogance
15 When Nica'nor heard that Judas and his men were in the region of
Samar'ia, he made plans to attack them with complete safety on the day of
rest. 2And when the Jews who were compelled to follow him said, “Do not
destroy so savagely and barbarously, but show respect for the day which he
who sees all things has honored and hallowed above other days,” 3the
thrice-accursed wretch asked if there were a sovereign in heaven who had
commanded the keeping of the sabbath day. 4And when they declared, “It is
the living Lord himself, the Sovereign in heaven, who ordered us to observe
the seventh day,” 5he replied, “And I am a sovereign also, on earth, and I
command you to take up arms and finish the king’s business.” Nevertheless,
he did not succeed in carrying out his abominable design.
Judas Prepares the Jews for Battle
6 This Nica'nor in his utter boastfulness and arrogance had determined to
erect a public monument of victory over Judas and his men. 7But
Mac''cabe'us did not cease to trust with all confidence that he would get
help from the Lord. 8And he exhorted his men not to fear the attack of the
Gentiles, but to keep in mind the former times when help had come to them
from heaven, and now to look for the victory which the Almighty would
give them. 9Encouraging them from the law and the prophets, and
reminding them also of the struggles they had won, he made them the more
eager. 10And when he had aroused their courage, he gave his orders, at the
same time pointing out the perfidy of the Gentiles and their violation of
oaths. 11He armed each of them not so much with confidence in shields and
spears as with the inspiration of brave words, and he cheered them all by
relating a dream, a sort of vision, d which was worthy of belief.
12 What he saw was this: Oni'as, who had been high priest, a noble and
good man, of modest bearing and gentle manner, one who spoke fittingly
and had been trained from childhood in all that belongs to excellence, was
praying with outstretched hands for the whole body of the Jews. 13Then
likewise a man appeared, distinguished by his gray hair and dignity, and of
marvelous majesty and authority. 14And Oni'as spoke, saying, “This is a
man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy
city, Jeremi'ah, the prophet of God.” 15Jeremi'ah stretched out his right hand
and gave to Judas a golden sword, and as he gave it he addressed him thus:
16“Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with which you will strike down
your adversaries.”
17 Encouraged by the words of Judas, so noble and so effective in
arousing valor and awaking manliness in the souls of the young, they
determined not to carry on a campaign but to attack bravely, and to decide
the matter, by fighting hand to hand with all courage, because the city and
the sanctuary and the temple were in danger. 18Their concern for wives and
children, and also for brethren and relatives, lay upon them less heavily;
their greatest and first fear was for the consecrated sanctuary. 19And those
who had to remain in the city were in no little distress, being anxious over
the encounter in the open country.
The Defeat and Death of Nicanor
20 When all were now looking forward to the coming decision, and the
enemy was already close at hand with their army drawn up for battle, the
elephants e strategically stationed and the cavalry deployed on the flanks,
21Mac''cabe'us, perceiving the hosts that were before him and the varied
supply of arms and the savagery of the elephants, e stretched out his hands
toward heaven and called upon the Lord who works wonders; for he knew
that it is not by arms, but as the Lord f decides, that he gains the victory for
those who deserve it. 22And he called upon him in these words: “O Lord,
you sent your angel in the time of Hezeki'ah king of Judea, and he slew
fully a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of Sennach'erib. 23So
now, O Sovereign of the heavens, send a good angel to carry terror and
trembling before us. 24By the might of your arm may these blasphemers
who come against your holy people be struck down.” With these words he
ended his prayer.
25 Nica'nor and his men advanced with trumpets and battle songs; 26and
Judas and his men met the enemy in battle with invocation to God and
prayers. 27So, fighting with their hands and praying to God in their hearts,
they laid low no less than thirty-five thousand men, and were greatly
gladdened by God’s manifestation.
28 When the action was over and they were returning with joy, they
recognized Nica'nor, lying dead, in full armor. 29Then there was shouting
and tumult, and they blessed the Sovereign Lord in the language of their
fathers. 30And the man who was ever in body and soul the defender of his
fellow citizens, the man who maintained his youthful good will toward his
countrymen, ordered them to cut off Nica'nor’s head and arm and carry
them to Jerusalem. 31And when he arrived there and had called his
countrymen together and stationed the priests before the altar, he sent for
those who were in the citadel. 32He showed them the vile Nica'nor’s head
and that profane man’s arm, which had been boastfully stretched out against
the holy house of the Almighty; 33and he cut out the tongue of the ungodly
Nica'nor and said that he would give it piecemeal to the birds and hang up
these rewards of his folly opposite the sanctuary. 34And they all, looking to
heaven, blessed the Lord who had manifested himself, saying, “Blessed is
he who has kept his own place undefiled.” 35And he hung Nica'nor’s head
from the citadel, a clear and conspicuous sign to every one of the help of
the Lord. 36And they all decreed by public vote never to let this day go
unobserved, but to celebrate the thirteenth day of the twelfth month—which
is called Adar' in the Syrian language—the day before Mor'decai’s day.
The Compiler’s Epilogue
37 This, then, is how matters turned out with Nica'nor. And from that
time the city has been in the possession of the Hebrews. So I too will here
end my story. 38If it is well told and to the point, that is what I myself
desired; if it is poorly done and mediocre, that was the best I could do.
39For just as it is harmful to drink wine alone, or, again, to drink water
alone, while wine mixed with water is sweet and delicious and enhances
one’s enjoyment, so also the style of the story delights the ears of those who
read the work. And here will be the end.
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THE NEW TESTAMENT
OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
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Matthew
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham. *
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3and Judah the father of Per'ez
and Ze'rah by Ta'mar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father
of Ram, a 4and Ram a the father of Ammin'adab, and Amminadab the father
of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5and Salmon the father of
Boaz by Ra'hab, and Boaz the father of O'bed by Ruth, and Obed the father
of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uri'ah, 7and
Solomon the father of Rehobo'am, and Rehoboam the father of Abi'jah, and
Abijah the father of Asa, b 8and Asa b the father of Jehosh'aphat, and
Jehoshaphat the father of Jo'ram, and Joram the father of Uzzi'ah, 9and
Uzzi'ah the father of Jo'tham, and Jotham the father of A'haz, and Ahaz the
father of Hezeki'ah, 10and Hezeki'ah the father of Manas'seh, and Manasseh
the father of Amos, c and Amos c the father of Josi'ah, 11and Josi'ah the
father of Jechoni'ah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to
Babylon.
12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoni'ah was the father of She-
al'ti-el, d and She-alti-el d the father of Zerub'babel, 13and Zerub'babel the
father of Abi'ud, and Abiud the father of Eli'akim, and Eliakim the father of
A'zor, 14and A'zor the father of Za'dok, and Zadok the father of A'chim, and
Achim the father of Eli'ud, 15and Eli'ud the father of Elea'zar, and Eleazar
the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16and Jacob the
father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is
called Christ. *
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen
generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen
generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen
generations.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ f took place in this way. When his mother
Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was
found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19and her husband Joseph, being a
just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away
quietly. 20But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared
to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary
your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21she will
bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by
the prophet:
23“Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
star in the East, and have come to worship him.” 3When Herod the king
heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all
the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the
Christ was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is
written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Israel. 22But when he heard that Archela'us reigned over Judea in place of
his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he
withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23And he went and dwelt in a city called
Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled. “He
shall be called a Nazarene.”
The Preaching of John the Baptist
3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of
Judea, 2“Repent, * for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3For this is he
who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.”
4Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt around his
waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then went out to him
Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan, 6and they were
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. *
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sad'ducees coming for
baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee
from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit that befits repentance, 9and do not
presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell
you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even
now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not
bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after
me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12His winnowing fork is in
his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the
granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by
him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by
you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so
now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he
consented. * 16And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from
the water, and behold, the heavens were opened g and he saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; 17and behold, a voice
from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, h with whom I am well
pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
by the devil. 2And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he
was hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of
God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered,
“It is written,
‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
5Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of
the temple, 6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself
down; for it is written,
‘He will give his angels charge of you,’
and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.' "
7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord
your God.' " 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; 9and he
said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship
me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is written,
‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.' "
11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.
of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is
called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were
fishermen. 19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers
of men.” 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21And going
on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zeb'edee and
John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets,
and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and
followed him.
Jesus Ministers to Crowds of people
23 And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every
infirmity among the people. 24So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and
they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and
pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25And
great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decap'olis and Jerusalem
and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
The Beatitudes
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat
down his disciples came to him. 2And he opened his mouth and taught
them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all
kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for
your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who
were before you.
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its
saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown
out and trodden under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it
gives light to all in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that
they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in
heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I
have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. * 18For truly, I say to you,
till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law
until all is accomplished. 19Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these
commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of
heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that
of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Concerning Anger
21 “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill;
and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that every
one who is angry with his brother i shall be liable to judgment; whoever
insults j his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You
fool!’ shall be liable to the hell k of fire. 23So if you are offering your gift at
the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your
brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25Make friends quickly with
your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand
you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison;
26truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.
Concerning Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes
you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of
your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. k * 30And if
your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better
that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. k
Concerning Divorce
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a
certificate of divorce.’ 32But I say to you that every one who divorces his
wife, except on the ground of unchastity, * makes her an adulteress; and
whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Concerning Swearing Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not
swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34But I
say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of
the great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one
hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything
more than this comes from the Evil One. l
Concerning Retaliation
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.’ 39But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one
strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40and if any one
would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; 41and if
any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to him
who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in
heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends
rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you,
what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And
if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do
not even the Gentiles do the same? 48You, therefore, must be perfect, as
your heavenly Father is perfect.
Concerning Almsgiving
6 “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by
them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised
by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3But when you give
alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that
your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward
you.
Concerning Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love
to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may
be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6But when you
pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. *
7 “And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for
they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like
them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9Pray then
like this:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come.
forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses.
Concerning Fasting
16 “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they
disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to
you, they have their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and
wash your face, 18that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your
Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Concerning Treasures
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust o
consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust o consumes and where
thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also.
The Sound Eye
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole
body will be full of light; 23but if your eye is not sound, your whole body
will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the
darkness!
Serving Two Masters
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and mammon. *
Do Not Be Anxious
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall
eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is
not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the
birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of
life? p 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29yet I tell you, even
Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so
clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown
into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall
we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles seek all these
things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours
as well.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be
anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
Judging Others
7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with the judgment you
pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the
measure you get. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to
your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log
in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Profaning the Holy
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you.
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it
will be opened to you. 8For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks
finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man of you, if his
son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will
give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven
give good things to those who ask him! 12So whatever you wish that men
would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
The Narrow Gate
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, q
that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate
is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are
few.
False Prophets
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but
inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Are
grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17So, every sound tree
bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. 18A sound tree cannot bear
evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will know them
by their fruits.
Concerning Self-Deception
21 “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom
of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On
that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in
your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart
from me, you evildoers.’
Hearers and Doers
24 “Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be
like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; 25and the rain fell, and
the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not
fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And every one who hears
these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who
built his house upon the sand; 27and the rain fell, and the floods came, and
the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall
of it.”
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at
his teaching, 29for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their
scribes.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
8 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him;
2and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if
you will, you can make me clean.” 3And he stretched out his hand and
touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was
cleansed. * 4And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to any one;
but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses
commanded, for a proof to the people.” r
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
5 As he entered Caper'na-um, a centurion came forward to him, begging
him 6and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible
distress.” 7And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8But the
centurion answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under
my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I am a
man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he
goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and
he does it.” 10When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who
followed him, “Truly, I say to you, not even s in Israel have I found such
faith. 11I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12while the sons of
the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep
and gnash their teeth.” 13And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done
for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very
moment.
Jesus Heals Many at Peter’s House
14 And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying
sick with a fever; 15he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose
and served him. 16That evening they brought to him many who were
possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed
all who were sick. 17This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet
Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
Would-be Followers of Jesus
18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go
over to the other side. 19And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I
will follow you wherever you go.” 20And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have
holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay
his head.” 21Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and
bury my father.” 22But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to
bury their own dead.”
Jesus Calms the Storm at Sea
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24And
behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being
swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him,
saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26And he said to them, “Why are
you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and
the sea; and there was a great calm. 27And the men marveled, saying, “What
sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Jesus Heals the Gadarene Demoniacs
28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gad'arenes, t
two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one
could pass that way. 29And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do
with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the
time?” * 30Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from
them. 31And the demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us away into
the herd of swine.” 32And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and
went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep
bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33The herdsmen fled, and
going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the
demoniacs. 34And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when
they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
9 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.
2And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when
Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins
are forgiven.” 3And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This
man is blaspheming.” 4But Jesus, knowing u their thoughts, said, “Why do
you think evil in your hearts? 5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are
forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6But that you may know that the Son
of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic
—“Rise, take up your bed and go home.” 7And he rose and went home.
8When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had
made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23And when
Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd
making a tumult, 24he said, “Depart; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.”
And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had been put outside, he
went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26And the report of this
went through all that district.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying
aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28When he entered the house, the
blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am
able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29Then he touched their
eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” 30And their
eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, “See that no one knows
it.” 31But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
Jesus Heals a Man Who Was Mute
32 As they were going away, behold, a mute demoniac was brought to
him. 33And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke; and the
crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.”
34But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
master. If they have called the master of the house Be-el'zebul, how much
more will they malign those of his household.
Whom to Fear
26 “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be
revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27What I tell you in the dark,
utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the
housetops. 28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the
soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. z 29Are not
two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground
without your Father’s will. 30But even the hairs of your head are all
numbered. 31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge
who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and he who
does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39He who finds
his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives
him who sent me. 41He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall
receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he
is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42And whoever
gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a
disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
11 And when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he
went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
Messengers from John the Baptist
2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent
word by his disciples 3and said to him, “Are you he who is to come, or shall
we look for another?” * 4And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what
you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are
cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have
good news preached to them. 6And blessed is he who takes no offense at
me.”
Jesus Praises John the Baptist
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John:
“What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the
wind? 8Why then did you go out? To see a man a dressed in soft robes?
Behold, those who wear soft robes are in kings’ houses. 9Why then did you
go out? To see a prophet? b Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This
is he of whom it is written,
‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who shall prepare your way before you.’
11Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one
greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven
is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now the
kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, c and men of violence take it by
force. 13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; 14and if you
are willing to accept it, he is Eli'jah who is to come. 15He who has ears to
hear, d let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting
in the market places and calling to their playmates,
17‘We piped to you, and you did not dance;
demon’; 19the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold,
a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom
is justified by her deeds.” e
Jesus Upbraids the Unrepentant Cities
20 Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works
had been done, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chora'zin! woe
to you, Beth-sa'ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in
Tyre and Si'don, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre
and Si'don than for you. 23And you, Caper'na-um, will you be exalted to
heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done
in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the
doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” 3He said to them, “Have you
not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with
him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread, which it was
not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the
priests? 5Or have you not read in the law how on the sabbath the priests in
the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? 6I tell you, something
greater than the temple is here. 7And if you had known what this means, ‘I
desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the
guiltless. 8For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.”
The Man with a Withered Hand
9 And he went on from there, and entered their synagogue. 10And behold,
there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to
heal on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them,
“What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath,
will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12Of how much more value is a man
than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” 13Then he said to
the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was
restored, whole like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and took
counsel against him, how to destroy him. *
God’s Chosen Servant
15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him,
and he healed them all, 16and ordered them not to make him known. 17This
was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many
things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed,
some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and
immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the
sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered
away. 7Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked
them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a
hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, h let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them
in parables?” 11And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know
the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but
from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. * 13This is
why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and
hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14With them indeed is
fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says:
‘You shall indeed hear but never understand,
and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
15For this people’s heart has grown dull,
OceanofPDF.com
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should perceive with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart,
and turn for me to heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what
you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When any one hears the word of
the kingdom and does not understand it, the Evil One comes and snatches
away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. 20As
for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and
immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no root in himself, but
endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account
of the word, immediately he falls away. i 22As for what was sown among
thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the
delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23As for what was
sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he
indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty,
and in another thirty.”
The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat
24 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven
may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while
men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat,
and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the
weeds appeared also. 27And the servants j of the householder came and said
to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it
weeds?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants j said to
him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he said, ‘No; lest
in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30Let both
grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers,
Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the
wheat into my barn.’ ”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is
like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32it is
the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs
and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its
branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven
which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all
leavened.”
Why Jesus Speaks in Parables
34 All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to
them without a parable. 35This was to fulfil what was spoken by the
prophet: k
“I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples
came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”
37He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; 38the field
is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds
are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil;
the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the
weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age.
41The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his
kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and throw them into the
furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then
the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who
has ears, let him hear.
Three Parables about the Kingdom
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man
found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and
buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine
pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he
had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the
sea and gathered fish of every kind; 48when it was full, men drew it ashore
and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. 49So
it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the
evil from the righteous, 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Treasures New and Old
51 “Have you understood all this?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52And he
said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom
of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new
and what is old.” *
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,
54and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that
they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and
these mighty works? 55Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother
called Mary? And are not his brethren * James and Joseph and Simon and
Judas? 56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all
this?” 57And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is
not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58And
he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
The Death of John the Baptist
14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus; 2and
he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from
the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.” 3For Herod had
seized John and bound him and put him in prison, for the sake of Hero'di-
as, his brother Philip’s wife; l 4because John said to him, “It is not lawful for
you to have her.” 5And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the
people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6But when Herod’s birthday
came, the daughter of Hero'di-as danced before the company, and pleased
Herod, 7so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might
ask. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the
Baptist here on a platter.” 9And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths
and his guests he commanded it to be given; 10he sent and had John
beheaded in the prison, 11and his head was brought on a platter and given to
the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12And his disciples came and took
the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.
Feeding the Five Thousand
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a
lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot
from the towns. 14As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had
compassion on them, and healed their sick. 15When it was evening, the
disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now
over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for
themselves.” 16Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them
something to eat.” 17They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and
two fish.” 18And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19Then he ordered the
crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish
he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the
disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And they all ate and
were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces
left over. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides
women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Sea
22 Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the
other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the
crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came,
he was there alone, 24but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant
from the land, m beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. 25And
in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But
when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying,
“It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27But immediately he spoke to
them, saying, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the
water.” 29He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the
water and came to Jesus; 30but when he saw the wind, n he was afraid, and
beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31Jesus immediately
reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “O you of little faith,
why did you doubt?” 32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of
God.” *
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret.
35And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent round to all
that region and brought to him all that were sick, 36and begged him that
they might only touch the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it
were made well.
The Tradition of the Elders
15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
2“Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do
not wash their hands when they eat.” 3He answered them, “And why do you
transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For
God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who
5
speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die.’ But you say, ‘If any one
tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given
to God, o he need not honor his father.’ * 6So, for the sake of your tradition,
you have made void the word p of God. 7You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah
prophesy of you, when he said:
8
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9in vain do they worship me,
and Si'don. 22And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out
and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is
severely possessed by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her a word. And
his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is
24
crying after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the
25
house of Israel.” * But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help
me.” 26And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and
throw it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the
28
crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O
woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her
daughter was healed instantly.
Jesus Heals Many People
29 And Jesus went on from there and passed along the Sea of Galilee. And
he went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 30And great crowds came
to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and
many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31so that the
throng wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the
lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Feeding the Four Thousand
32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on
the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have
nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint
on the way.” 33And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get bread
enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” 34And Jesus said to them,
“How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35And commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36he took the
seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave
them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37And they
all ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets full of the broken
pieces left over. 38Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women
and children. 39And sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went
to the region of Mag'adan.
The Demand for a Sign
16
And the Pharisees and Sad'ducees came, and to test him they asked
2
him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, r “When it is
evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather; for the sky is red.’ 3And in the
morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You
know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret
the signs of the times. 4An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign,
but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them
and departed.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring
any bread. 6Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees and Sad'ducees.” 7And they discussed it among themselves,
saying, “We brought no bread.” 8But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O men of
little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves the fact that you have no
bread? 9Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves of
the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10Or the seven
loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11How is
it that you fail to perceive that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees and Sad'ducees.” 12Then they understood that he did
not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the
Pharisees and Sad'ducees.
Peter’s Declaration That Jesus Is the Christ
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked
his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” 14And they said,
“Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one
of the prophets.” * 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” *
17And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh
and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18And I tell you, you are Peter, s and on this rock t I will build my Church,
and the gates of Hades u shall not prevail against it. * 19I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven, * and whatever you bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven.” 20Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was
the Christ.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to
Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him
and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never
happen to you.” 23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!
You are a hindrance v to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of
men.”
The Cross and Self-Denial
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him
deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would
save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his
life? * Or what shall a man give in return for his life? * 27For the Son of
man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will
repay every man for what he has done. 28Truly, I say to you, there are some
standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of man
coming in his kingdom.”
The Transfiguration
17 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his
brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. 2And he was transfigured
before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became
white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Eli'jah,
talking with him. 4And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here;
if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses
and one for Eli'jah.” * 5He was still speaking, when behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved
Son, w with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6When the disciples
heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. 7But Jesus
came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8And when they
lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them,
“Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead.” 10And
the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must
come?” 11He replied, “Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things;
12but I tell you that Eli'jah has already come, and they did not know him,
but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at
their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them
of John the Baptist.
Jesus Cures an Epileptic Boy
14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and kneeling
before him said, 15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and
he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.
16And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17And
from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two
hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes
you to sin, z pluck it out and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter
life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell b * of fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that
in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in
heaven. c 12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of
them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go
in search of the one that went astray? 13And if he finds it, truly, I say to you,
he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.
14So it is not the will of my d Father who is in heaven that one of these little
of divorce, and to put her away?” 8He said to them, “For your hardness of
heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it
was not so. 9And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for
unchastity, j and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries a
divorced woman, commits adultery.” k *
10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it
is not expedient to marry.” 11But he said to them, “Not all men can receive
this precept, but only those to whom it is given. 12For there are eunuchs
who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made
eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs
for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let
him receive it.” *
Jesus Blesses the Children
13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them
and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; 14but Jesus said, “Let the
children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the
kingdom of heaven.” 15And he laid his hands on them and went away.
The Rich Young Man
16 And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed
must I do, to have eternal life?” 17And he said to him, “Why do you ask me
about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep
the commandments.” 18He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You
shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall
not bear false witness, 19Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love
your neighbor as yourself.” 20The young man said to him, “All these I have
observed; what do I still lack?” 21Jesus said to him, “If you would be
perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22When the young man heard
this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God.” 25When the disciples heard this they were greatly
astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26But Jesus looked at them
and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are
possible.” 27Then Peter said in reply, “Behold, we have left everything and
followed you. What then shall we have?” 28Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say
to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious
throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And every one who has left houses or brothers
or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will
receive a hundredfold, l and inherit eternal life. 30But many that are first will
be last, and the last first.
The Laborers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out
early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with
the laborers for a denarius m a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And
going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market
place; 4and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is
right I will give you.’ So they went. 5Going out again about the sixth hour
and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And about the eleventh hour he went
out and found others standing; and he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here
idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to
them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8And when evening came, the owner
of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their
wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9And when those hired about
the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when the
first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also
received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder,
12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal
to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13But
he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not
agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose
to give to this last as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose
with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ n 16So the
last will be first, and the first last.”
A Third Time Jesus ForetellsHis Death and Resurrection
17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples
aside, and on the way he said to them, 18“Behold, we are going up to
Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and
scribes, and they will condemn him to death, 19and deliver him to the
Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on
the third day.”
The Request of the Motherof James and John
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons,
and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21And he said to her,
“What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these two sons of
mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”
22But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able
to drink the chalice that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”
23He said to them, “You will drink my chalice, but to sit at my right hand
and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been
prepared by my Father.” 24And when the Ten heard it, they were indignant
at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know
that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise
authority over them. 26It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be
great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever would be first among
you must be your slave; 28even as the Son of man came not to be served but
to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30And
behold, two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Jesus
was passing by, cried out, o “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31The
crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent; but they cried out the more,
“Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32And Jesus stopped and called
them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33They said to him,
“Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and
immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem
21 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Beth'phage, to
the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go
into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied,
and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If any one says
anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will
send them immediately.” 4This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the
prophet, saying,
5“Tell the daughter of Zion,
donkey and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat on them.
8Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut
branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9And the crowds that
went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of
David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the
highest!” * 10And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred,
saying, “Who is this?” 11And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus
from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12 And Jesus entered the temple of God p and drove out all who sold and
bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers
and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13He said to them, “It is written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you make it a den of
robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed
them. 15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things
that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son
of David!” they were indignant; 16and they said to him, “Do you hear what
these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
‘Out of the mouths of babies and infants
you have brought perfect praise’?”
17And leaving them, he went out of the city to Beth'any and lodged there.
another. 36Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the
same to them. 37Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will
respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to
themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
39And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those
tenants?” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable
death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in
their seasons.”
The Stone Which the Builders Rejected
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The very stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a nation producing the fruits of it. 44And he who falls on this
stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one, it will crush
him.” q
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they
perceived that he was speaking about them. 46But when they tried to arrest
him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.
The Parable of the Marriage Feast
22 And again Jesus spoke to them in para-bes, saying, 2“The kingdom
of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,
3and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast;
but they would not come. 4Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those
who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat
calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.’ 5But
they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers
and burned their city. 8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready,
but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore to the streets, and invite to
the marriage feast as many as you find.’ 10And those servants went out into
the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the
wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man
who had no wedding garment; * 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you
get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13Then the
king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the
outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14For
many are called, but few are chosen.”
The Question about Paying Taxes
15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his
talk. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Hero'di-ans,
saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God
truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men.
17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you
hypocrites? 19Show me the money for the tax.” And they brought him a
coin. r 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar
the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When
they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.
The Question about Man’s Resurrection
23 The same day Sad'ducees came to him, who say that there is no
resurrection; and they asked him a question, 24saying, “Teacher, Moses said,
‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother must marry the widow, and
raise up children for his brother.’ 25Now there were seven brothers among
us; the first married, and died, and having no children left his wife to his
brother. 26So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27After them
all, the woman died. 28In the resurrection, therefore, to which of the seven
will she be wife? For they all had her.”
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither
the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30For in the resurrection they neither
marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels s in heaven. 31And as
for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by
God, 32‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33And when the
crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
The Greatest Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sad'ducees, they
came together. 35And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test
him. 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37And he
said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first
commandment. 39And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as
yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the law and the
prophets.”
A Question about the Christ
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a
question, 42saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?”
They said to him, “The son of David.” 43He said to them, “How is it then
that David, inspired by the Spirit, t calls him Lord, saying,
44‘The Lord said to my Lord,
able to answer him a word, nor from that day did any one dare to ask him
any more questions.
Jesus Denounces the Hypocrisyof the Scribes and Pharisees
23 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, 2“The scribes and
the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 3so practice and observe whatever they tell
you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. 4They bind
heavy burdens, hard to bear, u and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they
themselves will not move them with their finger. 5They do all their deeds to
be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries * broad and their fringes
long, 6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the
synagogues, 7and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by
men. 8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you
are all brethren. 9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one
Father, who is in heaven. * 10Neither be called masters, for you have one
master, the Christ. 11He who is greatest among you shall be your servant;
12whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself
will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut
the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor
allow those who would enter to go in. v 15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and
when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell w
as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If any one swears by the temple,
it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by
his oath.’ 17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that
has made the gold sacred? 18And you say, ‘If any one swears by the altar, it
is nothing; but if any one swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound
by his oath.’ 19You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that
makes the gift sacred? 20So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by
everything on it; 21and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by
him who dwells in it; 22and he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne
of God and by him who sits upon it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and
dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law,
justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without
neglecting the others. 24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and
swallowing a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the
outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and
rapacity. 26You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the
plate, that the outside also may be clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like
whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are
full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28So you also outwardly
appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs
of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30saying, ‘If we
had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them
in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31Thus you witness against
yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up,
then, the measure of your fathers. 33You serpents, you brood of vipers, how
are you to escape being sentenced to hell? w 34Therefore I send you
prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify,
and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to
town, 35that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from
the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah the son of Barachi'ah,
whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36Truly, I say to
you, all this will come upon this generation.
The Lament over Jerusalem
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who
are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as
a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38Behold,
your house is forsaken and desolate. x 39For I tell you, you will not see me
again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' "
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
24 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came
to point out to him the buildings of the temple. * 2But he answered them,
“You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here
one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.”
Signs of Jesus’ Coming and ofthe Close of the Age
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately,
saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your
coming and of the close of the age?” 4And Jesus answered them, “Take
heed that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6And you will hear of
wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take
place, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in
various places: 8all this is but the beginning of the sufferings.
Persecutions Foretold
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and
you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then many will
fall away, y and betray one another, and hate one another. 11And many false
prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because wickedness is
multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold. 13But he who endures to the
end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached
throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end
will come.
The Desolating Sacrilege
15 “So when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet
Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16then let
those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; 17let him who is on the
housetop not go down to take what is in his house; 18and let him who is in
the field not turn back to get a coat. 19And alas for those who are with child
and for those who are nursing in those days! 20Pray that your flight may not
be in winter or on a sabbath. 21For then there will be great tribulation, such
as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never
will be. 22And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would
be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23Then
if any one says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not
believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great
signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25Behold,
I have told you beforehand. 26So, if they say to you, ‘Behold, he is in the
wilderness,’ do not go out; if they say, ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ do
not believe it. 27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as
the west, so will be the coming of the Son of man. 28Wherever the body is,
there the eagles z will be gathered together.
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; 30then will appear
the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will
mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory; 31and he will send out his angels with a loud
trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other.
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender
and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33So also, when
you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34Truly,
I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take
place. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
The Necessity for Watchfulness
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,
nor the Son, a but the Father only. 37As were the days of Noah, so will be
the coming of the Son of man. 38For as in those days before the flood they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day
when Noah entered the ark, 39and they did not know until the flood came
and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. 40Then
two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. 41Two women will
be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. 42Watch therefore, for
you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But know this, that if
the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming,
he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.
44Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an
knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not
winnowed? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers,
and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
28So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have
abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken
away. * 30And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Judgment of the Nations
31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the
nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates
the sheep from the goats, 33and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but
the goats at the left. 34Then the King will say to those at his right hand,
‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I
was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in
prison and you came to me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord,
when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and
clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one
of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ 41Then he will say to
those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me
no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43I was a stranger and you
did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison
and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we
see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did
not minister to you?’ 45Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as
you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46And they
will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The Conspiracy to Kill Jesus
26 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples,
2“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of man
says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my
disciples.' " 19And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they
prepared the Passover.
20 When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples; e 21and
as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray
me.” 22And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after
another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the
dish with me, will betray me. 24The Son of man goes as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have
been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25Judas, who betrayed
him, said, “Is it I, Master?” f He said to him, “You have said so.”
The Institution of the Last Supper
26 Now as they were eating, * Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it,
and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27And he
took a chalice, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of it, all of you; 28for this is my blood of the g covenant, which is
poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you I shall not drink
again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in
my Father’s kingdom.”
Peter’s Denial Foretold
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night;
for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will
be scattered.’ 32But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
33Peter declared to him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will
never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, this very night,
before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35Peter said to him,
“Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the
disciples.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsem'ane, and he said
to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37And taking
with him Peter and the two sons of Zeb'edee, he began to be sorrowful and
troubled. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death;
remain here, and watch h with me.” 39And going a little farther he fell on his
face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40And he came to the disciples
and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch h
with me one hour? 41Watch h and pray that you may not enter into
temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42Again, for
the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass
unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43And again he came and found them
sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44So, leaving them again, he went away
and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. 45Then he came to the
disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands
of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the Twelve, and with
him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the
elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying,
“The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him.” 49And he came up to Jesus at
once and said, “Hail, Master!” i And he kissed him. 50Jesus said to him,
“Friend, why are you here?” j Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus
and seized him. 51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched
out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and
cut off his ear. * 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its
place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53Do you think
that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than
twelve legions of angels? 54But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled,
that it must be so?” 55At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you
come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day
after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56But all
this has taken place, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus before the High Priest
57 Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Cai'aphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58But Peter followed him at a
distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat
with the guards to see the end. 59Now the chief priests and the whole
council sought false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to
death, * 60but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.
At last two came forward 61and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to
destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.' " 62And the high
priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that
these men testify against you?” 63But Jesus was silent. And the high priest
said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the
Son of God.” * 64Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,
hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and
coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65Then the high priest tore his robes, and
said, “He has uttered blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have
now heard his blasphemy. 66What is your judgment?” They answered, “He
deserves death.” 67Then they spat in his face, and struck him; and some
slapped him, 68saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck
you?”
Peter Denies Jesus
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a maid came up to
him, and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70But he denied it
before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71And when he
went out to the porch, another maid saw him, and she said to the bystanders,
“This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72And again he denied it with an
oath, “I do not know the man.” 73After a little while the bystanders came up
and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent
betrays you.” 74Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I
do not know the man.” And immediately the cock crowed. 75And Peter
remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the cock crows, you will deny me
three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Jesus Brought before Pilate
27 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the
people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; 2and they bound him
and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor.
Judas Hangs Himself
3 When Judas, his betrayer, saw that he was condemned, he repented and
brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,
4saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is
that to us? See to it yourself.” 5And throwing down the pieces of silver in
the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. 6But the chief
priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the
treasury, since they are blood money.” 7So they took counsel, and bought
with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8Therefore that field has
been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then was fulfilled what had
been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty
pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of
the sons of Israel, 10and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord
directed me.”
Pilate Questions Jesus
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “You have said so.”
12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no
answer. 13Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they
testify against you?” 14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single
charge; so that the governor wondered greatly.
Barabbas or Jesus?
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd
any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16And they had then a notorious
prisoner, called Barab'bas. k 17So when they had gathered, Pilate said to
them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Barab'bas k or Jesus who
is called Christ?” 18For he knew that it was out of envy that they had
delivered him up. 19Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his
wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I
have suffered much over him today in a dream.” 20Now the chief priests
and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barab'bas and destroy Jesus.
21The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to
release for you?” And they said, “Barab'bas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then
what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be
crucified.” 23And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted
all the more, “Let him be crucified.”
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot
was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd,
saying, “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood; l see to it yourselves.”
25And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
26Then he released for them Barab'bas, and having scourged Jesus,
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to
bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split; 52the tombs also were
opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy
city and appeared to many. 54When the centurion and those who were with
him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place,
they were filled with awe, and said, “Truly this was the Son x of God!”
55 There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had
followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him; 56among whom were Mary
Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of
the sons of Zeb'edee.
The Burial of Jesus
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe'a, named
Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for
the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59And Joseph
took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, 60and laid it in his
own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone
to the door of the tomb, and departed. 61Mary Mag'dalene and the other
Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the
Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember how that
impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’
64Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his
disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the
dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65Pilate said to them,
“You have a guard o of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” p 66So
they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a
guard. *
The Resurrection of Jesus
28 * Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the
week, Mary Mag'dalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And
behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended
from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. 3His
appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4And for fear
of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5But the angel said
to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was
crucified. 6He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place
where he q lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from
the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see
him. Behold, I have told you.” 8So they departed quickly from the tomb
with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met
them and said, “Hail!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and
worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my
brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
The Report of the Guard
11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12And when they had
assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sum of money to
the soldiers 13and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole
him away while we were asleep.’ 14And if this comes to the governor’s
ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15So they took the
money and did as they were directed; and this story has been spread among
the Jews to this day.
Jesus Commissions the Disciples
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which
Jesus had directed them. 17And when they saw him they worshiped him; but
some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and
behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
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Mark
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK
The Preaching of John the Baptist
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. a
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, b
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who shall prepare your way;
3the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And there went out to him all the
country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized
by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed
with camel’s hair, and had a leather belt around his waist, and ate locusts
and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is
mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down
and untie. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately
he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove;
11and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; d with you I am
well pleased.”
The Temptation of Jesus
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13And he
was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the
wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.
Jesus Preaches the Gospel in Galilee
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the
gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
16 And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew
the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.
17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers
of men.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19And
going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb'edee and John his
brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20And immediately he
called them; and they left their father Zeb'edee in the boat with the hired
servants, and followed him.
The Man with an Unclean Spirit
21 And they went into Caper'na-um; and immediately on the sabbath he
entered the synagogue and taught. 22And they were astonished at his
teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the
scribes. 1And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an
unclean spirit; 24and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of
Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One
of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of
him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud
voice, came out of him. 27And they were all amazed, so that they
questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching! With
authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28And
at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region
of Galilee.
Healings at Simon’s House
29 And immediately he e left the synagogue, and entered the house of
Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law
lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. 31And he came
and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she
served them.
32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or
possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together about
the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and
cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak,
because they knew him. *
Jesus Preaches and Heals throughout Galilee
35 And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a
lonely place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with
him followed him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Every one is
searching for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns,
that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” 39And he went
throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out
demons.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
40 And a leper came to him begging him, and kneeling said to him, “If
you will, you can make me clean.” 41Moved with pity, he stretched out his
hand and touched him, and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42And
immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43And he sternly
charged him, and sent him away at once, 44and said to him, “See that you
say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for
your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.” f 45But
he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that
Jesus g could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and
people came to him from every quarter.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
2 And when he returned to Caper'na-um after some days, it was reported
that he was at home. 2And many were gathered together, so that there was
no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the
word to them. 3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four
men. 4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they
removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let
down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. 5And when Jesus saw their faith,
he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6Now some of the
scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7“Why does this man
speak like this? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they questioned like
this within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question like this in your
hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or
to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? 10But that you may know that
the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the
paralytic—11“I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” 12And he
rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so
that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw
anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Levi
13 He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about
him, and he taught them. 14And as he passed on, he saw Levi * the son of
Alphae'us sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he
rose and followed him.
15 And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners
were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed
him. 16And the scribes of h the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating
with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat i with
tax collectors and sinners?” 17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them,
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I
came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The Question about Fasting
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came
and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees
fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19And Jesus said to them, “Can the
wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they
have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20The days will come,
when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in
that day. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he
does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is
made. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine
will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but new wine
is for fresh skins.” j
A Teaching about the Sabbath
23 One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made
their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24And the Pharisees
said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?”
25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was
in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26how he entered
the house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the showbread,
which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those
who were with him?” 27And he said to them, “The sabbath was made for
man, not man for the sabbath; 28so the Son of man is lord even of the
sabbath.”
The Man with a Withered Hand
3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a
withered hand. 2And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him
on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3And he said to the man who
had the withered hand, “Come here.” 4And he said to them, “Is it lawful on
the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were
silent. 5And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness
of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out,
and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out, and immediately held
counsel with the Hero'dians against him, how to destroy him.
A Multitude by the Sea
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from
Galilee followed; also from Judea 8and Jerusalem and Idume'a and from
beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Si'don a great multitude,
hearing all that he did, came to him. 9And he told his disciples to have a
boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him; 10for
he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch
him. 11And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before
him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12And he strictly ordered
them not to make him known.
Jesus Appoints the Twelve
13 And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he
desired; and they came to him. 14And he appointed twelve, k to be with him,
and to be sent out to preach 15and have authority to cast out demons:
16Simon whom he surnamed Peter; 17James the son of Zeb'edee and John
around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my
brethren! 35Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and
mother.”
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd
gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and
the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2And he taught them many
things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3“Listen! A sower
went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the
birds came and devoured it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had
not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil;
6and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered
away. 7Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it,
and it yielded no grain. 8And other seeds fell into good soil and brought
forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold
and a hundredfold.” 9And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Explanation of the Parable
10 And when he was alone, those who were about him with the Twelve
asked him concerning the parables. 11And he said to them, “To you has
been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside
everything is in parables; 12so that * they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be
forgiven.” 13And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?
How then will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word.
15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they
hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in
them. 16And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground,
who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17and they
have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or
persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. m
18And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the
word, 19but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire
for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20But
those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and
accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
A Lamp Is Not Hidden
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or
under a bed, and not on a stand? 22For there is nothing hidden, except to be
made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23If any man
has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And he said to them, “Take heed what you
hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will
be given you. 25For to him who has will more be given; and from him who
has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
A Parable about Seeds
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed
upon the ground, 27and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed
should sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28The earth produces of itself,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the
grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what
parable shall we use for it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when
sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32yet when it
is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth
large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
The Use of Parables
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able
to hear it; 34he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his
own disciples he explained everything.
Jesus Calms a Storm on the Sea
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go
across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with
them, just as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37And a
great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat
was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and
they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?”
39And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be
still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them,
“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” 41And they were filled with awe,
and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey
him?”
Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the
Ger'asenes. n 2And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of
the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3who lived among the tombs; and
no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; 4for he had often been
bound with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the
shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him.
5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always
crying out, and bruising himself with stones. 6And when he saw Jesus from
afar, he ran and worshiped him; 7and crying out with a loud voice, he said,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure
you by God, do not torment me.” 8For he had said to him, “Come out of the
man, you unclean spirit!” 9And Jesus o asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10And he begged him
eagerly not to send them out of the country. 11Now a great herd of swine
was feeding there on the hillside; 12and they begged him, “Send us to the
swine, let us enter them.” 13So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits
came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two
thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the
sea.
14 The herdsmen fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And
people came to see what it was that had happened. 15And they came to
Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the
man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16And those who had
seen it told what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine. 17And
they began to beg Jesus p to depart from their neighborhood. 18And as he
was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons
begged him that he might be with him. 19But he refused, and said to him,
“Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for
you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20And he went away and began to
proclaim in the Decap'olis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men
marveled.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great
crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea. 22Then came one of
the rulers of the synagogue, Ja'irus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his
feet, 23and begged him, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death.
Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”
24And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25And there was
a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26and who had
suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and
was no better but rather grew worse. 27She had heard the reports about
Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For
she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.” 29And
immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was
healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had
gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said,
“Who touched my garments?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the
crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?' " 32And he
looked around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had
been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and
told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has
made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some
who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36But ignoring q what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue,
“Do not fear, only believe.” 37And he allowed no one to follow him except
Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the
house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult, and people weeping
and wailing loudly. 39And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why do
you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And
they laughed at him. But he put them all outside, and took the child’s father
and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was.
41Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Tal'itha cu'mi”; which means,
“Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42And immediately the girl got up and
walked; for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were
overcome with amazement. 43And he strictly charged them that no one
should know this, * and told them to give her something to eat.
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
6 He went away from there and came to his own country; and his
disciples followed him. 2And on the sabbath he began to teach in the
synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did
this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works
are wrought by his hands! 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and
brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here
with us?” And they took offense r at him. 4And Jesus said to them, “A
prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own
kin, and in his own house.” 5And he could do no mighty work there, except
that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. 6
And he went about among the villages teaching.
The Mission of the Twelve
7 And he called to him the Twelve, and began to send them out two by
two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He charged them to
take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in
their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10And he said to
them, “Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11And
if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you
leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.”
12So they went out and preached that men should repent. 13And they cast
out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed
them.
The Death of John the Baptist
14 King Herod heard of it; for Jesus’ s name had become known. Some t
said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why these
powers are at work in him.” 15But others said, “It is Eli'jah.” And others
said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod
heard of it he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17For Herod
had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero'di-
as, his brother Philip’s wife; because he had married her. 18For John said to
Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19And
Hero'di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could
not, 20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy
man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and
yet he heard him gladly. 21But an opportunity came when Herod on his
birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men
of Galilee. 22For when Hero'di-as’ daughter came in and danced, she
pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for
whatever you wish, and I will grant it.” 23And he vowed to her, “Whatever
you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24And she went out,
and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John
the Baptist.” 25And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and
asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist
on a platter.” 26And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his
oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27And
immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his
head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28and brought his head on a
platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his
disciples heard of it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
Feeding the Five Thousand
30 The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and
taught. 31And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place,
and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no
leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by
themselves. 33Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran
there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. 34As he
landed he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they
were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many
things. 35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is
a lonely place, and the hour is now late; 36send them away, to go into the
country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat.”
37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said
to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii u worth of bread, and
give it to them to eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves have
you? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two
fish.” 39Then he commanded them all to sit down by companies upon the
green grass. 40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.
41And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and
blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before
the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. 42And they all ate
and were satisfied. 43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces
and of the fish. 44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Jesus Walks on the Sea
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him
to the other side, to Beth-sa'ida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46And after
he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47And
when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the
land. 48And he saw that they were distressed in rowing, for the wind was
against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them,
walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49but when they saw him
walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all
saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said,
“Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” 51And he got into the boat with them and
the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52for they did not
understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
53 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret, and
moored to the shore. 54And when they got out of the boat, immediately the
people recognized him, 55and ran about the whole neighborhood and began
to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was.
56And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in
the market places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of
his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.
The Tradition of the Elders
7 Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the
scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, 2they saw that some of his disciples
ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. 3(For the Pharisees, and all the
Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, v observing the tradition of
the elders; * 4and when they come from the market place, they do not eat
unless they purify w themselves; and there are many other traditions which
they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze. x) 5And
the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live y
according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” 6And he
said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7in vain do they worship me,
men.”
9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the
commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! 10For Moses said,
‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or
mother, let him surely die’; 11but you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his
mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban’ (that is, given to
God) z—12then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or
mother, 13thus making void the word of God through your tradition which
you hand on. And many such things you do.”
14 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, “Hear me, all
of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside a man which by going
into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what
defile him.” a 17And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his
disciples asked him about the parable. 18And he said to them, “Then are you
also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man
from outside cannot defile him, 19since it enters, not his heart but his
stomach, and so passes on?” b (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20And he
said, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 21For from within,
out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder,
adultery, 22coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander,
pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile
a man.”
The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and
Sidon. c And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet
he could not be hidden. 25But immediately a woman, whose little daughter
was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at
his feet. 26Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni'cian by birth. And
she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27And he said to her,
“Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread
and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the
dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29And he said to her, “For
this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30And
she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.
Jesus Cures a Deaf Man
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to
the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decap'olis. 32And they brought
to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they
begged him to lay his hand upon him. 33And taking him aside from the
multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched
his tongue; 34and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him,
“Eph'phatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35And his ears were opened, his tongue
was released, and he spoke plainly. 36And he charged them to tell no one;
but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37And
they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well;
he even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Feeding the Four Thousand
8 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had
nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him, and said to them, 2“I have
compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days,
and have nothing to eat; 3and if I send them away hungry to their homes,
they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long way.” 4And
his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these men with bread here
in the desert?” 5And he asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They
said, “Seven.” 6And he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground;
and he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks he broke them and
gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before
the crowd. 7And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, he
commanded that these also should be set before them. 8And they ate, and
were satisfied; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets
full. 9And there were about four thousand people. 10And he sent them away;
and immediately he got into the boat with his disciples, and went to the
district of Dalmanu'tha. d
The Demand for a Sign
11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a
sign from heaven, to test him. 12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be
given to this generation.” 13And he left them, and getting into the boat again
he departed to the other side.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread; and they had only one loaf with
them in the boat. 15And he cautioned them, saying, “Take heed, beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” e 16And they discussed
it with one another, saying, “We have no bread.” 17And being aware of it,
Jesus said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread?
Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
18Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you
not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how
many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him,
“Twelve.” 20“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of
broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21And he
said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Jesus Cures a Blind Man at Beth-saida
22 And they came to Beth-sa'ida. And some people brought to him a blind
man, and begged him to touch him. 23And he took the blind man by the
hand, and led him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes and
laid his hands upon him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24And he
looked up and said, “I see men; but they look like trees, walking.” 25Then
again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was
restored, and saw everything clearly. 26And he sent him away to his home,
saying, “Do not even enter the village.”
Peter’s Declaration That Jesus Is the Christ
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesare'a
Philip'pi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I
am?” 28And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Eli'jah; and
others one of the prophets.” 29And he asked them, “But who do you say that
I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30And he charged them to
tell no one about him.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many
things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes,
and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And he said this plainly.
And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and seeing his
disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are
not on the side of God, but of men.”
34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them,
“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me. 35For whoever would save his life will lose it; and
whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36For what
does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? * 37For
what can a man give in return for his life? 38For whoever is ashamed of me
and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the
Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his
9 Father with the holy angels.” 1And he said to them, “Truly, I say to
you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see
the kingdom of God come with power.”
The Transfiguration
2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and
led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured
before them, 3and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no
fuller on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Eli'jah with
Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. 5And Peter said to Jesus, “Master, f it
is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for
Moses and one for Eli'jah.” 6For he did not know what to say, for they were
exceedingly afraid. 7And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out
of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; g listen to him.” 8And suddenly
looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.
The Coming of Elijah
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no
one what they had seen, until the Son of man should have risen from the
dead. 10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising
from the dead meant. 11And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that
first Eli'jah must come?” 12And he said to them, “Eli'jah does come first to
restore all things; and how is it written of the Son of man, that he should
suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13But I tell you that
Eli'jah has come, * and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is
written of him.”
The Healing of a Boy with a Mute Spirit
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about
them, and scribes arguing with them. 15And immediately all the crowd,
when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and ran up to him and greeted
him. 16And he asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17And
one of the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he
has a mute spirit; 18and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he
foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to
cast it out, and they were not able.” 19And he answered them, “O faithless
generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?
Bring him to me.” 20And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit
saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and
rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21And Jesus h asked his father, “How
long has he had this?” And he said, “From childhood. 22And it has often
cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do
anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23And Jesus said to him, “If you
can! All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the father
of the child cried out i and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25And when
Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean
spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of
him, and never enter him again.” 26And after crying out and convulsing him
terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them
said, “He is dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and
he arose. 28And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him
privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29And he said to them, “This
kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” j
Jesus Again Foretells HisDeath and Resurrection
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would
not have any one know it; 31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to
them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they
will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32But they
did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him.
True Greatness
33 And they came to Caper'na-um; and when he was in the house he asked
them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34But they were silent; for
on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest.
35And he sat down and called the Twelve and he said to them, “If any one
would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36And he took a
child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said
to them, 37“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and
whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
Another Exorcist
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your
name, k and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” 39But Jesus
said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name
will be able soon after to speak evil of me. 40For he that is not against us is
for us. 41For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink
because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.
Temptations to Sin
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, l it
would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and
he were thrown into the sea. 43And if your hand causes you to sin, l cut it
off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to
hell, m to the unquenchable fire. n 45And if your foot causes you to sin, l cut
it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown
into hell. m, n 47And if your eye causes you to sin, l pluck it out; it is better
for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be
thrown into hell, m 48where their worm does not die, and the fire is not
quenched. 49For every one will be salted with fire. o 50Salt is good; but if
the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in
yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Teachings about Divorce
10 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the
Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again; and again, as his custom was, he
taught them.
2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a
man to divorce his wife?” 3He answered them, “What did Moses command
you?” 4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce,
and to put her away.” 5But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart
he wrote you this commandment. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God
made them male and female.’ 7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father
and mother and be joined to his wife, p 8and the two shall become one
flesh.’ q So they are no longer two but one flesh. q 9What therefore God has
joined together, let not man put asunder.”
10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11And
he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits
adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”
Jesus Blesses the Children
13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and
the disciples rebuked them. 14But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and
said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such
belongs the kingdom of God. 15Truly, I say to you, whoever does not
receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16And he took
them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
The Rich Man
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before
him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but
God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit
adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor
your father and mother.' " 20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have
observed from my youth.” 21And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and
said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22At that
saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great
possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be
for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the
disciples were amazed at his words. * But Jesus said to them again,
“Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches r to enter the kingdom
of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26And they were exceedingly
astonished, and said to him, s “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at
them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things
are possible with God.” 28Peter began to say to him, “Behold, we have left
everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no
one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children
or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30who will not receive a
hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers
and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal
life. * 31But many that are first will be last, and the last first.”
A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was
walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed
were afraid. And taking the Twelve again, he began to tell them what was to
happen to him, 33saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the
Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they
will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; 34and they will
mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three
days he will rise.”
The Request of James and John
35 And James and John, the sons of Zeb'edee, came forward to him, and
said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
36And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37And they
said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in
your glory.” 38But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are
asking. Are you able to drink the chalice that I drink, or to be baptized with
the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39And they said to him, “We are
able.” And Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink you will drink; and
with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40but to sit
at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for
whom it has been prepared.” 41And when the ten heard it, they began to be
indignant at James and John. 42And Jesus called them to him and said to
them, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord
it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 43But it shall
not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your
servant, 44and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45For
the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many.”
Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46 And they came to Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his
disciples and a great multitude, Bartimae'us, a blind beggar, the son of
Timae'us, was sitting by the roadside. 47And when he heard that it was Jesus
of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy
on me!” 48And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out
all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49And Jesus stopped and
said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart;
rise, he is calling you.” 50And throwing off his cloak he sprang up and came
to Jesus. 51And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
And the blind man said to him, “Master, t let me receive my sight.” 52And
Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And
immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem
11 And when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Beth'phage and Beth'any,
at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 2and said to them, “Go
into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find
a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it. 3If any one
says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and
will send it back here immediately.’ ” 4And they went away, and found a
colt tied at the door out in the open street; and they untied it. 5And those
who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6And
they told them what Jesus had said; and they let them go. 7And they brought
the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it. 8And
many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches
which they had cut from the fields. 9And those who went before and those
who followed cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord! 10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming!
Hosanna in the highest!”
11 And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had
looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Beth'any
with the Twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12 On the following day, when they came from Beth'any, he was hungry.
13And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find
anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was
not the season for figs. 14And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from
you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to
drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he
overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold
pigeons; 16and he would not allow any one to carry anything through the
temple. 17And he taught, and said to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house
shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a
den of robbers.” 18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought
a way to destroy him; for they feared him, because all the multitude was
astonished at his teaching. 19And when evening came they u went out of the
city.
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree
20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away
to its roots. 21And Peter remembered and said to him, “Master, v look! The
fig tree which you cursed has withered.” 22And Jesus answered them,
“Have faith in God. 23Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive
it, and you will. 25And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have
anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may
forgive you your trespasses.” w
Jesus’ Authority Is Questioned
27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the
temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28and
they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who
gave you this authority to do them?” 29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you a
question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer me.” 31And
they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why
then did you not believe him?’ 32But shall we say, ‘From men’?”—they
were afraid of the people, for all held that John was a real prophet. 33So
they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither
will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
12 And he began to speak to them in paraales. “A man planted a
vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and
built a tower, and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 2When
the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the
fruit of the vineyard. 3And they took him and beat him, and sent him away
empty-handed. 4Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded
him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5And he sent another, and him
they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed.
6He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying,
‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is
the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8And they
took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9What will the
owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give
the vineyard to others. 10Have you not read this Scripture:
‘The very stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11this was the Lord’s doing,
that he is one, and there is no other but he; 33and to love him with all the
heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love
one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and
sacrifices.” 34And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to
ask him any question.
A Question about the Christ
35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say
that the Christ is the son of David? 36David himself, inspired by z the Holy
Spirit, declared,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
till I put your enemies under your feet.’
37David himself calls him Lord; so how is he his son?” And the great
this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the
treasury. 44For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of
her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”
The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
13 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him,
“Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”
2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not
be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down.”
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and
James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will this
be, and what will be the sign when these things are all to be accomplished?”
5And Jesus began to say to them, “Take heed that no one leads you astray.
6Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many
astray. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed;
this must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various
places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the sufferings.
Persecutions Foretold
9 “But take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to councils;
and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors
and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them. 10And the gospel
must first be preached to all nations. 11And when they bring you to trial and
deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand about what you are to say; but
say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the
Holy Spirit. 12And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father
his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
13and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to
strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28But after I am raised
up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29Peter said to him, “Even though they
all fall away, I will not.” 30And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, this
very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
31But he said vehemently, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And
hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63And the high
priest tore his clothes, and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64You
have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned
him as deserving death. 65And some began to spit on him, and to cover his
face, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received
him with blows.
Peter Denies Jesus
66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the maids of the high
priest came; 67and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and
said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68But he denied it, saying,
“I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the
gateway. f 69And the maid saw him, and began again to say to the
bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70But again he denied it. And after a
little while again the bystanders said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of
them; for you are a Galilean.” 71But he began to invoke a curse on himself
and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72And
immediately the cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how
Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me
three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Jesus before Pilate
15 And as soon as it was morning the chief priests, with the elders and
scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound Jesus
and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. * 2And Pilate asked him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”
3And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4And Pilate again asked
him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring
against you.” 5But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate wondered.
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they
asked. 7And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the
insurrection, there was a man called Barab'bas. 8And the crowd came up
and began to ask Pilate to do as he always did for them. 9And he answered
them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10For he
perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.
11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them
Barab'bas instead. 12And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do
with the man whom you call the King of the Jews?” 13And they cried out
again, “Crucify him.” 14And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he
done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15So Pilate, wishing
to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barab'bas; and having scourged
Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the
praetorium); and they called together the whole battalion. 17And they
clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on
him. 18And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19And they
struck his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and they knelt down in
homage to him. 20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the
purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to
crucify him.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
21 And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyre'ne, who was coming in
from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
22And they brought him to the place called Gol'gotha (which means the
place of a skull). 23And they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but he
did not take it. 24And they crucified him, and divided his garments among
them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25And it was
the third hour, when they crucified him. 26And the inscription of the charge
against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27And with him they crucified
two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. g 29And those who passed
by derided him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Aha! You who would
destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30save yourself, and come
down from the cross!” 31So also the chief priests mocked him to one
another with the scribes, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.
32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we
may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
The Death of Jesus
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole
land h until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
voice, “E'lo-i, Elo-i, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?” which means, “My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?” 35And some of the bystanders hearing it
said, “Behold, he is calling Eli'jah.” 36And one ran and, filling a sponge full
of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us
see whether Eli'jah will come to take him down.” 37And Jesus uttered a loud
cry, and breathed his last. 38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two,
from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw
that he thus i breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son x of
God!”
40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary
Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger * and of Joses, and
Salo'me, 41who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to
him; and also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that
is, the day before the sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathe'a, a respected member
of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took
courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44And Pilate
wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked
him whether he was already dead. j 45And when he learned from the
centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46And he bought
a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and
laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a
stone against the door of the tomb. 47Mary Mag'dalene and Mary the
mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
The Resurrection of Jesus
16 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the
mother of James, and Salo'me, bought spices, so that they might go and
anoint him. * 2And very early on the first day of the week they went to the
tomb when the sun had risen. 3And they were saying to one another, “Who
will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” 4And looking
up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. 5And
entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in
a white robe; and they were amazed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be
amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is
not here; see the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and
Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he
told you.” 8And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and
astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for
they were afraid.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to
Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10She went
and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11But
when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not
believe it.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were
walking into the country. 13And they went back and told the rest, but they
did not believe them.
Jesus Commissions the Disciples
14 Afterward he appeared to the Eleven themselves as they sat at table;
and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because
they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15And he said
to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who
believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; 18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it
will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will
recover.”
The Ascension of Jesus
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into
heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went forth and
preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the
message by the signs that attended it. Amen. k *
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Luke
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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE
Dedication to Theophilus
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things
which have been accomplished among us, 2just as they were delivered to us
by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the
word, 3it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closelya for
some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent
Theoph'ilus, * 4that you may know the truth concerning the things of which
you have been informed.
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 * In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named
Zechari'ah,b of the division of Abi'jah; and he had a wife of the daughters of
Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6And they were both righteous before
God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blamelessly. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both
were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was
on duty, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to
enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And the whole multitude of
the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11And there
appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar
of incense. 12And Zechari'ah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell
upon him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechari'ah, for
your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you
shall call his name John.
14And you will have joy and gladness,
old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19And the angel answered him,
“I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to
you, and to bring you this good news. 20And behold, you will be silent and
unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you
did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21And the
people were waiting for Zechari'ah, and they wondered at his delay in the
temple. 22And when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they
perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he made signs to
them and remained mute. 23And when his time of service was ended, he
went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she
hid herself, saying, 25“Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he
looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.”
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of
Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he
came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace,b2 the Lord is with you!”c 29But
she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort
of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, * “Do not be afraid,
Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive
in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
called. 63And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.”
And they all marveled. 64And immediately his mouth was opened and his
tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65And fear came on all their
neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill
country of Judea; 66and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts,
saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with
him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 And his father Zechari'ah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and
prophesied, saying,
68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
news of a great joy which will come to all the people; 11for to you is born
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this
will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and
lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest,
“Behold, this child is set for the fall * and rising of many in Israel,
and for a sign that is spoken against
35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also),
have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to
raise up children to Abraham. 9Even now the axe is laid to the root of the
trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire.”
10 And the multitudes asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11And he
answered them, “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has
none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” 12Tax collectors also came
to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13And he said
to them, “Collect no more than is appointed you.” 14Soldiers also asked
him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Rob no one by
violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
15 As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their
hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, 16John
answered them all, “I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I
is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in
his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his
granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the
people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for
Hero'di-as, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had
done, 20added this to them all, that he shut up John in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been
baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit
descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from
heaven, “You are my beloved Son;j with you I am well pleased.”k
The Ancestry of Jesus
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being
the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, * the son of He'li, 24the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jan'na-i, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathi'as, the son of Amos, the son of Na'hum, the son of
Es'li, the son of Nag'ga-i, 26the son of Ma'ath, the son of Mattathi'as, the son
of Sem'e-in, the son of Jo'sech, the son of Jo'da, 27the son of Jo-an'an, the
son of Rhesa, the son of Zerub'babel, the son of She-al'ti-el,l the son of
Ne'ri, 28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Co'sam, the son of
Elma'dam, the son of Er, 29the son of Joshua, the son of Elie'zer, the son of
Jo'rim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon, the son of
Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jo'nam, the son of Eli'akim, 31the son of
Me'le-a, the son of Menna, the son of Mat'tatha, the son of Nathan, the son
of David, 32the son of Jesse, the son of O'bed, the son of Boaz, the son of
Sa'la, the son of Nahshon, 33the son of Ammin'adab, the son of Admin, the
son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Per'ez, the son of Judah, 34the son
of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Te'rah, the son of
Na'hor, 35the son of Se'rug, the son of Re'u, the son of Pe'leg, the son of
E'ber, the son of She'lah, 36the son of Ca-i'nan, the son of Arpha'xad, the
son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of La'mech, 37the son of Methu'selah,
the son of E'noch, the son of Jar'ed, the son of Maha'lale''el, the son of Ca-
i'nan, 38the son of E'nos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
The Temptation of Jesus
4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was
led by the Spirit 2for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And
he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.
3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to
become bread.” 4And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live
by bread alone.’ ” 5And the devil took him up, and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, “To you I
will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me,
and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be
yours.” 8And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.' "
9And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the
temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down
from here; 10for it is written,
‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’
11and
God.' " 13And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from
him until an opportune time.
Jesus Begins Preaching and Teaching in Galilee
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report
concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. 15And he
taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went
to the synagogue, as was his custom, on the sabbath day. * And he stood up
to read; 17and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He
opened the book and found the place where it was written,
18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21And he
began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing.” 22And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words
which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”
23And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb,
to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 35But Jesus
rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And when the
demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having
done him no harm. 36And they were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the
unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37And reports of him went out into
every place in the surrounding region.
Healings at Simon’s House
38 And he arose and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s house. Now
Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they asked him about
her. 39And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and
immediately she rose and served them.
40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick
with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every
one of them and healed them. 41And demons also came out of many, crying,
“You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them, and would not allow them
to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues of Judea
42 And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the
people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving
them; 43but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom
of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44And he
was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.n
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
5 While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was
standing by the lake of Gennes'aret. 2And he saw two boats by the lake; but
the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3Getting
into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little
from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4And
when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and
let down your nets for a catch.” 5And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled
all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6And
when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their
nets were breaking, 7they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to
come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they
began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees,
saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9For he was
astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had
taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zeb'edee, who were
partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
henceforth you will be catching men.” 11And when they had brought their
boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and
when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will,
you can make me clean.” 13And he stretched out his hand, and touched him,
saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14And he
charged him to tell no one; but “go and show yourself to the priest, and
make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to
the people.”o 15But so much the more the report went abroad concerning
him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their
infirmities. 16But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and
teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee
and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to
heal.p 18And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was
paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus;q 19but
finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the
roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into their midst before
Jesus. 20And when he saw their faith he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven
you.” 21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who
is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?”
22When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do
you question in your hearts? 23Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are
forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24But that you may know that the
Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who
was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.” 25And
immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and
went home, glorifying God. 26And amazement seized them all, and they
glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange
things today.”
Jesus Calls Levi
27 After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at
the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28And he left everything,
and rose and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large
company of tax collectors and others sitting at tabler with them. 30And the
Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do
you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31And Jesus answered
them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are
sick; 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
The Question about Fasting
33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer
prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.”
34And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the
bridegroom is with them? 35The days will come, when the bridegroom is
taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” 36He told
them a parable also: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it
upon an old garment; if he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the
new will not match the old. 37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins;
if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the
skins will be destroyed. 38But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
39And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, ‘The old is
good.' "s
A Teaching about the Sabbath
6 On a sabbath,t while he was going through the grainfields, his
disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.
2But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to
do on the sabbath?” 3And Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David
did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered
the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful for
any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5And he said
to them, “The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.”
The Man with a Withered Hand
6 On another sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man
was there whose right hand was withered. 7And the scribes and the
Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the sabbath, so that
they might find an accusation against him. 8But he knew their thoughts, and
he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And
he rose and stood there. 9And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on
the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10And he
looked around on them all, and said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And
he did so, and his hand was restored. 11But they were filled with fury and
discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Jesus Chooses the Twelve Disciples
12 In these days he went out to the hills to pray; and all night he continued
in prayer to God. 13And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose
from them twelve, whom he named apostles; 14Simon, whom he named
Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and
Bartholomew, 15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphae'us,
and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16and Judas the son of James, and
Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Jesus Teaches and Heals
17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great
crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and
Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Si'don, who came to hear him and to
be healed of their diseases; 18and those who were troubled with unclean
spirits were cured. 19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power
came forth from him and healed them all.
Blessings and Woes
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: *
“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and
revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man!
23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in
servant be healed. 8For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under
me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he
comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9When Jesus heard this
he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10And when those
who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.
Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son at Nain
11 Soon afterwardy he went to a city called Na'in, and his disciples and a
great crowd went with him. 12As he drew near to the gate of the city,
behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his
mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her.
13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her,
“Do not weep.” 14And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood
still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15And the dead man sat
up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized them
all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!”
and “God has visited his people!” 17And this report concerning him spread
through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
Messengers from John the Baptist
18 The disciples of John told him of all these things. 19And John, calling
to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you he who
is to come, or shall we look for another?” 20And when the men had come to
him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he
who is to come, or shall we look for another?' " 21In that hour he cured
many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind
he bestowed sight. 22And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you
have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are
cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news
preached to them. 23And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”
24 When the messengers of John had gone, he began to speak to the
crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to
behold? A reed shaken by the wind? 25What then did you go out to see? A
man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who are gorgeously appareled
and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26What then did you go out to see? A
prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27This is he of whom it is
written,
‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who shall prepare your way before you.’
28I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John; yet he
who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” * 29(When they
heard this all the people and the tax collectors justified God, having been
baptized with the baptism of John; 30but the Pharisees and the lawyers
rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by
him.)
31 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are
they like? 32They are like children sitting in the market place and calling to
one another,
‘We piped to you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not weep.’
33For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine;
and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of man has come eating and
drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and sinners!’ 35Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”
A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the
Pharisee’s house, and sat at table. 37And behold, a woman of the city, who
was a sinner, when she learned that he was sitting at table in the Pharisee’s
house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38and standing behind him at
his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them
with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the
ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to
himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what
sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40And Jesus
answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he
answered, “What is it, Teacher?” 41“A certain creditor had two debtors; one
owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay,
he forgave them both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43Simon
answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.” And he said to
him, “You have judged rightly.” 44Then turning toward the woman he said
to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no
water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them
with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has
not ceased to kiss my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she
has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore I tell you, her sins, which
are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little,
loves little.” * 48And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49Then those
who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this,
who even forgives sins?” 50And he said to the woman, “Your faith has
saved you; go in peace.”
Some Women Accompany Jesus
8 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and
bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with
him, 2and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities: Mary, called Mag'dalene, from whom seven demons had gone
out, 3and Jo-an'na, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and
many others, who provided for themz out of their means.
The Parable of the Sower
4 And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town
came to him, he said in a parable: 5“A sower went out to sow his seed; and
as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the
birds of the air devoured it. 6And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it
withered away, because it had no moisture. 7And some fell among thorns;
and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8And some fell into good soil and
grew, and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “He who
has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Explanation of the Parable
9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10he said,
“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but
for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing
they may not understand. 11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of
God. 12The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil
comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe
and be saved. 13And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the
word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while
and in time of temptation fall away. 14And as for what fell among the
thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked
by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
15And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.
A Lamp Is Not Hidden
16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a
bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. 17For
nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that
shall not be known and come to light. 18Take heed then how you hear; for to
him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he
thinks that he has will be taken away.”
The True Kindred of Jesus
19 Then his mother and his brethren * came to him, but they could not
reach him for the crowd. 20And he was told, “Your mother and your
brethren are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21But he said to them,
“My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do
it.”
Jesus Calms a Storm on the Sea
22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let
us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23and as they
sailed he fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they
were filling with water, and were in danger. 24And they went and woke him,
saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the
wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25He
said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they
marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even
wind and water, and they obey him?”
Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac
26 Then they arrived at the country of the Ger'asenes,a which is opposite
Galilee. 27And as he stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city
who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not
in a house but among the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell
down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with
me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29For
he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a
time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and
shackles, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the
desert.) 30Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said,
“Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31And they begged him not to
command them to depart into the abyss. 32Now a large herd of swine was
feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these.
So he gave them leave. 33Then the demons came out of the man and entered
the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were
drowned.
34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in
the city and in the country. 35Then people went out to see what had
happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the
demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind;
and they were afraid. 36And those who had seen it told them how he who
had been possessed with demons was healed. 37Then all the people of the
surrounding country of the Ger'asenesa asked him to depart from them; for
they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned. 38The
man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him;
but he sent him away, saying, 39“Return to your home, and declare how
much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout
the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. *
A Girl Restored to Life anda Woman Healed
40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all
waiting for him. 41And there came a man named Ja'irus, who was a ruler of
the synagogue; and falling at Jesus’ feet he begged him to come to his
house, 42for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she
was dying.
As he went, the people pressed round him. 43And a woman who had had a
flow of blood for twelve years and had spent all her living upon physiciansb
and could not be healed by any one, 44came up behind him, and touched the
fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased. 45And
Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peterc said,
“Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!” 46But Jesus
said, “Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from
me.” 47And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came
trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the
people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately
healed. 48And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in
peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler’s house came and
said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” 50But
Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she
shall be well.” 51And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to
enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother
of the child. 52And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, “Do
not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53And they laughed at him,
knowing that she was dead. 54But taking her by the hand he called, saying,
“Child, arise.” 55And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he
directed that something should be given her to eat. 56And her parents were
amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
The Mission of the Twelve
9 And he called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to preach the
kingdom of God and to heal. 3And he said to them, “Take nothing for your
journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two
tunics. 4And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.
5And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off
the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6And they departed
and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing
everywhere.
Herod’s Perplexity
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done, and he was
perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the
dead, 8by some that Eli'jah had appeared, and by others that one of the old
prophets had risen. 9Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about
whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.
Feeding the Five Thousand
10 On their return the apostles told him what they had done. And he took
them and withdrew apart to a city called Beth-sa'ida. 11When the crowds
learned it, they followed him; and he welcomed them and spoke to them of
the kingdom of God, and cured those who had need of healing. 12Now the
day began to wear away; and the Twelve came and said to him, “Send the
crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and
get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place.” 13But he said to them,
“You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five
loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”
14For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples,
“Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each.” 15And they did so,
and made them all sit down. 16And taking the five loaves and the two fish
he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the
disciples to set before the crowd. 17And all ate and were satisfied. And they
took up what was left over, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
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Peter’s Declaration That JesusIs the Christ
18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone the disciples were with
him; and he asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?” 19And they
answered, “John the Baptist; but others say, Eli'jah; and others, that one of
the old prophets has risen.” 20And he said to them, “But who do you say
that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21But he charged and
commanded them to tell this to no one, 22saying, “The Son of man must
suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Taking Up One’s Cross
23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever would
save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save
it. 25For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or
forfeits himself? 26For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him
will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory
of the Father and of the holy angels. 27But I tell you truly, there are some
standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and
John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was
praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his clothing
became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and
Eli'jah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus, which he was to
accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and those who were with him were
heavy with sleep but kept awake, and they saw his glory and the two men
who stood with him. 33And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to
Jesus, “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for
you and one for Moses and one for Eli'jah”—not knowing what he said.
34As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were
afraid as they entered the cloud. 35And a voice came out of the cloud,
saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen;d listen to him!” 36And when the voice
had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one
in those days anything of what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon
37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great
crowd met him. 38And behold, a man from the crowd cried, “Teacher, I beg
you to look upon my son, for he is my only child; 39and behold, a spirit
seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him till he foams, and
shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40And I begged your disciples to
cast it out, but they could not.” 41Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse
generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your
son here.” 42While he was coming, the demon tore him and convulsed him.
But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back
to his father. 43And all were astonished at the majesty of God.
Jesus Again Foretells His Death
But while they were all marveling at everything he did, he said to his
disciples, 44“Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of man is to be
delivered into the hands of men.” 45But they did not understand this saying,
and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they
were afraid to ask him about this saying.
True Greatness
46 And an argument arose among them as to which of them was the
greatest. 47But when Jesus perceived the thought of their hearts, he took a
child and put him by his side, 48and said to them, “Whoever receives this
child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who
sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Another Exorcist
49 John answered, “Master, we saw a man casting out demons in your
name, and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us.” 50But
Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him; for he that is not against you is for
you.”
A Samaritan Village Refusesto Receive Jesus
51 When the days drew near for him to be received up, * he set his face
to go to Jerusalem. * 52And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and
entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; 53but the people
would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. * 54And
when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us
to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?”e 55But he turned
and rebuked them.f 56And they went on to another village.
Would-Be Followers of Jesus
57 As they were going along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow
you wherever you go.” 58And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.”
59To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and
bury my father.” 60But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own
dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61Another said,
“I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
62Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back
“Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3Give us each day
our daily bread;k 4and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every
one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.”
Perseverance in Prayer
5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at
midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6for a friend of
mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7and
he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and
my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8I
tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his
friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he
needs. 9And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will
find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For every one who asks
receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11What father among you, if his son asks forl a fish, will instead of a fish
give him a serpent; 12or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask
him!”
Jesus and Be-elzebul
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had
gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15But some of
them said, “He casts out demons by Be-el'zebul, the prince of demons”;
16while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. 17But he,
knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself
is laid waste, and house falls upon house. 18And if Satan also is divided
against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out
demons by Be-el'zebul. 19And if I cast out demons by Be-el'zebul, by whom
do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 20But if it
is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has
come upon you. 21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace,
his goods are in peace; 22but when one stronger than he assails him and
overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides
his spoil. 23He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not
gather with me scatters.
The Return of the Unclean Spirit
24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through
waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says, ‘I will return to my
house from which I came.’ 25And when he comes he finds it swept and put
in order. 26Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than
himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man
becomes worse than the first.”
True Blessedness
27 As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!” 28But
he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
The Sign of Jonah
29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is
an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the
sign of Jonah. 30For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will
the Son of man be to this generation. 31The queen of the South will arise at
the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she
came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and
behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nin'eveh
will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they
repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than
Jonah is here.
The Light of the Body
33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a bushel, but
on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. 34Your eye is the lamp of
your body; when your eye is sound, your whole body is full of light; but
when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness. 35Therefore be careful
lest the light in you be darkness. 36If then your whole body is full of light,
having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays
gives you light.”
Jesus Denounces the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he
went in and sat at table. 38The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not
first wash before dinner. 39And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees
cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of
extortion and wickedness. 40You fools! Did not he who made the outside
make the inside also? 41But give for alms those things which are within;
and behold, everything is clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb,
and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done,
without neglecting the others. 43Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the best
seat in the synagogues and salutations in the market places. 44Woe to you!
for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without
knowing it.”
45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying this you
reproach us also.” 46And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! for you load
men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens
with one of your fingers. 47Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the
prophets whom your fathers killed. 48So you are witnesses and consent to
the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.
49Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and
apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50that the blood of all
the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this
generation, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah, who
perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it shall be
required of this generation. 52Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away
the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those
who were entering.”
53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to
press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things, 54lying in wait
for him, to catch him in something he might say.
A Warning against Hypocrisy
12 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had
gathered together that they trod upon one another, he began to say to his
disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be
known. 3Whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and
what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the
housetops.
Whom to Fear
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that
have no more that they can do. 5But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him
who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell;m yes, I tell you, fear
him! 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is
forgotten before God. 7Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8 “And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of
man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; 9but he who denies
me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10And every one
who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven; but he who
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11And when they
bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not
be anxious about how or what you are to answer or what you are to say;
12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to
say.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, bid my brother divide the
inheritance with me.” 14But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or
divider over you?” 15And he said to them, “Take heed, and beware of all
covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions.” 16And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man
brought forth plentifully; 17and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I
have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull
down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain
and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods
laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20But God said
to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you
have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21So is he who lays up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Be Anxious
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious
about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put
on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
24Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither
storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are
you than the birds! 25And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to
his span of life?n 26If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that,
why are you anxious about the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow;
they neither toil nor spin;o yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was
not clothed like one of these. 28But if God so clothes the grass which is
alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much
more will he clothe you, O men of little faith! 29And do not seek what you
are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind. 30sup>For all
the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you
need them. 31Instead, seek hisp kingdom, and these things shall be yours as
well.
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you
the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves
with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does
not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The Necessity of Watchfulness
35 “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, 36and be like men
who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so
that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37Blessed
are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say
to you, he will put on his apron and have them sit at table, and he will come
and serve them. 38If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds
them so, blessed are those servants! 39But know this, that if the householder
had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have been awake
andq would not have left his house to be broken into. 40You also must be
ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
The Faithful and the Unfaithful Servant
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42And
the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master
will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper
time? 43Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so
doing. 44Truly I tell you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45But if
that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins
to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get
drunk, 46the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not
expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punishr him, and put
him with the unfaithful. 47And that servant who knew his master’s will, but
did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe
beating. 48But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall
receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much
be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the
more.
Jesus the Cause of Division
49 “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already
kindled! 50I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained
until it is accomplished! 51Do you think that I have come to give peace on
earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52for henceforth in one house there
will be five divided, three against two and two against three; 53they will be
divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter
and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Interpreting the Present Time
54 He also said to the multitudes, “When you see a cloud rising in the
west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it happens. 55And
when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching
heat’; and it happens. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the
appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the
present time?
Settling with Your Accuser
57 “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58As you go
with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him
on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the
officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59I tell you, you will never get out
till you have paid the very last copper.”
Repent or Perish
13 There were some present at that very time who told him of the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he
answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than
all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? 3I tell you, No; but
unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen upon
whom the tower in Silo'am fell and killed them, do you think that they were
worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, No;
but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard;
and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the
vinedresser, ‘Behold, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig
tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?’ 8And
he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put
on manure. 9And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you
can cut it down.’ ”
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11And
there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she
was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12And when Jesus saw
her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your
infirmity.” 13And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was
made straight, and she praised God. 14But the ruler of the synagogue,
indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people,
“There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days
and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.” 15Then the Lord answered him,
“You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his
donkey from the manger, and lead it away to water it? 16And ought not this
woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be
loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” 17As he said this, all his
adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious
things that were done by him.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what
shall I compare it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and
sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air
made nests in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It
is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it
was all leavened.”
The Narrow Door
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and
journeying toward Jerusalem. 23And some one said to him, “Lord, will
those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24“Strive to enter by the
narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin
to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ He will
answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26Then you will begin
to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’
27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart
from me, all you workers of iniquity!’ 28There you will weep and gnash
your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets
in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. 29And men will come
from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the
kingdom of God. 30And behold, some are last who will be first, and some
are first who will be last.”
The Lament over Jerusalem
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came, and said to him, “Get away
from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32And he said to them, “Go and tell
that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow,
and the third day I finish my course. 33Nevertheless I must go on my way
today and tomorrow and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet
should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the
prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have
gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
and you would not! 35Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you
will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord!' "
Jesus Heals the Man with Dropsyon the Sabbath
14 One sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who
belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him. 2And behold, there was
a man before him who had dropsy. 3And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and
Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not?” 4But they
were silent. Then he took him and healed him, and let him go. 5And he said
to them, “Which of you, having a sons or an ox that has fallen into a well,
will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day?” 6And they could not
reply to this.
Humility and Hospitality
7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how
they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8“When you are invited by
any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more
eminent man than you be invited by him; 9and he who invited you both will
come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you will begin with
shame to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit in the
lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go
up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table
with you. 11For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner
or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or
rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. 13But
when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind,
14and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be
saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’ 10Just
so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who
repents.”
The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons; 12and the younger of
them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to
me.’ And he divided his living between them. 13Not many days later, the
younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and
there he squandered his property in loose living. 14And when he had spent
everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want.
15So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who
sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would gladly have fed onu
the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. 17But when he
came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have
bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and
go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you; 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as
one of your hired servants.” ’ 20And he arose and came to his father. But
while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and
ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I
have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be
called your son.’v 22But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the
best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his
feet; 23and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;
24for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’
much do you owe my master?’ 6He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And
he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7Then
he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred
measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8The
master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence; for the sons of
this worldw are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light. * 9And I
tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so
that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.
10 “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who
is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11If then you have not
been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true
riches? 12And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who
will give you that which is your own? 13No servant can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to
the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Law and the Kingdom of God
14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they
scoffed at him. 15But he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves
before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is
an abomination in the sight of God.
16 “The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good news of
the kingdom of God is preached, and every one enters it violently. 17But it
is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one dot of the law to
become void.
18 “Every one who divorces his wife and marries another commits
adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits
adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and
who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man
named Laz'arus, full of sores, 21who desired to be fed with what fell from
the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22The
poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich
man also died and was buried; 23and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up
his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz'arus in his bosom. 24And he
called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Laz'arus to dip
the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in
this flame.’ 25But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your lifetime
received your good things, and Laz'arus in like manner evil things; but now
he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26And besides all this,
between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who
would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from
there to us.’ 27And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my
father’s house, 28for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest
they also come into this place of torment.’ 29But Abraham said, ‘They have
Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30And he said, ‘No, father
Abraham; but if some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be convinced if some one should rise from the dead.' "
Some Sayings of Jesus
17 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sinx are sure to come;
but woe to him by whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a
millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that
he should cause one of these little ones to sin.y 3Take heed to yourselves; if
your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; 4and if he sins
against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says,
‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6And the Lord said,
“If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine
tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7 “Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say
to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at
table’? 8Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and put on
your apron and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat
and drink’? 9Does he thank the servant because he did what was
commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that is commanded
you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'
"
Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Sama'ria and
Galilee. 12And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood
at a distance 13and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have
mercy on us.” 14When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show
yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15Then one
of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a
loud voice; 16and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now
he was a Samaritan. 17Then said Jesus, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are
the nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this
foreigner?” 19And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has
made you well.”
The Coming of the Kingdom
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming,
he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be
observed; * 21nor will they say, ‘Behold, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold,
the kingdom of God is in your midst.”z
22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will
desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it.
23And they will say to you, ‘Behold, there!’ or ‘Behold, here!’ Do not go,
do not follow them. 24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from
one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day.a 25But first he
must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26As it was in
the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. 27They ate,
they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when
Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28Likewise as it was in the days of Lot—they ate, they drank, they bought,
they sold, they planted, they built, 29but on the day when Lot went out from
Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from heaven and destroyed them all—
30so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31On that day, let
him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to
take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back.
32Remember Lot’s wife. 33Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34I tell you, in that night there will be
two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35There will be
two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other left.”b 37And
they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is,
there the eaglesc will be gathered together.”
The Parable of the Widow andthe Unrighteous Judge
18 And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to
pray and not lose heart. 2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who
neither feared God nor regarded man; 3and there was a widow in that city
who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’
4For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither
fear God nor regard man, 5yet because this widow bothers me, I will
vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.' " 6And the
Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7And will not God
vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over
them? 8I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the
Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The Parable of the Pharisees andthe Tax Collector
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they
were righteous and despised others: 10“Two men went up into the temple to
pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice
a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far
off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,
‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will
be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus Blesses the Children
15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them;
and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them
to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to
such belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not
receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
The Rich Ruler
18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal
life?” 19And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good
but God alone. 2020You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,
Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and
mother.' " 21And he said, “All these I have observed from my youth.” 22And
when Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that
you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me.” 23But when he heard this he became sad, for he was
very rich. 24Jesus looking at him said, “How hard it is for those who have
riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
God.” 26Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27But he said,
“What is impossible with men is possible with God.” 28And Peter said,
“Behold, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29And he said to them,
“Truly, I say to you, there is no man who has left house or wife or brothers
or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30who will not
receive manifold more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
A Third Time Jesus Foretells HisDeath and Resurrection
31 And taking the Twelve, he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to
Jerusalem, and everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets
will be accomplished. 32For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be
mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon; 33they will scourge him and
kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34But they understood none of
these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what
was said.
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar near Jericho
35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside
begging; 36and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant.
37They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38And he cried, “Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39And those who were in front rebuked
him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David,
have mercy on me!” 40And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be
brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, 41“What do you
want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me receive my sight.” 42And
Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”
43And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God;
and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Jesus and Zacchaeus
19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2And there was a man
named Zacchae'us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. 3And he sought to
see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was
small of stature. 4So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to
see him, for he was to pass that way. 5And when Jesus came to the place, he
looked up and said to him, “Zacchae'us, make haste and come down; for I
must stay at your house today.” 6So he made haste and came down, and
received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has
gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8And Zacchae'us stood
and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor;
and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9And
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is
a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”
The Parable of the Ten Pounds
11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he
was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God
was to appear immediately. 12He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a
far country to receive kingly powerd and then return. 13Calling ten of his
servants, he gave them ten pounds,e and said to them, ‘Trade with these till
I come.’ 14But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying,
‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15When he returned, having
received the kingly power,d he commanded these servants, to whom he had
given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had
gained by trading. 16The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your pound
has made ten pounds more.’ 17And he said to him, ‘Well done, good
servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have
authority over ten cities.’ 18And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your
pound has made five pounds.’ 19And he said to him, ‘And you are to be
over five cities.’ 20Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound,
which I kept laid away in a napkin; 21for I was afraid of you, because you
are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what
you did not sow.’ 22He said to him, ‘I will condemn you out of your own
mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking up
what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then did
you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have
collected it with interest?’ 24And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the
pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.’ 25(And they
said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) 26‘I tell you, that to every one who
has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be
taken away. 27But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to
reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.' "
Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem
28 And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29When he drew near to Beth'phage and Beth'any, at the mount that is called
Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village opposite,
where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet
sat; untie it and bring it here. 31If any one asks you, ‘Why are you untying
it?’ you shall say this, ‘The Lord has need of it.' " 32So those who were sent
went away and found it as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the
colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they
said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and
throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. 36And as he rode
along, they spread their garments on the road. 37As he was now drawing
near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the
disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the
mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes
in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39And
some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your
disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones
would cry out.”
Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
41 And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, 42saying,
“Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now
they are hidden from your eyes. 43For the days shall come upon you, when
your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you
in on every side, 44and dash you to the ground, you and your children
within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because
you did not know the time of your visitation.” *
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold,
46saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but
these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,
and leased it to tenants, and went into another country for a long while.
10When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, that they should
give him some of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him, and
sent him away empty-handed. 11And he sent another servant; him also they
beat and treated shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12And he
sent yet a third; this one they wounded and cast out. 13Then the owner of
the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be
they will respect him.’ 14But when the tenants saw him, they said to
themselves, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be
ours.’ 15And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then
will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy
those tenants, and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they
said, “God forbid!” 17But he looked at them and said, “What then is this
that is written:
‘The very stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18Every one who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it
falls on any one it will crush him.”
The Question about Paying Taxes
19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on him at that very
hour, but they feared the people; for they perceived that he had told this
parable against them. 20So they watched him, and sent spies, who pretended
to be sincere, that they might take hold of what he said, so as to deliver him
up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21They asked him,
“Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality,
but truly teach the way of God. 22Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar,
or not?” 23But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24“Show me a
coin.f Whose likeness and inscription has it?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25He
said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to
God the things that are God’s.” 26And they were not able in the presence of
the people to catch him by what he said; but marveling at his answer they
were silent.
The Question about Man’s Resurrection
27 There came to him some Sad'ducees, those who say that there is no
resurrection, 28and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses
wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the
mang must take the wife and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there
were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children; 30and
the second 31and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children
and died. 32Afterward the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore,
whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”
34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in
marriage; 35but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to
the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36for
they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of
God, being sons of the resurrection. 37But that the dead are raised, even
Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the
God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. * 38Now he is
not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him.” 39And some of
the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40For they no
longer dared to ask him any question.
A Question about the Messiah
41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?
42For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then they will
see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28Now
when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads,
because your redemption is drawing near.”
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees; 30as
soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the
summer is already near. 31So also, when you see these things taking place,
you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly, I say to you, this
generation will not pass away till all has taken place. 33Heaven and earth
will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Exhortation to Watchfulness
34 “But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with
dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon
you suddenly like a snare; 35for it will come upon all who dwell upon the
face of the whole earth. 36But watch at all times, praying that you may have
strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before
the Son of man.”
37 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out
and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38And early in the morning all the
people came to him in the temple to hear him.
The Conspiracy to Kill Jesus
22 Now the feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the
Passover. 2And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put
him to death; for they feared the people.
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of
the Twelve; 4he went away and conferred with the chief priests and captains
how he might betray him to them. 5And they were glad, and engaged to
give him money. 6So he agreed, and sought an opportunity to betray him to
them in the absence of the multitude.
The Preparation of the Passover
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb
had to be sacrificed. 8So Jesush sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and
prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9They said to him, “Where
will you have us prepare it?” 10He said to them, “Behold, when you have
entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him
into the house which he enters, 11and tell the householder, ‘The Teacher
says to you, Where is the guest room, where I am to eat the Passover with
my disciples?’ 12And he will show you a large upper room furnished; there
make ready.” 13And they went, and found it as he had told them; and they
prepared the Passover.
Jesus Institutes the Eucharist
14 And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him.
15And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer; 16for I tell you I shall not eat iti until it is fulfilled in the
kingdom of God.” 17And he took a chalice, and when he had given thanks
he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves; 18for I tell you that
from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of
God comes.” 19And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke
it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do
this in remembrance of me.” 20And likewise the chalice after supper,
saying, “This chalice which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my
blood.”j 21But behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the
table. 22For the Son of man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that
man by whom he is betrayed!” 23And they began to question one another,
which of them it was that would do this.
The Dispute about Greatness
24 A dispute also arose among them, which of them was to be regarded as
the greatest. 25And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise
lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
26But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the
youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27For which is the greater, one
who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But
I am among you as one who serves.
28 “You are those who have continued with me in my trials; 29as my
Father appointed a kingdom for me, so do I appoint for you 30that you may
eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the
twelve tribes of Israel.
Peter’s Denial Foretold
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,k that he might
sift youk like wheat, 32but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail;
and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.” 33And he said
to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34He said,
“I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you three times deny
that you know me.”
Purse, Bag, and Sword
35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no purse or bag or
sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36He said to them,
“But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag. And let him
who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37For I tell you that this
Scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was reckoned with
transgressors’; for what is written about me has its fulfilment.” 38And they
said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is
enough.”
Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
39 And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives;
and the disciples followed him. 40And when he came to the place he said to
them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41And he withdrew
from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42“Father, if
you are willing, remove this chalice from me; nevertheless not my will, but
yours, be done.” 43And there appeared to him an angel from heaven,
strengthening him. 44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and
his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.l
45And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them
sleeping for sorrow, 46and he said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and
pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called
Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss
him; 48but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of man with
a kiss?” 49And when those who were about him saw what would follow,
they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50And one of them struck
the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, “No
more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to
the chief priests and captains of the temple and elders, who had come out
against him, * “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and
clubs? 53When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay
hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
Peter Denies Jesus
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high
priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance; 55and when they had kindled a
fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among
them. 56Then a maid, seeing him as he sat in the light and gazing at him,
said, “This man also was with him.” 57But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I
do not know him.” 58And a little later some one else saw him and said,
“You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59And after an
interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man
also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” 60But Peter said, “Man, I do not
know what you are saying.” And immediately, while he was still speaking,
the cock crowed. 61And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter
remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the
cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62And he went out and
wept bitterly.
The Mocking and Beating of Jesus
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him;
64they also blindfolded him and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck
65
you?” And they spoke many other words against him, reviling him.
Jesus before the Council
66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered
together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away to their
council, and they said, 67“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them,
“If I tell you, you will not believe; 68and if I ask you, you will not answer.
69But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the
power of God.” 70And they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And
he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71And they said, “What further
testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
Jesus before Pilate
23 Then the whole company of them arose, and brought him before
Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man
perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and
saying that he himself is Christ a king.” * 3And Pilate asked him, “Are you
the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4And
Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no crime in this
man.” 5But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching
throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”
Jesus before Herod
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And
when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over
to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw
Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had
heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9So he
questioned him at some length; but he made no answer. 10The chief priests
and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11And Herod with his
soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then, clothing him in
gorgeous apparel, he sent him back to Pilate. 12And Herod and Pilate
became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been
at enmity with each other.
Jesus Sentenced to Death
13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the
people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was
perverting the people; and after examining him before you, behold, I did not
find this man guilty of any of your charges against him; * 15neither did
Herod, for he sent him back to us. Behold, nothing deserving death has
been done by him; 16I will therefore chastise him and release him.”m
18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us
Barab'bas”—19a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection
started in the city, and for murder. 20Pilate addressed them once more,
desiring to release Jesus; 21but they shouted out, “Crucify, crucify him!”
22A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found
in him no crime deserving death; I will therefore chastise him and release
him.” 23But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be
crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate gave sentence that their
demand should be granted. 25He released the man who had been thrown
into prison for insurrection and murder, whom they asked for; but Jesus he
delivered up to their will.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyre'ne, who was
coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind
Jesus. 27And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of
women who bewailed and lamented him. 28But Jesus turning to them said,
“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and
for your children. 29For behold, the days are coming when they will say,
‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that
never nursed!’ 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’;
and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For if they do this when the wood is green,
what will happen when it is dry?” *
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death
with him. 33And when they came to the place which is called The Skull,
there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the
left. 34And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they
do.”n And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35And the people stood by,
watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him
save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36The soldiers
also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar, 37and saying, “If
you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an
inscription over him,o “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you
not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying,
“Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of
condemnation? 41And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward
of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he said, “Jesus,
remember me when you come in your kingly power.”p 43And he said to
him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole
landq until the ninth hour, 45while the sun’s light failed;r and the curtain of
the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said,
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he
breathed his last. 47Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he
praised God, and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48And all the
multitudes who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken
place, returned home beating their breasts. 49And all his acquaintances and
the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw
these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50 Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of
Arimathe'a. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man,
51who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for
the kingdom of God. 52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of
Jesus. 53Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid
him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54It was the
day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.s 55The women who had
come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body
was laid; 56then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.
On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
The Resurrection of Jesus
24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the
tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. 2And they found the stone
rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in they did not find the
body.t 4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by
them in dazzling apparel; 55and as they were frightened and bowed their
faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living
among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.u 6Remember how he told
you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise.”
8And they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb they told
all this to the Eleven and to all the rest. 10Now it was Mary Mag'dalene and
Jo-an'na and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them
who told this to the apostles; 11but these words seemed to them an idle tale,
and they did not believe them. 12But Peter rose and ran to the tomb;
stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went
home wondering at what had happened.v
The Walk to Emmaus
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma'us,
about seven milesw from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all
these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing
together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were
kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What is this
conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” And
they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cle'opas, answered
him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things
that have happened there in these days?” 19And he said to them, “What
things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a
prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how
our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and
crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.
Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened.
22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the
tomb early in the morning 23and did not find his body; and they came back
saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was
alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just
as the women had said; but him they did not see.” 25And he said to them,
“O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and
enter into his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he
interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared
to be going further, 29but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it
is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with
them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and
broke it, and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened and they
recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32They said to each
other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road,
while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33And they rose that same hour and
returned to Jerusalem; and they found the Eleven gathered together and
those who were with them, 34who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has
appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and
how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
36 As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to
them, “Peace to you.”x 37But they were startled and frightened, and
supposed that they saw a spirit. 38And he said to them, “Why are you
troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? * 39See my hands
and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh
and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this he showed
them his hands and his feet.y 41And while they still disbelieved for joy, and
wondered, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave
him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate before them.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you,
while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of
Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he
opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and said to them, “Thus
it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the
dead, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in
his name to all nations,z beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of
these things. 49And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but
stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The Ascension of Jesus
50 Then he led them out as far as Beth'any, and lifting up his hands he
blessed them. 51While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was
carried up into heaven.a 52And they worshiped him, andb returned to
Jerusalem with great joy, 53and were continually in the temple blessing
God.
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John
Chapters
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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. * 2He was in the beginning with God; 3all things were made
through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4In
him was life,a and the life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the
darkness, * and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came for
testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
8He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world
knew him not. 11He came to his own home, and his own people received
him not. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave
power to become children of God; 13who were born, not of blood nor of the
will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and
truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the
Father. 15( John bore witness to him, and cried, “This was he of whom I
said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’ ”)
16And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17For the
law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son,b who is in the bosom
from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He confessed, he did not
deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What
then? Are you Eli'jah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he
answered, “No.” 22They said to him then, “Who are you? Let us have an
answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said,
“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of
the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, “Then
why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Eli'jah, nor the
prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you
stands one whom you do not know, 27even he who comes after me, the
thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28This took place in
Beth'any beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! * 30This is he of whom
I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’
31I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that
he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John bore witness, “I saw the Spirit
descend as a dove from heaven and remain on him. 33I myself did not know
him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom
you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy
Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of
God.”
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; 36and
he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38Jesus
turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?”
And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you
staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he
was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth
hour. 40One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon, and said
to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42He brought
him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “So you are Simon the son of
John? You shall be called Ce'phas” (which means Peterc).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and
said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Beth-sa'ida, the city of
Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathan'a-el, and said to him, “We have
found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46Nathan'a-el said to him, “Can anything good
come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw
Nathan'a-el coming to him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in
whom is no guile!” 48Nathan'a-el said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the
fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathan'a-el answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of
God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered him, “Because I said to
you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater
things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will
see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon
the Son of man.”
The Marriage at Cana
2 On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the
mother of Jesus was there; 2Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his
disciples. 3When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They
have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do
with me? * My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants,
“Do whatever he tells you.” 6Now six stone jars were standing there, for the
Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus
said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the
feast.” So they took it. 9When the steward of the feast tasted the water now
become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants
who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the
bridegroom 10and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and
when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the
good wine until now.” 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in
Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Caper'na-um, with his mother and his
brethren * and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days.
The Cleansing of the Temple
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and
this?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this
temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21But he spoke of the temple
of his body. 22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples
remembered that he had said this; and they believed the Scripture and the
word which Jesus had spoken.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in
his name when they saw the signs which he did; 24but Jesus did not trust
himself to them, 25because he knew all men and needed no one to bear
witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.
Nicodemus Visits Jesus
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode'mus, a ruler of
the Jews. 2This man came to Jesusd by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we
know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs
that you do, unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I
say to you, unless one is born anew,e he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4Nicode'mus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he
enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh,
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.f 7Do not marvel that I said to
you, ‘You must be born anew.’e 8The windf blows where it wills, and you
hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it
goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” 9Nicode'mus said to
him, “How can this be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of
Israel, and yet you do not understand this? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we
speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do
not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not
believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has
ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.g
14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of
man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”h
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God
sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world
might be saved through him. 18He who believes in him is not condemned;
he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed
in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. 19And this is the judgment,
that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one who does evil hates the
light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly
who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice;
therefore this joy of mine is now full. 30He must increase, but I must
decrease.”i
He Who Comes from Heaven
31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs
to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above
all. 32He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives
his testimony; 33he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God
is true. 34For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by
measure that he gives the Spirit; 35the Father loves the Son, and has given
all things into his hand. 36He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he
who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests
upon him.
Jesus and the Woman of Samaria
4 Now when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was
making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did
not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed again to
Galilee. 4He had to pass through Samar'ia. 5So he came to a city of
Samar'ia, called Sy'char, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6Jacob’s well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey,
sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7 There came a woman of Samar'ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give
me a drink.” 8For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink
of me, a woman of Samar'ia?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is
saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would
have given you living water.” 11The woman said to him, “Sir, you have
nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living
water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and
drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” 13Jesus said to her,
“Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, 14but whoever drinks
of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give
him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15The
woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come
here to draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17The
woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are
right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18for you have had five husbands, and
he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly.” 19The
woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers
worshiped on this mountain; * and you say that in Jerusalem is the place
where men ought to worship.” 21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the
hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you
worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what
we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and now
is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for
such the Father seeks to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who
worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25The woman said to him, “I
know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he
will show us all things.” 26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
27 Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a
woman, but none said, “What do you wish?” or, “Why are you talking with
her?” 28So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and
said to the people, 29“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can
this be the Christ?” 30They went out of the city and were coming to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples begged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32But he
said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.” 33So the
disciples said to one another, “Has any one brought him food?” 34Jesus said
to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish
his work. 35Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the
harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already
white for harvest. 36He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for
eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the
saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that
for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into
their labor.”
39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the
woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40So when the
Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed
there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They
said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe,
for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior
of the world.”
Jesus Departs for Galilee
43 After the two days he departed to Galilee. 44For Jesus himself testified
that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45So when he came to
Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in
Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast.
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water
wine. And at Caper'na-um there was an official whose son was ill. 47When
he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged
him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48Jesus
therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not
believe.” 49The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word
that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. 51As he was going down, his
servants met him and told him that his son was living. 52So he asked them
the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the
seventh hour the fever left him.” 53The father knew that was the hour when
Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed, and all
his household. 54This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had
come from Judea to Galilee.
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
5 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called
Beth-za'tha,j which has five porticoes. 3In these lay a multitude of invalids,
blind, lame, paralyzed.k 5One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-
eight years. 6When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a
long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7The sick man
answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is
troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8Jesus said
to him, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.” 9And at once the man was
healed, and he took up his pallet and walked.
Now that day was the sabbath. 10So the Jews said to the man who was
cured, “It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet.” 11But
he answered them, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your
pallet, and walk.’ ” 12They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you,
‘Take up your pallet, and walk’?” 13Now the man who had been healed did
not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the
place. 14Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See,
you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you.” 15The man went
away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16And this
was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the sabbath.
17But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still, and I am working.”
18This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not
only broke the sabbath * but also called God his Father, making himself
equal with God.
The Authority of the Son
19 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of
his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he
does, that the Son does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son, and shows
him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show
him, that you may marvel. 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives
them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22The Father judges
no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son,
even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not
honor the Father who sent him. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my
word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into
judgment, but has passed from death to life.
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to
have life in himself, 27and has given him authority to execute judgment,
because he is the Son of man. 28Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29and come forth,
those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have
done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
The Testimony to Jesus
30 “I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my
judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who
sent me. 31If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true; 32there is
another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he
bears to me is true. 33You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the
truth. 34Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this
that you may be saved. 35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were
willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36But the testimony which I have
is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me
to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the
Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself borne
witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never
seen; 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe
him whom he has sent. 39You search the Scriptures, because you think that
in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; 40yet
you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41I do not receive glory
from men. 42But I know that you have not the love of God within you. 43I
have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me; if another
comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44How can you believe, who
receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from
the only God? 45Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is
Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope. 46If you believed
Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. 47But if you do not
believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
Feeding the Five Thousand
6 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is
the Sea of Tibe'ri-as. 2And a multitude followed him, because they saw the
signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3Jesus went up into the
hills, and there sat down with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the feast of
the Jews, was at hand. 5Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude
was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, “How are we to buy bread, so that
these people may eat?” 6This he said to test him, for he himself knew what
he would do. 7Philip answered him, “Two hundred denariil would not buy
enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8One of his disciples,
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a lad here who has
five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” 10Jesus
said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place;
so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11Jesus then took the
loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who
were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12And when they had
eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that
nothing may be lost.” 13So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets
with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten.
14When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, “This is
indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to
make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by himself.
Jesus Walks on the Sea
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a
boat, and started across the sea to Caper'na-um. It was now dark, and Jesus
had not yet come to them. 18The sea rose because a strong wind was
blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles,m they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened,
20but he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they were glad to
take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which
they were going.
The Bread from Heaven
22 On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered
the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.
23However, boats from Tibe'ri-as came near the place where they ate the
bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the people saw that Jesus
was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went
to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I
say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate
your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for
the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to
you; for on him has God the Father set his seal.” 28Then they said to him,
“What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29Jesus answered them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30So
they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe
you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the
wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who
gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from
heaven. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and
gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread
always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall
not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you
that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me
will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38For I have
come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who
sent me; 39and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose
nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40For this
is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in
him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, “I am the bread
which came down from heaven.” 42They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of
Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have
come down from heaven’?” 43Jesus answered them, “Do not murmur
among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me
draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the
prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Every one who has heard
and learned from the Father comes to me. 46Not that any one has seen the
Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly, I
say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your
fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread
which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51I
am the living bread * which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this
bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of
the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man
give us his flesh to eat?” * 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you
have no life in you; 54he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal
life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is food indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live
because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58This is
the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and
died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” 59This he said in the
synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.
The Words of Eternal Life
60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This is a hard saying;
who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples
murmured at it, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if
you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? * 63It is the
Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to
you are Spirit and life. 64But there are some of you that do not believe.” For
Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it
was that would betray him. 65And he said, “This is why I told you that no
one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer walked with
him. 67Jesus said to the Twelve, “Will you also go away?” 68Simon Peter
answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life; 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy
One of God.” 70Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve,
and one of you is a devil?” 71He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot,
for he, one of the Twelve, was to betray him.
The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brethren
7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea,
because the Jewsn sought to kill him. 2Now the Jews’ feast of Tabernacles
was at hand. 3So his brethren * said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea,
that your disciples may see the works you are doing. 4For no man works in
secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself
to the world.” 5For even his brethren did not believe in him. 6Jesus said to
them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7The world
cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify of it that its works are evil.
8Go to the feast yourselves; I am noto going up to this feast, for my time has
when he has never studied?” 16So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is
not mine, but his who sent me; 17if any man’s will is to do his will, he shall
know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my
own authority. 18He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory;
but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is
no falsehood. 19Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the
law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20The people answered, “You have a
demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21Jesus answered them, “I did one
deed, and you all marvel at it. 22Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is
from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man upon the
sabbath. 23If on the sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of
Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the sabbath I
made a man’s whole body well? 24Do not judge by appearances, but judge
with right judgment.”
Is This the Christ?
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man
whom they seek to kill? 26And here he is, speaking openly, and they say
nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the
Christ? 27Yet we know where this man comes from; and when the Christ
appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28So Jesus proclaimed,
as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come
from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and
him you do not know. 29I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
30So they sought to arrest him; but no one laid hands on him, because his
hour had not yet come. 31Yet many of the people believed in him; they said,
“When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”
Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd thus muttering about him, and the chief
priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33Jesus then said, “I shall
be with you a little longer, and then I go to him who sent me; 34you will
seek me and you will not find me; where I am you cannot come.” 35The
Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we shall
not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and
teach the Greeks? 36What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and
you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Rivers of Living Water
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and
proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. 38He who
believes in me, asq the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers
of living water.’ ” 39Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who
believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given,
because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Division among the People
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This is really
the prophet.” 41Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the
Christ to come from Galilee? 42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ is
descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where
David was?” 43So there was a division among the people over him. 44Some
of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
The Authorities andthe Woman Caught in Adultery
45 The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said
to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46The officers answered, “No man
ever spoke like this man!” 47The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led
astray, you also? 48Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed
in him? 49But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed.”
50Nicode'mus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said
to them, 51“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing
and learning what he does?” 52They replied, “Are you from Galilee too?
Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.” * 53They
went each to his
8 own house, 1but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the
morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat
down and taught them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in their midst 4they said to
him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5Now in
the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?”
6This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring
against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7And
as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is
without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8And once more
he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 9But when they
heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus
was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10Jesus looked up and
said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11She
said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and
do not sin again.”r
Jesus and the Light of the World
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who
follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13The
Pharisees then said to him, “You are bearing witness to yourself; your
testimony is not true.” 14Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness to
myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I have come from and
where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am
going. 15You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. 16Yet even if I do
judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and hes who
sent me. 17In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; 18I
bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.”
19They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered,
“You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my
Father also.” 20These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the
temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
Jesus Alludes to His Death
21 Again he said to them, “I go away, and you will seek me and die in
your sin; * where I am going, you cannot come.” 22Then said the Jews,
“Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot
come’?” 23He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are
of this world, I am not of this world. 24I told you that you would die in your
sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” 25They
said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Even what I have told you
from the beginning.t 26I have much to say about you and much to judge; but
he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from
him.” 27They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father. 28So
Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know
that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as
the Father taught me. 29And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me
alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30As he spoke thus, many
believed in him.
True Disciples of Jesus
31 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue
in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and
the truth will make you free.” 33They answered him, “We are descendants
of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you
say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who
commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not continue in the house for
ever; the son continues for ever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be
free indeed. 37I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to
kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38I speak of what I have
seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
Jesus and Abraham
39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If
you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did, 40but now
you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from
God; this is not what Abraham did. 41You do the works of your father.”
They said to him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father,
even God.” * 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would
love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own
accord, but he sent me. 43Why do you not understand what I say? It is
because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44You are of your father the
devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from
the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth
in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar
and the father of lies. 45But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.
46Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not
believe me? 47He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why
you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a
Samaritan and have a demon?” 49Jesus answered, “I have not a demon; but
I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50Yet I do not seek my own glory;
there is One who seeks it and he will be the judge. 51Truly, truly, I say to
you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52The Jews said to
him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the
prophets; and you say, ‘If any one keeps my word, he will never taste
death.’ 53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the
prophets died! Who do you claim to be?” 54Jesus answered, “If I glorify
myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you
say that he is your God. 55But you have not known him; I know him. If I
said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I
keep his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day;
he saw it * and was glad.” 57The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet
fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”u 58Jesus said to them, “Truly,
truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” * 59So they took up stones
to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
Healing of the Blind Man
9 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. 2And his disciples
asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born
blind?” 3Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents,
but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. * 4We must work
the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one
can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6As
he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed
the man’s eyes with the clay, 7saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of
Silo'am” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back
seeing. 8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar,
said, “Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some said, “It is he”;
others said, “No, but he is like him.” He said, “I am the man.” 10They said
to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11He answered, “The man
called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Silo'am
and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.” 12They said to
him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.
14Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
15The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said
to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16Some of the
Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the
sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?”
There was a division among them. 17So they again said to the blind man,
“What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He
is a prophet.”
18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his
sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight,
19and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then
does he now see?” 20His parents answered, “We know that this is our son,
and that he was born blind; 21but how he now sees we do not know, nor do
we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for
himself.” 22His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews
had already agreed that if any one should confess him to be Christ, he was
to be put out of the synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, “He is of age,
ask him.”
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and
said to him, “Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.” 25He
answered, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that
though I was blind, now I see.” 26They said to him, “What did he do to
you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered them, “I have told you
already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do
you too want to become his disciples?” 28And they reviled him, saying,
“You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God
has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes
from.” 30The man answered, “Why, this is a marvel! You do not know
where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God
does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his
will, God listens to him. 32Never since the world began has it been heard
that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not
from God, he could do nothing.” 34They answered him, “You were born in
utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said,
“Do you believe in the Son of man?”v 36He answered, “And who is he, sir,
that I may believe in him?” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it
is he who speaks to you.” 38He said, “Lord, I believe”; and he worshiped
him. 39Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do
not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40Some of the
Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, “Are we also blind?”
41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now
sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches
them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hireling and cares
nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd; * I know my own and my
own know me, 15as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay
down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep, that are not of this
fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be
one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I
lay down my life, that I may take it again. 18No one takes it from me, but I
lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have
power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father.” *
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.
20Many of them said, “He has a demon, and he is mad; why listen to him?”
21Others said, “These are not the sayings of one who has a demon. Can a
I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you
may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
39Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first
baptized, and there he remained. 41And many came to him; and they said,
“John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”
42And many believed in him there.
disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you,
and are you going there again?” 9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve
hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because
he sees the light of this world. 10But if any one walks in the night, he
stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11Thus he spoke, and then he said
to them, “Our friend Laz'arus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of
sleep.” 12The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will
recover.” 13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he
meant taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Laz'arus is dead;
15and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.
But let us go to him.” 16Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow
disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Laz'arusx had already been in the
tomb four days. 18Beth'any was near Jerusalem, about two milesy off, 19and
many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them
concerning their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she
went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. 21Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22And even
now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23Jesus
said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know
that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25Jesus said to her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;z he who believes in me, though he die,
yet shall he live, 26and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do
you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the
Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.”
Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying
quietly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29And when she heard
it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come to the
village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31When the
Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly
and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to
weep there. 32Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him,
fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother
would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who
came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled;
34and he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come
and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But
some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man
have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a
stone lay upon it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of
the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he
has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you
would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the
stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you
have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this on
account of the people standing by, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Laz'arus, come out.”
44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his
face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him
go.”
The Plot to Put Jesus to Death
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen
what he did, believed in him; 46but some of them went to the Pharisees and
told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees
gathered the council, and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs
many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, every one will believe in him,
and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy placea and our
nation.” 49But one of them, Cai'aphas, who was high priest that year, said to
them, “You know nothing at all; 50you do not understand that it is expedient
for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation
should not perish.” * 51He did not say this of his own accord, but being high
priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, 52and not
for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are
scattered abroad. 53So from that day on they took counsel about how to put
him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went
from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called E'phraim;
and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the
country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 56They were
looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple,
“What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?” 57Now the chief
priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if any one knew where he
was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
Mary of Bethany Anoints Jesus
12 * Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Beth'any, where
Laz'arus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2There they made him
a supper; Martha served, and Laz'arus was one of those at table with him.
3Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of
Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the
fragrance of the ointment. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who
was to betray him), said, 5“Why was this ointment not sold for three
hundred denariib and given to the poor?” 6This he said, not that he cared for
the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to
take what was put into it. 7Jesus said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the
day of my burial. 8The poor you always have with you, but you do not
always have me.”
The Plot to Put Lazarus to Death
9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came,
not only on account of Jesus but also to see Laz'arus, whom he had raised
from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Laz'arus also to death,
11because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and
believing in Jesus.
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
12 The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus
was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went
out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of
the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and
sat upon it; as it is written,
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
in him; 38it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be
fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed our report,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39Therefore they could not believe. For Isaiah again said,
40“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,
lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart,
and turn for me to heal them.”
41Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him.
42Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of
the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the
synagogue: 43for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Summary of Jesus’ Teaching
44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in me, believes not in
me but in him who sent me. 45And he who sees me sees him who sent me.
46I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not
remain in darkness. 47If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I
do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the
world. 48He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge;
the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. 49For I have
not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given
me commandment what to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his
commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has
bidden me.”
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
13 * Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his
hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his
own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2And during supper,
when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s
son, to betray him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into
his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4rose
from supper, laid aside his garments, and tied a towel around himself. 5Then
he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to
wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6He came to Simon
Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered
him, “What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will
understand.” 8Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus
answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.” 9Simon Peter
said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
10Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for
his feet,c but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
11For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “You are not
all clean.”
12 When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed
his place, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13You
call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14If I then, your
Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. 15For I have given you an example, that you also should do
as I have done to you. 16Truly, truly, I say to you, a servantd is not greater
than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17If you
know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18I am not speaking of
you all; I know whom I have chosen; it is that the Scripture may be
fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19I tell you
this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe
that I am he. 20Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I
send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me.”
Jesus Foretells His Betrayal
21 When Jesus had thus spoken, he was troubled in spirit, and testified,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22The disciples
looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23One of his disciples,
whom Jesus loved, was lying close to the breast of Jesus; 24so Simon Peter
beckoned to him and said, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.” 25So
lying thus, close to the breast of Jesus, he said to him, “Lord, who is it?”
26Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have
dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son
of Simon Iscariot. 27Then after the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus
said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him. 29Some thought that, because Judas had
the money box, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast”; or,
that he should give something to the poor. 30So, after receiving the morsel,
he immediately went out; and it was night.
The New Commandment
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified,
and in him God is glorified; 32if God is glorified in him, God will also
glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33Little children, yet a little
while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I
say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34A new commandment *
I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you
also love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus
answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now; but you shall
follow afterward.” 37Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you
now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38Jesus answered, “Will you lay
down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till
you have denied me three times.
Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life
14 “Let not your hearts be troubled; believee in God, believe also in me.
2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told
you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And when I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I
am you may be also. 4And you know the way where I am going.”f 5Thomas
said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know
the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no
one comes to the Father, but by me. 7If you had known me, you would have
known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.”
9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know
me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say,
‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own
authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or else believe me for the
sake of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works
that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the
Father. 13Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son; 14if you askg anything in my name, I will do it.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask
the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever,
17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither
sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be
in you.
18 “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. 19Yet a little while,
and the world will see me no more, but you will see me; because I live, you
will live also. 20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you
in me, and I in you. 21He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it
is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I
will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to
him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the
world?” 23Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home
with him. 24He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the
word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. 26But the
Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will
teach you all things, * and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to
you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be
afraid. 28You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If
you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the
Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you before it takes place, so
that when it does take place, you may believe. 30I will no longer talk much
with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me;
31but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know
are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world
hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servanti is not
greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if
they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21But all this they will do to
you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me. 22If I had
not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have
no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father also. 24If I had
not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have
sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25It is to
fulfil the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,
even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness
to me; 27and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from
the beginning.
16 “I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. 2They will
put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever
kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3And they will do this
because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4But I have said these
things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you
of them.
The Work of the Spirit
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with
you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me,
‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you,
sorrow has filled your hearts. 7Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your
advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not
come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he
will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment: 9of
sin, because they do not believe in me; 10of righteousness, because I go to
the Father, and you will see me no more; * 11of judgment, because the ruler
of this world is judged.
12 “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he
will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak,
and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me,
for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has
is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Sorrow Will Turn into Joy
16 “A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and
you will see me.” 17Some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this
that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little
while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” 18They
said, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he
means.” 19Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him; so he said to them, “Is
this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while,
and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’?
20Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will
rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21When a
woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she is
delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a
childj is born into the world. 22So you have sorrow now, but I will see you
again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
23In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you
ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. 24Until now
you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your
joy may be full.
Peace for the Disciples
25 “I have said this to you in figures; the hour is coming when I shall no
longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father. 26In that
day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall ask the
Father for you; 27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved
me and have believed that I came from the Father. 28I came from the Father
and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to
the Father.”
29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly, not in any
figure! 30Now we know that you know all things, and need none to question
you; by this we believe that you came from God.” 31Jesus answered them,
“Do you now believe? 32The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you
will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am
not alone, for the Father is with me. 33I have said this to you, that in me you
may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world.”
Jesus Prays for the Church
17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven
and said, * “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may
glorify you, 2since you have given him power over all flesh, to give eternal
life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they
know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I
glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you gave me to
do; 5and now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory which
I had with you before the world was made. *
6 “I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the
world; they were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your
word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you;
8for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have
received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have
believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them; I am not praying for the
world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours; 10all mine
are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And now I am
no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they
may be one, even as we are one. 12While I was with them, I kept them in
your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of
them is lost but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that
they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them your
word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. 15I do not pray that you should take them out of
the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one.k 16They are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth;
your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into
the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be
consecrated in truth.
20 “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me
through their word, 21that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in
me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. 22The glory which you have given me I have given
to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in
me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that
you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me
where I am, to behold my glory which you have given me in your love for
me before the foundation of the world. 25O righteous Father, the world has
not known you, but I have known you; and these know that you have sent
me. 26I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the
love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
The Arrest of Jesus
18 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples
across the Kidron valley, where there was a garden, which he and his
disciples entered. 2Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place; for
Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas, procuring a band of
soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went
there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Then Jesus, knowing all that
was to befall him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
5They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”
Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6When he said to them,
“I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7Again he asked them,
“Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus
answered, “I told you that I am he; so, if you seek me, let these men go.”
9This was to fulfil the word which he had spoken, “Of those whom you
gave me I lost not one.” 10Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and
struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was
Malchus. 11Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not
drink the chalice which the Father has given me?”
Jesus before the High Priest
12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews
seized Jesus and bound him. 13First they led him to Annas; for he was the
father-in-law of Cai'aphas, who was high priest that year. * 14It was
Cai'aphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one
man should die for the people.
Peter Denies Jesus
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. As this
disciple was known to the high priest, he entered the court of the high priest
along with Jesus, 16while Peter stood outside at the door. So the other
disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the maid
who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17The maid who kept the door said
to Peter, “Are not you also one of this man’s disciples?” He said, “I am
not.” 18Now the servantsl and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it
was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves; Peter also was
with them, standing and warming himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus
19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his
teaching. 20Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have
always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come
together; I have said nothing secretly. 21Why do you ask me? Ask those
who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22When
he had said this, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand,
saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23Jesus answered him, “If
I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken
rightly, why do you strike me?” 24Annas then sent him bound to Cai'aphas
the high priest.
Peter Denies Jesus Again
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to
him, “Are not you also one of his disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am
not.” 26One of the servantsl of the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose
ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?”
27Peter again denied it; and at once the cock crowed.
with their hands. 4Pilate went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am
bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him.”
5So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate
said to them, “Here is the man!” 6When the chief priests and the officers
saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” 7The
Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die,
because he has made himself the Son of God.” * 8When Pilate heard these
words, he was even more afraid; 9he entered the praetorium again and said
to Jesus, “Where are you from?” * But Jesus gave no answer. 10Pilate
therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I
have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11Jesus answered
him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from
above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.”
12 Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you
release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend; every one who makes himself
a king sets himself against Caesar.” 13When Pilate heard these words, he
brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The
Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab'batha. 14Now it was the day of Preparation
of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Here is
your King!” 15They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify
him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests
answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16Then he handed him over to
them to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
17 So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place
called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol'gotha. 18There
they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus
between them. 19Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read,
“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20Many of the Jews read this
title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was
written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21The chief priests of the Jews
then said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man
said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” 22Pilate answered, “What I have written I
have written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made
four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without
seam, woven from top to bottom; 24so they said to one another, “Let us not
tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfil the
Scripture,
“They parted my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
25 So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his
mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary
Mag'dalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved
standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27Then he
said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple
took her to his own home. *
28 After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the
Scripture), “I thirst.” 29A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a
sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus
had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head
and gave up his spirit.
Jesus’ Side Is Pierced
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from
remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the
Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be
taken away. 32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the
other who had been crucified with him; 33but when they came to Jesus and
saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34But one of the
soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and
water. 35He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he
knows that he tells the truth—that you also may believe. 36For these things
took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of him shall be
broken.” 37And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on him
whom they have pierced.”
The Burial of Jesus
38 After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but
secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body
of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body.
39Nicode'mus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a
mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight. 40They took
the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the
burial custom of the Jews. 41Now in the place where he was crucified there
was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been
laid. 42So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close
at hand, they laid Jesus there.
The Resurrection of Jesus
20 Now on the first day of the week, Mary Mag'dalene came to the
tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken
away from the tomb. 2So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other
disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the
Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
3Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the
tomb. 4They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the
tomb first; 5and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but
he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the
tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7and the napkin, which had been on his
head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then
the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and
believed; 9for as yet they did not know the Scripture, that he must rise from
the dead. 10Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped
to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the
body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13They said to
her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have
taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
14Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not
know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him,
“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I
will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him
in Hebrew, “Rab-bo'ni!” (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, “Do
not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my
brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to
my God and your God.” * 18Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the
disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these
things to her.
Jesus Gives the Disciples the Powerto Forgive Sins
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being
shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood
among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said
this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad
when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As
the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22And when he had said this,
he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you
forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they
are retained.”
Jesus and Thomas
24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them
when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the
Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails,
and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side,
I will not believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was
with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and
said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here,
and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be
faithless, but believing.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29Jesus said to him, “You have believed because you have seen me. Blessed
Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?”
And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love
you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18Truly, truly, I say to you, when
you were young, you fastened your own belt and walked where you would;
but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will
fasten your belt for you and carry you where you do not wish to go.”
19(This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this
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The Acts of the Apostles
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
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THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
1 In the first book, * O Theoph'ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began
to do and teach, 2until the day when he was taken up, after he had given
commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
3To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs,
appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God.
4And while stayinga with them he charged them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you
heard from me, 5for John baptized with water, but before many days you
shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The Ascension of Jesus
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, “It is not for you to
know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority.
8But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and
you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samar'ia and to
the end of the earth.” 9And when he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10And while they
were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in
white robes, 11and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into
heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in
the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is
near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away; 13and when they had entered,
they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John
and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James the son of Alphae'us and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of
James. 14All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together
with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. *
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of
persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16“Brethren, the
Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the
mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested
Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this
ministry. 18(Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness;
and falling headlongb he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed
out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the
field was called in their language Akel'dama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20For
it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘Let his habitation become desolate,
and let there be no one to live in it’;
and
‘His office let another take.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that
the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of
John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must
become with us a witness to his resurrection.” * 23And they put forward
two, Joseph called Barsab'bas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthi'as.
24And they prayed and said, “Lord, you know the hearts of all men, show
which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry
and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place.”
26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthi'as; and he was
saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to
you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did
through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—23this Jesus, delivered
up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified
and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24But God raised him up, having
loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by
it. 25For David says concerning him,
‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will dwell in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
servantc Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the
Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28to do whatever your hand and your
plan had predestined to take place. 29And now, Lord, look upon their
threats, and grant to your servantsf to speak your word with all boldness,
30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are
performed through the name of your holy servantc Jesus.” 31And when they
had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with
boldness.
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32 Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul,
and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but
they had everything in common. * 33And with great power the apostles
gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace
was upon them all. 34There was not any one needy among them, for as
many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the
proceeds of what was sold 35and laid it at the apostles’ feet; and distribution
was made to each as any had need. 36Thus Joseph who was surnamed by
the apostles Barnabas (which means, Son of encouragement), a Levite, a
native of Cyprus, 37sold a field which belonged to him, and brought the
money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Ananias and Sapphira
5 But a man named Anani'as with his wife Sapphi'ra sold a piece of
property, 2and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back some of the
proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3But Peter
said, “Anani'as, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and
to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4While it remained unsold,
did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your
disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You
have not lied to men but to God.” 5When Anani'as heard these words, he
fell down and died. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6The
young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing
what had happened. 8And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the
land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9But Peter said to her,
“How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?
Listen, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door, and
they will carry you out.” 10Immediately she fell down at his feet and died.
When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out
and buried her beside her husband. 11And great fear came upon the whole
Church, * and upon all who heard of these things.
The Apostles Heal Many
12 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the
hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.
13None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor.
14And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of
men and women, 15so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and
laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow
might fall on some of them. 16The people also gathered from the towns
around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits,
and they were all healed.
The Apostles Are Imprisoned andBrought before the Council
17 But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party
of the Sad'ducees, and filled with jealousy 18they arrested the apostles and
put them in the common prison. 19But at night an angel of the Lord opened
the prison doors and brought them out and said, 20“Go and stand in the
temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” * 21And when
they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and taught.
Now the high priest came and those who were with him and called
together the council and all the senate of Israel, and sent to the prison to
have them brought. 22But when the officers came, they did not find them in
the prison, and they returned and reported, 23“We found the prison securely
locked and the sentries standing at the doors, but when we opened it we
found no one inside.” 24Now when the captain of the temple and the chief
priests heard these words, they were much perplexed about them,
wondering what this would come to. 25And some one came and told them,
“The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching
the people.” 26Then the captain with the officers went and brought them,
but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council.
And the high priest questioned them, 28saying, “We strictly charged you not
to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29But Peter and the
apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our
fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God
exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to
Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and
so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34But
a Pharisee in the council named Gama'li-el, * a teacher of the law, held in
honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for
a while. 35And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you do with
these men. 36For before these days Theu'das arose, claiming to be
somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he
was slain and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.
37After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census and drew
away some of the people after him; he also perished, and all who followed
him were scattered. 38So in the present case I tell you, keep away from
these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this undertaking is of men,
it will fail; 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You
might even be found opposing God!”
40 So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they
beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them
go. 41Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were
counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42And every day in the
temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the
Christ.
Seven Chosen to Serve
6 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the
Hellenists * murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were
neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the Twelve summoned the body of
the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the
word of God to serve tables. 3Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you
seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may
appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the
ministry of the word.” 5And what they said pleased the whole multitude,
and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and
Philip, and Proch'orus, and Nica'nor, and Ti'mon, and Par'menas, and
Nicola'us, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and
they prayed and laid their hands upon them.
7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples
multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were
obedient to the faith.
The Arrest of Stephen
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of
the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyre'nians, and of the
Alexandrians, and of those from Cili'cia and Asia, arose and disputed with
Stephen. 10But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with
which he spoke. 11Then they secretly instigated men, who said, “We have
heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12And they
stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him
and seized him and brought him before the council, 13and set up false
witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this
holy place and the law; 14for we have heard him say that this Jesus of
Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses
delivered to us.” 15And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his
face was like the face of an angel.
Stephen’s Speech to the Council
7 And the high priest said, “Is this so?” 2And Stephen said:
“Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father
Abraham, when he was in Mesopota'mia, before he lived in Haran, 3and
said to him, ‘Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the
land which I will show you.’ 4Then he departed from the land of the
Chalde'ans, and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him
from there into this land in which you are now living; 5yet he gave him no
inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him in
possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child. 6And God
spoke to this effect, that his posterity would be aliens in a land belonging to
others, who would enslave them and ill-treat them four hundred years. 7‘But
I will judge the nation which they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall
come out and worship me in this place.’ 8And he gave him the covenant of
circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised
him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of
the twelve patriarchs.
9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God
was with him, 10and rescued him out of all his afflictions, and gave him
favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor
over Egypt and over all his household. 11Now there came a famine
throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could
find no food. 12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent
forth our fathers the first time. 13And at the second visit Joseph made
himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to
Pharaoh. 14And Joseph sent and called to him Jacob his father and all his
kindred, seventy-five souls; 15and Jacob went down into Egypt. And he
died, himself and our fathers, 16and they were carried back to She'chem and
laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons
of Hamor in Shechem.
17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to
Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18till there arose over
Egypt another king who had not known Joseph. 19He dealt craftily with our
race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, that they might not be
kept alive. 20At this time Moses was born, and was beautiful before God.
And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house; 21and when
he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her
own son. 22And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,
and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his
brethren, the sons of Israel. 24And seeing one of them being wronged, he
defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking the Egyptian.
25He supposed that his brethren understood that God was giving them
deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand. 26And on the
following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and would have
reconciled them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you wrong each
other?’ 27But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside,
saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28Do you want to kill
me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29At this retort Moses fled, and
became an exile in the land of Mid'ian, where he became the father of two
sons.
30 “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the
wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31When Moses saw
it he wondered at the sight; and as he drew near to look, the voice of the
Lord came, 32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of
Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. 33And
the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where
you are standing is holy ground. 34I have surely seen the ill-treatment of my
people that are in Egypt and heard their groaning, and I have come down to
deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “This Moses whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a
judge?’ God sent as both ruler and deliverer by the hand of the angel that
appeared to him in the bush. 36He led them out, having performed wonders
and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.
37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a
prophet from your brethren as he raised me up.’ 38This is he who was in the
congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount
Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living oracles to give to us.
39Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts
they turned to Egypt, 40saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods to go before us;
as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know
what has become of him.’ 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered
a sacrifice to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their hands. 42But God
turned and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in
the book of the prophets:
‘Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43And you took up the tent of Mo'loch,
standing at the right hand of God.” 57But they cried out with a loud voice
and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him. 58Then they cast him
out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments
at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And as they were stoning Stephen,
he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60And he knelt down and cried
with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he
had said
8 this, he fell asleep. 1And Saul was consenting to his death.
Saul Persecutes the Church
And on that day a great persecution arose against the Church in Jerusalem;
and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Sama'ria,
except the apostles. 2Devout men buried Stephen, and made great
lamentation over him. 3But Saul laid waste the Church, and entering house
after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5Philip
went down to a city of Samar'ia, and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6And
the multitudes with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, when
they heard him and saw the signs which he did. 7For unclean spirits came
out of many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice; and many who
were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So there was much joy in that city.
Simon the Magician
9 But there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic
in the city and amazed the nation of Samar'ia, saying that he himself was
somebody great. 10They all listened to him, from the least to the greatest,
saying, “This man is that power of God which is called Great.” 11And they
listened to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his
magic. 12But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both
men and women. 13Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized
he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed,
he was amazed.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samar'ia had received
the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15who came down and
prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16for the Spirit had
not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they laid their hands on them and they received
the Holy Spirit. 18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through
the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying,
“Give me also this power, that any one on whom I lay my hands may
receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter said to him, “Your silver perish with
you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! *
21You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right
before God. 22Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the
Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I
see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24And
Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have
said may come upon me.”
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they
returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the
Samaritans.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the southg
to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert road.
27And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of
Canda'ce the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, had
come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning; seated in his chariot, he
was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and
join this chariot.” 30So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the
prophet, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31And he
said, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” And he invited Philip to
come up and sit with him. 32Now the passage of the Scripture which he was
reading was this:
“As a sheep led to the slaughter
or a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33In his humiliation justice was denied him.
say this, about himself or about some one else?” 35Then Philip opened his
mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news of
Jesus. 36And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the
eunuch said, “See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?”h
38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the
water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39And when they came
up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch
saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip was found at
Azo'tus, and passing on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came
to Caesare'a.
The Conversion of Saul
9 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the
Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at
Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he
might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he journeyed he approached
Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. 4And he
fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me?” 5And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting; * 6but rise and enter the city, and you will
be told what you are to do.” 7The men who were traveling with him stood
speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8Saul arose from the
ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led
him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9And for three days he
was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Anani'as. The Lord said
to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11And the
Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in
the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is
praying, 12and he has seen a man named Anani'as come in and lay his hands
on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13But Anani'as answered, “Lord, I
have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your
saints * at Jerusalem; 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to
bind all who call upon your name.” 15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he
is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and
kings and the sons of Israel; 16for I will show him how much he must suffer
for the sake of my name.” 17So Anani'as departed and entered the house.
And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who
appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may
regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18And immediately
something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he
rose and was baptized, 19and took food and was strengthened.
Saul Preaches in Damascus
For several days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20And in the
synagogues immediately he proclaimed Jesus, saying, “He is the Son of
God.” 21And all who heard him were amazed, and said, “Is not this the man
who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called on this name? And he
has come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief
priests.” 22But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the
Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
Saul Escapes from the Jews
23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24but their
plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night, to
kill him; 25but his disciples took him by night and let him down over the
wall, lowering him in a basket.
Saul in Jerusalem
26 And when he had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples;
and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a
disciple. 27But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and
declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him,
and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28So he
went in and out among them at Jerusalem, 29preaching boldly in the name
of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists; but they
were seeking to kill him. 30And when the brethren knew it, they brought
him down to Caesare'a, and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 So the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samar'ia had peace
and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of
the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.
Peter Heals Aeneas in Lydda
32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also
to the saints that lived at Lydda. 33There he found a man named Aene'as,
who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. 34And Peter
said to him, “Aene'as, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And
immediately he rose. 35And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him,
and they turned to the Lord.
Peter in Joppa
36 Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas
or Gazelle. She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37In those days
she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an
upper room. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter
was there, sent two men to him entreating him, “Please come to us without
delay.” 39So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they
took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping, and
showing coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them.
40But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then turning to
the body he said, “Tabitha, rise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she
saw Peter she sat up. 41And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then
calling the saints and widows he presented her alive. 42And it became
known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43And he
stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.
Peter and Cornelius
10 At Caesare'a there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what
was known as the Italian Cohort, 2a devout man who feared God with all
his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to
God. 3About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of
God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” 4And he stared at him in
terror, and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and
your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5And now send men to
Joppa, and bring one Simon who is called Peter; 6he is lodging with Simon,
a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” 7When the angel who spoke to
him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from
among those that waited on him, 8and having related everything to them, he
sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city,
Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10And he
became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing
it, he fell into a trance 11and saw the heaven opened, and something
descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. 12In
it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13And there
came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14But Peter said, “No, Lord;
for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15And the
voice came to him again a second time, “What God has cleansed, you must
not call common.” 16This happened three times, and the thing was taken up
at once to heaven. *
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision which
he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius,
having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood before the gate 18and called
out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19And
while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three
men are looking for you. 20Rise and go down, and accompany them without
hesitation; for I have sent them.” 21And Peter went down to the men and
said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your
coming?” 22And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-
fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was
directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to hear
what you have to say.” 23So he called them in to be his guests.
The next day he rose and went off with them, and some of the brethren
from Joppa accompanied him. 24And on the following day they entered
Caesare'a. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his
kinsmen and close friends. 25When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and
fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26But Peter lifted him up, saying,
“Stand up; I too am a man.” 27And as he talked with him, he went in and
found many persons gathered; 28and he said to them, “You yourselves know
how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another
nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or
unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why
you sent for me.”
30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the
ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in
bright apparel, 31saying, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your
alms have been remembered before God. 32Send therefore to Joppa and ask
for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner,
by the seaside.’ 33So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough
to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear
all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God
shows no partiality, 35but in every nation any one who fears him and does
what is right is acceptable to him. 36You know the word which he sent to
the sons of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord
of all), 37the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning
from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38how God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about
doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was
with him. 39And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of
the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;
40but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest; 41not to all
the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and
drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to
preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be
judge of the living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets bear witness that
every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his
name.”
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
44 While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard
the word. 45And the believers from among the circumcised who came with
Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out
even on the Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues and
extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47“Can any one forbid water for
baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then
company was added to the Lord. 25So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for
Saul; 26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a
whole year they met withj the Church, and taught a large company of
people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.
27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28And one of them named Ag'abus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that
there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the
days of Claudius. 29And the disciples determined, every one according to
his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea; 30and they did
so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
James Killed and Peter Imprisonedby Herod
12 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who
belonged to the Church. * 2He killed James the brother of John with the
sword; 3and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest
Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4And when he
had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of
soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the
people. 5So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made
to God by the Church.
An Angel Rescues Peter from Prison
6 The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was
sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before
the door were guarding the prison; 7and behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and
woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8And
the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did
so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9And
he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the
angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10When they had passed
the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the
city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on
through one street; and immediately the angel left him. 11And Peter came to
himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and
rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people
were expecting.”
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of
John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and
were praying. 13And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a maid
named Rhoda came to answer. 14Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she
did not open the gate but ran in and told that Peter was standing at the gate.
15They said to her, “You are mad.” But she insisted that it was so. They
said, “It is his angel!” 16But Peter continued knocking; and when they
opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17But motioning to them with his
hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of
the prison. And he said, “Tell this to James and to the brethren.” Then he
departed and went to another place.
18 Now when day came, there was no small stir among the soldiers over
what had become of Peter. 19And when Herod had sought for him and could
not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put
to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesare'a, and remained there.
The Death of Herod
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Si'don; and they
came to him in a body, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s
chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the
king’s country for food. 21On an appointed day Herod put on his royal
robes, took his seat upon the throne, and made an oration to them. 22And
the people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of man!” 23Immediately an
angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory; and he
was eaten by worms and died.
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned fromk Jerusalem when they had
fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was
Mark.
Barnabas and Saul Commissioned
13 Now in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers,
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Ni'ger, Lucius of Cyre'ne, Man'a-en a
member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2While they were
worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then after
fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
The Apostles Preach in Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleu'cia; and
from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5When they arrived at Sal'amis, they
proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had
John to assist them. 6When they had gone through the whole island as far as
Pa'phos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named
Bar-Jesus. 7He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of
intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the
word of God. 8But El'ymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his
name) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.
9But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked
intently at him 10and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all
righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making
crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11And now, behold, the hand of the
Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and unable to see the sun for a
time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him and he went about
seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed,
when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of
the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisid'ia
13 Now Paul and his company set sail from Pa'phos, and came to Perga in
Pamphyl'ia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem; 14but they
passed on from Perga and came to Antioch of Pisid'ia. And on the sabbath
day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15After the reading of the
law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying,
“Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.” 16So
Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: *
“Men of Israel, and you that fear God, listen. 17The God of this people
Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the
land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18And for about
forty years he bore withm them in the wilderness. 19And when he had
destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an
inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years. 20And after that he gave
them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21Then they asked for a king; and
God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for
forty years. 22And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their
king; of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David, the son of
Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23Of this man’s
posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. 24Before
his coming John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of
Israel. 25And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you
suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but after me one is coming, the sandals
of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 “Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you that
fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27For those who
live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor
understand the utterances of the prophets which are read every sabbath,
fulfilled these by condemning him. 28Though they could charge him with
nothing deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have him killed. 29And
when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down
from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from the dead;
31and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from
Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32And we
bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33this he
has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the
second psalm,
‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.’
34And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return
generation, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption;
37but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. 38Let it be known to you
against the brethren. 3So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for
the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and
wonders to be done by their hands. 4But the people of the city were divided;
some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 5When an attempt
was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to molest them and
to stone them, 6they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Der'be, cities of
Lycao'nia, and to the surrounding country; 7and there they preached the
gospel.
Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe
8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting, who could not use his feet; he
was a cripple from birth, who had never walked. 9He listened to Paul
speaking; and Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to
be made well, 10said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he
sprang up and walked. 11And when the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycao'nian, “The gods have come
down to us in the likeness of men!” 12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul,
because he was the chief speaker, they called Hermes. 13And the priest of
Zeus, whose temple was in front of the city, brought oxen and garlands to
the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the people. 14But when the
apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed
out among the multitude, crying, 15“Men, why are you doing this? We also
are men, of like nature with you, and bring you good news, that you should
turn from these vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the
earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16In past generations he allowed all
the nations to walk in their own ways; 17yet he did not leave himself
without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven rains and
fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18With
these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to
them.
19 But Jews came there from Antioch and Ico'nium; and having persuaded
the people, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that
he was dead. 20But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and
entered the city; and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
21When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many
faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom
of God. 23And when they had appointed elders for them in every church,
with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they
believed.
The Return to Antioch in Syria
24 Then they passed through Pisid'ia, and came to Pamphyl'ia. 25And
when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attali'a; 26and
from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the
grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. 27And when they
arrived, they gathered the Church together and declared all that God had
done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
28And they remained no little time with the disciples.
Gentiles who turn to God, 20but should write to them to abstain from the
pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangledn and
from blood. 21For from early generations Moses has had in every city those
who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues.”
The Council’s Letter to the Gentile Believers
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole
Church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with
Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsab'bas, and Silas, leading
men among the brethren, 23with the following letter: “The brethren, both
the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in
Antioch and Syria and Cili'cia, greeting. 24Since we have heard that some
persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds,
although we gave them no instructions, 25it has seemed good to us in
assembly to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas
and Paul, 26men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus
Christ. 27We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell
you the same things by word of mouth. 28For it has seemed good to the
Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these
necessary things: 29that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols
and from blood and from what is strangledn and from unchastity. If you
keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having
gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31And when
they read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation. 32And Judas and Silas, who
were themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words and
strengthened them. 33And after they had spent some time, they were sent off
in peace by the brethren to those who had sent them.o 35But Paul and
Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the
Lord, with many others also.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Come, let us return and
visit the brethren in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord,
and see how they are.” 37And Barnabas wanted to take with them John
called Mark. 38But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had
withdrawn from them in Pamphyl'ia, and had not gone with them to the
work. 39And there arose a sharp contention, so that they separated from
each other; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40but
Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the
grace of the Lord. 41And he went through Syria and Cili'cia, strengthening
the churches.
Timothy Accompanies Paul and Silas
16 And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there,
named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his
father was a Greek. 2He was well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and
Ico'nium. 3Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and
circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those places, for they all
knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they went on their way through the
cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions which had been
reached by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. 5So the churches
were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6 And they went through the region of Phry'gia and Galatia, having been
forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7And when they had
come opposite My'sia, they attempted to go into Bithyn'ia, but the Spirit of
Jesus did not allow them; 8so, passing by My'sia, they went down to Troas.
9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was
standing pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help
us.” 10And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on
into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to
them. *
The Conversion of Lydia and Her Household
11 Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a direct voyage to
Sam'othrace, and the following day to Ne-ap'olis, 12and from there to
Philip'pi, which is the leading city of the districtx of Macedonia, and a
Roman colony. We remained in this city some days; 13and on the sabbath
day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was
a place of prayer; * and we sat down and spoke to the women who had
come together. 14One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the
city of Thyati'ra, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The
Lord opened her heart to listen to what was said by Paul. 15And when she
was baptized, with her household, she begged us, saying, “If you have
judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she
prevailed upon us.
Paul and Silas Beaten and Imprisoned
16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl
who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by
soothsaying. 17She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants
of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18And
this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to
the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”
And it came out that very hour.
19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized
Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the rulers;
20and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, “These men
are Jews and they are disturbing our city. 21They advocate customs which it
is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22The crowd joined in
attacking them; and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave
orders to beat them with rods. 23And when they had inflicted many blows
upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them
safely. 24Having received this charge, he put them into the inner prison and
fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to
God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26and suddenly there was a
great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and
immediately all the doors were opened and every one’s chains were
unfastened. 27When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were
open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the
prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm
yourself, for we are all here.” 29And he called for lights and rushed in, and
trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30and brought them
out and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?” 31And they said, “Believe
in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32And
they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all that were in his house.
33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds,
and he was baptized at once, with all his family. 34Then he brought them up
into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with all his
household that he had believed in God.
35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those
men go.” 36And the jailer reported the words to Paul, saying, “The
magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore come out and go in
peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly,
uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into
prison; and do they now cast us out secretly? No! let them come themselves
and take us out.” 38The police reported these words to the magistrates, and
they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; 39so they
came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to
leave the city. 40So they went out of the prison, and visited Lydia; and when
they had seen the brethren, they exhorted them and departed.
The Uproar in Thessalonica
17 Now when they had passed through Amphip'olis and Apollo'nia,
they came to Thessaloni'ca, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And
Paul went in, as was his custom, and for three weeksp he argued with them
from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that it was necessary for the
Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I
proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4And some of them were persuaded, and
joined Paul and Silas; as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a
few of the leading women. 5But the Jews were jealous, and taking some
wicked fellows of the rabble, they gathered a crowd, set the city in an
uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the
people. 6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some
of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, “These men who have
turned the world upside down have come here also, 7and Jason has received
them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there
is another king, Jesus.” 8And the people and the city authorities were
disturbed when they heard this. 9And when they had taken security from
Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Paul and Silas in Beroea
10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroe'a;
and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11Now these
Jews were more noble than those in Thessaloni'ca, for they received the
word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these
things were so. 12Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek
women of high standing as well as men. 13But when the Jews of
Thessaloni'ca learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at
Beroe'a also, they came there too, stirring up and inciting the crowds.
14Then the brethren immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but
Silas and Timothy remained there. 15Those who conducted Paul brought
him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to
come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
Paul in Athens
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was
provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17So he
argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the
market place every day with those who chanced to be there. 18Some also of
the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers met him. And some said, “What
would this babbler say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign
divinities”—because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. 19And they
took hold of him and brought him to the Are-op'agus, saying, “May we
know what this new teaching is which you present? 20For you bring some
strange things to our ears; we wish to know therefore what these things
mean.” 21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent
their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
22 So Paul, standing in the middle of the Are-op'agus, said: “Men of
Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I
passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an
altar with this inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you
worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the
world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in
shrines made by man, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he
needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and
everything. 26And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the
face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of
their habitation, 27that they should seek God, in the hope that they might
feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, 28for
‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
29Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like
the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio
paid no attention to this.
Paul’s Return to Antioch
18 After this Paul stayed many days longer, and then took leave of the
brethren and sailed for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aqui'la. At
Cen'chre-ae he cut his hair, for he had a vow. 19And they came to Ephesus,
and he left them there; but he himself went into the synagogue and argued
with the Jews. 20When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he
declined; 21but on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God
wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at Caesare'a, he went up and greeted the Church,
and then went down to Antioch. 23After spending some time there he
departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and
Phryg'ia, strengthening all the disciples.
Ministry of Apollos
24 Now a Jew named Apol'los, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.
He was an eloquent man, well versed in the Scriptures. 25He had been
instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and
taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the
baptism of John. 26He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when
Priscilla and Aqui'la heard him, they took him and expounded to him the
way of God more accurately. 27And when he wished to cross to Acha'ia, the
brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When
he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28for he
powerfully confuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the
Christ was Jesus.
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apol'los was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper
country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2And he said
to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they
said, “No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3And he
said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the
people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5On
hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when
Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they
spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve of them in
all.
8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly,
arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God; 9but when some were
stubborn and disbelieved, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation,
he withdrew from them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in
the hall of Tyran'nus.r 10This continued for two years, so that all the
residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
The Sons of Sceva
11 And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12so that
handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and
diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13Then some of the
itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to pronounce the name of the Lord
Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus
whom Paul preaches.” 14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva
were doing this. 15But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and
Paul I know; but who are you?” 16And the man in whom the evil spirit was
leaped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they
fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17And this became known to all
residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and fear fell upon them all;
and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18Many also of those who
were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19And a
number of those who practiced magic arts brought their books together and
burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the value of them and
found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord
grew and prevailed mightily.
The Riot in Ephesus
21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through
Macedonia and Acha'ia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been
there, I must also see Rome.” 22And having sent into Macedonia two of his
helpers, Timothy and Eras'tus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23 About that time there arose no little stir concerning the Way. 24For a
man named Deme'trius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Ar'temis,
brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25These he gathered together,
with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Men, you know that from
this business we have our wealth. 26And you see and hear that not only at
Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned
away a considerable company of people, saying that gods made with hands
are not gods. 27And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may
come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Ar'temis
may count for nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her
magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
28 When they heard this they were enraged, and cried out, “Great is
Ar'temis of the Ephesians!” 29So the city was filled with the confusion; and
they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Ga'ius and
Aristar'chus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. 30Paul
wished to go in among the crowd, but the disciples would not let him;
31some of the A'si-archs also, who were friends of his, sent to him and
begged him not to venture into the theater. 32Now some cried one thing,
some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not
know why they had come together. 33Some of the crowd prompted
Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander motioned with
his hand, wishing to make a defense to the people. 34But when they
recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all with one voice
cried out, “Great is Ar'temis of the Ephesians!” And when the town clerk
had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who
does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great
Ar'temis, and of the sacred stone * that fell from the sky? s 36Seeing then
that these things cannot be contradicted, you ought to be quiet and do
nothing rash. 37For you have brought these men here who are neither
sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38If therefore Deme'trius and
the craftsmen with him have a complaint against any one, the courts are
open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another.
39But if you seek anything further,t it shall be settled in the regular
assembly. 40For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, there
being no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41And when he
had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
Paul Goes to Macedonia and Greece
20 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and having
exhorted them took leave of them and departed for Macedonia. 2When he
had gone through these parts and had given them much encouragement, he
came to Greece. 3There he spent three months, and when a plot was made
against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined
to return through Macedonia. 4Sop'ater of Beroe'a, the son of Pyrrhus,
accompanied him; and of the Thessalo' nians, Aristar'chus and Secun'dus;
and Ga'ius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tych'icus and
Troph'imus. 5These went on and were waiting for us at Troas, 6but we
sailed away from Philip'pi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five
days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
Paul Preaches and Heals Eutychusin Troas
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break
bread, * Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and he
prolonged his speech until midnight. 8There were many lights in the upper
chamber where we were gathered. 9And a young man named Eu'tychus was
sitting in the window. He sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer;
and being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was
taken up dead. 10But Paul went down and bent over him, and embracing
him said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11And when Paul had
gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long
while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12And they took the lad away alive,
and were not a little comforted.
13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take
Paul aboard there; for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land.
14And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to
Mityle'ne. 15And sailing from there we came the following day opposite
Chi'os; the next day we touched at Sa'mos; andu the day after that we came
to Mile'tus. 16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might
not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if
possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Paul Speaks to the Elders of Ephesus
17 And from Mile'tus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of
the Church. 18And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you all the time from the first
day that I set foot in Asia, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with
tears and with trials which befell me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I
did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and
teaching you in public and from house to house, 21testifying both to Jews
and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
22And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit, not
knowing what shall befall me there; 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to
me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24But I do not
account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may
accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord
Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25And now, behold, I
know that all you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom
will see my face no more. 26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am
innocent of the blood of all of you, 27for I did not shrink from declaring to
you the whole counsel of God. 28Take heed to yourselves and to all the
flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians, to feed the Church
of the Lordv which he obtained with his own blood.w 29I know that after my
departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things,
those who were with me. * 35In all things I have shown you that by so
toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus,
how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36 And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37And they all wept and embraced Paul and kissed him, 38sorrowing most
of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no
more. And they brought him to the ship.
Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem
21 And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a
straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to
Pat'ara.x 2And having found a ship crossing to Phoeni'cia, we went aboard,
and set sail. 3When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left
we sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its
cargo. 4And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days.
Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go * on to Jerusalem. 5And when
our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey; and they
all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were outside the
city; and kneeling down on the beach we prayed and bade one another
farewell. 6Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolema'is;
and we greeted the brethren and stayed with them for one day. 8The next
day we departed and came to Caesare'a; and we entered the house of Philip
the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9And he had
four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 10While we were staying for
some days, a prophet named Ag'abus came down from Judea. 11And
coming to us he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and
said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the
man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' "
12When we heard this, we and the people there begged him not to go up to
Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and
breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to
die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14And when he would not
be persuaded, we ceased and said, “The will of the Lord be done.”
15 After these days we made ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16And some
of the disciples from Caesare'a went with us, bringing us to the house of
Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.
Paul Visits James at Jerusalem
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18On
the following day Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were
present. 19After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God
had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20And when they heard
it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many
thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed; they are all
zealous for the law, 21and they have been told about you that you teach all
the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to
circumcise their children or observe the customs. 22What then is to be
done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23Do therefore what we
tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24take these men and
purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may
shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have
been told about you but that you yourself live in observance of the law.
25But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our
judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols
and from blood and from what is strangledy and from unchastity.” 26Then
Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself with them and went
into the temple, to give notice when the days of purification would be
fulfilled and the offering presented for every one of them.
Paul Arrested in the Temple
27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who
had seen him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd, and laid hands on him,
28crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching men
everywhere against the people and the law and this place; moreover he also
brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place.” 29For
they had previously seen Troph'imus the Ephesian with him in the city, and
they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30Then all the city
was aroused, and the people ran together; they seized Paul and dragged him
out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31And as they were
trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem
was in confusion. 32He at once took soldiers and centurions, and ran down
to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped
beating Paul. 33Then the tribune came up and arrested him, and ordered him
to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had
done. 34Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he
could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought
into the barracks. 35And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried
by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; 36for the mob of the
people followed, crying, “Away with him!”
Paul Defends Himself
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the
tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek?
38Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led
the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39Paul
replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cili'cia, a citizen of no mean city; I beg
you, let me speak to the people.” 40And when he had given him leave, Paul,
standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people; and when there
was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying:
22 “Brethren and fathers, hear the defense which I now make before
you.”
2 And when they heard that he addressed them in the Hebrew language,
they were the more quiet. And he said:
3 “I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cili'cia, but brought up in this city at the
feet of Gama'li-el, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our
fathers, being zealous for God as you all are this day. 4I persecuted this Way
to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5as the
high priest and the whole council of elders bear me witness. From them I
received letters to the brethren, and I journeyed to Damascus to take those
also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
6 “As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great
light from heaven suddenly shone about me. 7And I fell to the ground and
heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ 8And I
answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth
whom you are persecuting.’ 9Now those who were with me saw the light
but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10And I said,
‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into
Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’
11And when I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led
by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
12 “And one Anani'as, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of
by all the Jews who lived there, 13came to me, and standing by me said to
me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And in that very hour I received my
sight and saw him. 14And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to
know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15for
you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
16And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your
kill him on the way. 4Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesare'a,
and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5“So,” said he, “let the men
of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong
about the man, let them accuse him.”
6 When he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he
went down to Caesare'a; and the next day he took his seat on the tribunal
and ordered Paul to be brought. 7And when he had come, the Jews who had
gone down from Jerusalem stood about him, bringing against him many
serious charges which they could not prove. 8Paul said in his defense,
“Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against
Caesar have I offended at all.” 9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,
said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem, and there be tried on
these charges before me?” 10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s
tribunal, where I ought to be tried; to the Jews I have done no wrong, as you
know very well. 11If then I am a wrongdoer, and have committed anything
for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death; but if there is
nothing in their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal
to Caesar.” 12Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council,
answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”
Festus Consults King Agrippa
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice
arrived at Caesare'a to welcome Festus. 14And as they stayed there many
days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left
prisoner by Felix; 15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the
elders of the Jews gave information about him, asking for sentence against
him. 16I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up
any one before the accused met the accusers face to face, and had
opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.
17When therefore they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next
day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in.
18When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such
evils as I supposed; 19but they had certain points of dispute with him about
their own superstition and about one Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul
asserted to be alive. 20Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I
asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding
them. 21But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision
of the emperor, I commanded him to be held until I could send him to
Caesar.” 22And Agrippa said to Festus, “I should like to hear the man
myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you shall hear him.”
Paul Is Brought before Agrippa
23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they
entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men
of the city. Then by command of Festus Paul was brought in. 24And Festus
said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about
whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here,
shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25But I found that he had done
nothing deserving death; and as he himself appealed to the emperor, I
decided to send him. 26But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about
him. Therefore I have brought him before you, and, especially before you,
King Agrippa, that, after we have examined him, I may have something to
write. 27For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to
indicate the charges against him.”
Paul Makes His Defense before Agrippa
26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2 “I think myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to
make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3because
you are especially familiar with all customs and controversies of the Jews;
therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my
own nation and at Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5They have known
for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest
party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 6And now I stand here on
trial for hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7to which our
twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And
for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 8Why is it thought incredible
by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the
name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10And I did so in Jerusalem; I not only shut up
many of the saints in prison, by authority from the chief priests, but when
they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11And I punished them
often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme; and in raging
fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12 “Thus I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of
the chief priests. 13At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from
heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed
with me. 14And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying
to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It
hurts you to kick against the goads.’ 15And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16But rise and
stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint
you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and
to those in which I will appear to you, 17delivering you from the people and
from the Gentiles—to whom I send you 18to open their eyes, that they may
turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they
may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified
by faith in me.’
Paul Tells of His Preaching
19 “Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly
vision, 20but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and
throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they
should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their
repentance. 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to
kill me. 22To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I
stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the
prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23that the Christ must suffer,
and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light
both to the people and to the Gentiles.”
Paul Appeals to Agrippa to Believe
24 And as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul,
you are mad; your great learning is turning you mad.” 25But Paul said, “I
am not mad, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. 26For
the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am
persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not
done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that
you believe.” 28And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time you think to
make me a Christian!” 29And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to
God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such
as I am—except for these chains.”
30 Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were
sitting with them; 31and when they had withdrawn, they said to one another,
“This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32And
Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not
appealed to Caesar.”
Paul Sails for Rome
27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered
Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort,
named Julius. 2And embarking in a ship of Adramyt'tium, which was about
to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by
Aristar'chus, a Macedonian from Thessaloni'ca. 3The next day we put in at
Si'don; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him leave to go to his
friends and be cared for. 4And putting to sea from there we sailed under the
lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5And when we had sailed
across the sea which is off Cili'cia and Pamphyl'ia, we came to Myra in
Ly'cia. 6There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and
put us on board. 7We sailed slowly for a number of days, and arrived with
difficulty off Cni'dus, and as the wind did not allow us to go on, we sailed
under the lee of Crete off Salmo'ne. 8Coasting along it with difficulty, we
came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lase'a.
9 As much time had been lost, and the voyage was already dangerous
because the fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, 10saying, “Sirs, I
perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the
cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11But the centurion paid more
attention to the captain and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.
12And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised
to put to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach
Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, looking northeast and southeast,a and winter
there.
The Storm at Sea
13 And when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had
obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close
inshore. 14But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down
from the land; 15and when the ship was caught and could not face the wind,
we gave way to it and were driven. 16And running under the lee of a small
island called Cau'da,b we managed with difficulty to secure the boat; 17after
hoisting it up, they took measuresc to undergird the ship; then, fearing that
they should run on the Syr'tis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven.
18As we were violently storm-tossed, they began next day to throw the
cargo overboard; 19and the third day they cast out with their own hands the
tackle of the ship. 20And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many a
day, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last
abandoned.
21 As they had been long without food, Paul then came forward among
them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and should not have
set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22I now bid you take
heart; for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23For
this very night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and
whom I worship, 24and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand
before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who sail with
you.’ 25So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I
have been told. 26But we shall have to run on some island.”
27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea
of A'dria, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land.
28So they sounded and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they
sounded again and found fifteen fathoms. 29And fearing that we might run
on the rocks, they let out four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to
come. 30And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had
lowered the boat into the sea, under pretense of laying out anchors from the
bow, 31Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in
the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of
the boat, and let it go.
33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food,
saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense
and without food, having taken nothing. 34Therefore I urge you to take
some food; it will give you strength, since not a hair is to perish from the
head of any of you.” 35And when he had said this, he took bread, and giving
thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. 36Then
they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37(We were in all
two hundred and seventy-sixd persons in the ship.) 38And when they had
eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
The Shipwreck
39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed
a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to bring the ship
ashore. 40So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same
time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders; then hoisting the foresail to
the wind they made for the beach. 41But striking a shoale they ran the vessel
aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was broken
up by the surf. 42The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should
swim away and escape; 43but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them
from carrying out their purpose. He ordered those who could swim to throw
themselves overboard first and make for the land, 44and the rest on planks
or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all escaped to land.
Paul on the Island of Malta
28 After we had escaped, we then learned that the island was called
Malta. 2And the natives showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire
and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. 3Paul had
gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, when a viper came out
because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4When the natives saw the
creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this
man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not
allowed him to live.” 5He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and
suffered no harm. 6They waited, expecting him to swell up or suddenly fall
down dead; but when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune
come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief
man of the island, named Pub'lius, who received us and entertained us
hospitably for three days. 8It happened that the father of Pub'lius lay sick
with fever and dysentery; and Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his
hands on him healed him. 9And when this had taken place, the rest of the
people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10They
presented many gifts to us;f and when we sailed, they put on board
whatever we needed.
Paul Comes to Rome
11 After three months we set sail in a ship which had wintered in the
island, a ship of Alexandria, with the Twin Brothers as figurehead. 12Putting
in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13And from there we made a
circuit and arrived at Rhe'gium; and after one day a south wind sprang up,
and on the second day we came to Pute'oli. 14There we found brethren, and
were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome.
15And the brethren there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum
of Ap'pius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them Paul thanked God
and took courage. 16And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to
stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him.
Paul and Jewish Leaders in Rome
17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews; and
when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brethren, though I had done
nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered
prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18When they had
examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason
for the death penalty in my case. 19But when the Jews objected, I was
compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my
nation. 20For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with
you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this
chain.” 21And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea
about you, and none of the brethren coming here has reported or spoken any
evil about you. 22But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for
with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”
Paul Preaches in Rome
23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his
lodging in great numbers. And he expounded the matter to them from
morning till evening, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to
convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the
prophets. 24And some were convinced by what he said, while others
disbelieved. 25So, as they disagreed among themselves, they departed, after
Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your
fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
26‘Go to this people, and say,
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Romans
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS
Salutation
1 * Paul, a servanta of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for
the gospel of God 2which he promised beforehand through his prophets in
the holy Scriptures, 3the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended
from David according to the flesh 4and designateda2 Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus
Christ our Lord, 5through whom we have received grace and apostleship to
bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the
nations, 6including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
7 To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your
faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9For God is my witness, whom I serve
with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
always in my prayers, 10asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at
last succeed in coming to you. * 11For I long to see you, that I may impart to
you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12that is, that we may be mutually
encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13I want you to
know, brethren, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have
been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest * among you as well
as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14I am under obligation both to Greeks
and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish: 15so I am eager to
preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
The Power of the Gospel
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for
salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are
under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world
may be held accountable to God. 20For no human being will be justified in
his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of
sin.
Righteousness through Faith
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law,
although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, 22the righteousness of
God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no
distinction; 23since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24they
are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ
Jesus, 25whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received
by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine
forbearance he had passed over former sins; 26it was to prove at the present
time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in
Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle?
On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith. * 28For we hold
that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law. 29Or is God the God
of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of
their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith. 31Do we then
overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold
the law.
The Example of the Faith of Abraham
4 What then shall we say aboute Abraham, our forefather according to
the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to
boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the Scripture say?
“Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
4Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.
5And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his
covered;
8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin.”
9 Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the
uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as
righteousness. 10How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he
had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11He
received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by
faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the
father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have
righteousness reckoned to them, 12and likewise the father of the
circumcised who are not merely circumcised but also follow the example of
the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
God’s Promise Realized through Faith
13 The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit
the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of
faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null
and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath, but where there is no
law there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on
grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants—not only to the adherents of
the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father
of us all, 17as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—
in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18In hope he believed
against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had
been told, “So shall your descendants be.” 19He did not weaken in faith
when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he
was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of
Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of
God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully
convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his
faith was “reckoned to him as righteousness.” 23But the words, “it was
reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It
will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus
our Lord, 25who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our
justification.
Results of Justification
5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, wef have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have obtained accessg to
this grace in which we stand, and weh rejoice in our hope of sharing the
glory of God. 3More than that, weh rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s
love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been
given to us.
6 While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good
man one will dare even to die. 8But God shows his love for us in that while
we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we are now
justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath
of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the
death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved
by his life. 11Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom we have now received our reconciliation.
Adam and Christ
12 Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death
through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned *—13sin
indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted
where there is no law. 14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over
those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type
of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one
man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the
grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. * 16And the free gift
is not like the effect of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one
trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses
brings justification. 17If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned
through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of
grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man
Jesus Christ.
18 Then as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one
man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. 19For as by
one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s
obedience many will be made righteous. 20Law came in, to increase the
trespass; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as
sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Dying and Rising with Christ
6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may
abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do
you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death? 4We were buried * therefore with him by baptism
into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall
certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our
former man was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be
destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For he who has died
is freed from sin. 8But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall
also live with him. 9For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will
never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10The death he
died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So
you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ
Jesus.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey
their passions. 13Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of
wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought
from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of
righteousness. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not
under law but under grace.
Slaves of Sin or of Righteousness
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under
grace? By no means! * 16Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to
any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either
of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
17But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become
obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were
committed, 18and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of
righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural
limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to
greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness
for sanctification.
20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now
ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been
set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is
sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Analogy with Marriage
7 Do you not know, brethren—for I am speaking to those who know the
law—that the law is binding on a person only during his life? 2Thus a
married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives; but if
her husband dies she is discharged from the law concerning the husband.
3Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man
while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies she is free from that law,
and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
4 Likewise, my brethren, you have died to the law through the body of
Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from
the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5While we were living in
the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our
members to bear fruit for death. 6But now we are discharged from the law,
dead to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old
written code but in the new life of the Spirit.
The Law and Sin
7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had
not been for the law, I should not have known sin. I should not have known
what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8But sin,
finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of
covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. 9I was once alive apart from
the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died; 10the
very commandment which promised life proved to be death to me. 11For
sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and by it killed
me. 12So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.
The Interior Conflictbetween Good and Evil
13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? * By no means! It was
sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be
shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful
beyond measure. 14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold
under sin. 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I
want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I
agree that the law is good. 17So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin
which dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells within me,
that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19For I do not
do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20Now if I do
what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within
me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at
hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, 23but I see in my
members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me
captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that
I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God
through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God
with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Life in the Spirit
8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from
the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the
flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and
for sin,i he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the just requirement of
the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their
minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit
set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6To set the mind on the flesh is
death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that
is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed
it cannot; 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God
really dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does
not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead
because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit
of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ
Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his
Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to
the flesh—13for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the
Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. 14For all who are
led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit
of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship.
When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with
our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of
God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that
we may also be glorified with him.
The Glory to Be Revealed
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth
comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation
waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; * 20for the
creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him
who subjected it in hope; 21because the creation itself will be set free from
its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation has been groaning with labor pains
together until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have
the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope
that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope
for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how
to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too
deep for words. 27And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the
mind of the Spirit, becausej the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to
the will of God.
28 We know that in everything God works for goodk with those who love
him,l who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he
foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in
order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. 30And those
whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also
justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
God’s Love in Christ Jesus
31 What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us?
32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not
also give us all things with him? 33Who shall bring any charge against
God’s elect? It is God who justifies; 34who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus,
who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of
God, who indeed intercedes for us?m 35Who shall separate us from the love
of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor
height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s Election of Israel
9 I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears
me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing
anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut
off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the
flesh. 4They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the
covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5to them
belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is God over all, blessed for ever.n Amen.
6 But it is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all who are
descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7and not all are children of Abraham
because they are his descendants; but “Through Isaac shall your
descendants be named.” 8This means that it is not the children of the flesh
who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned as
descendants. 9For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will
return and Sarah shall have a son.” 10And not only so, but also when
Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11though
they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad, in order
that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but
because of his call, 12she was told, “The elder will serve the younger.” 13As
it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!
15For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I
people,’
they will be called ‘sons of the living God.' "
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons
of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved;
28for the Lord will execute his sentence upon the earth with rigor and
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For man
believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and
so is saved. 11The Scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put
to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same
Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who call upon him.
13For, “every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed?
And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And
how are they to hear without a preacher? 15And how can men preach unless
they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who
preach good news!” 16But they have not all heeded the gospel; for Isaiah
says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17So faith
comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of
Christ.
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
19Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
the Scripture says of Eli'jah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3“Lord,
they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I
alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4But what is God’s reply to him? “I
have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to
Ba'al.” 5So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6But
if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would
no longer be grace.
7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it sought. The elect obtained it,
but the rest were hardened, 8as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear,
down to this very day.”
9And David says,
that support the root, but the root that supports you. 19You will say,
“Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20That is true.
They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only
through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. 21For if God did
not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22Note then the
kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen,
but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness;
otherwise you too will be cut off. 23And even the others, if they do not
persist in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft
them in again. 24For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild
olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how
much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive
tree.
Israel Will Be Saved
25 Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this
mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full
number of the Gentiles come in, 26and so all Israel will be saved; as it is
written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27“and this will be my covenant with them
regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29For the
gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30Just as you were once
disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their
disobedience, 31so they have now been disobedient in order that by the
mercy shown to you they also mayp receive mercy. 32For God has
consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” 21Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Being Subject to Authorities
13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is
no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by
God. 2Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has
appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a
terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in
authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he
is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does
not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on
the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s
wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6For the same reason you also pay
taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
7Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom
eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who
abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7None of us
lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8If we live, we live to the
Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether
we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that
he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you
despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
God; 11for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praiseu to God.”
12So each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Do Not Hinder a Brother
13 Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide
never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14I
know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself;
but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean. * 15If your brother is
being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let
what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. 16So do not let
what is good to you be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God does
not mean food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit; 18he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by
men. 19Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
20Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is
indeed clean, but it is wrong for any one to make others fall by what he
eats; 21it is right not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes
your brother stumble.v 22The faith that you have, keep between yourself and
God; happy is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves.
23But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, because he does not act
from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.w
Please Others, Not Yourselves
15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and
not to please ourselves; 2let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to
edify him. 3For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, “The
reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4For whatever was
written in former days was written for our instruction, that by steadfastness
and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the
God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony
with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with
one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel for Jews and Gentiles Alike
7 Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the
glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised
to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the
patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name”;
10and again it is said,
that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Paul’s Reason for Writing So Boldly
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are
full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.
15But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder,
for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32so that by God’s will I may
come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33The God of
peace be with you all. Amen.
Personal Greetings
16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the Church at
Cen'chre-ae, 2that you may receive her in the Lord as befits the saints, and
help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a helper of
many and of myself as well.
3 Greet Prisca and Aqui'la, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who
risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches
of the Gentiles give thanks; 5greet also the church in their house. Greet my
beloved Epae'netus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. 6Greet
Mary, who has worked hard among you. 7Greet Andron'icus and Ju'nias, my
kinsmen and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles,
and they were in Christ before me. 8Greet Amplia'tus, my beloved in the
Lord. 9Greet Urba'nus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved
Stachys. 10Greet Apel'les, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who
belong to the family of Aristob'ulus. 11Greet my kinsman Hero'dion. Greet
those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcis'sus. 12Greet those
workers in the Lord, Tryphae'na and Trypho'sa. Greet the beloved Persis,
who has worked hard in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, eminent in the Lord, also
his mother and mine. 14Greet Asyn'critus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patro'bas,
Hermas, and the brethren who are with them. 15Greet Philol'ogus, Julia,
Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. *
Final Instructions
17 I appeal to you, brethren, to take note of those who create dissensions
and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught;
avoid them. 18For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own
appetites,z and by fair and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the
simple-minded. 19For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice
over you, I would have you wise as to what is good and guileless as to what
is evil; 20then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.a
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and
Sosip'ater, my kinsmen.
22 I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Ga'ius, who is host to me and to the whole Church, greets you. Eras'tus,
the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.b
Final Doxology
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery
which was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed and through the
prophetic writings is made known to all nations, according to the command
of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27to the only wise
God be glory for evermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
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1 Corinthians
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
Salutation
1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our
brother Sos'thenes,
2 To the Church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ
Jesus, called to be saints * together with all those who in every place call on
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to Goda always for you because of the grace of God which
was given you in Christ Jesus, 5that in every way you were enriched in him
with all speech and all knowledge—6even as the testimony to Christ was
confirmed among you—7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as
you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; 8who will sustain you to
the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful, by
whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Dissension in the Church
10 I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all
of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be
united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11For it has been reported
to me by Chlo'e’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren.
12What I mean is that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong
everything, even the depths of God. 11For what person knows a man’s
thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one
comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have
received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that
we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13And we impart this
in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting
spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit.d
14 The unspirituale man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for
they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are
spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to
be judged by no one. 16“For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to
instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
On Dissension in the Corinthian Church
3 But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of
the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you
were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, 3for you are still of the
flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the
flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? 4For when one says, “I belong to
Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apol'los,” are you not merely men?
5 What then is Apol'los? What is Paul? Servants through whom you
believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apol'los watered, but
God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is
anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who
waters are equal, and each shall receive his wages according to his labor.
9For we are God’s fellow workers;f you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the commission of God given to me, like a skilled master
builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each
man take care how he builds upon it. 11For no other foundation can any one
lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any one builds
on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—
13each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day * will disclose it,
because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work
each one has done. 14If the work which any man has built on the foundation
survives, he will receive a reward. 15If any man’s work is burned up, he will
suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple * and that God’s Spirit
dwells in you? 17If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.
For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you thinks that he is
wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19For the
wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the
wise in their craftiness,” 20and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of
the wise are futile.” 21So let no one boast of men. For all things are yours,
22whether Paul or Apol'los or Ce'phas or the world or life or death or the
present or the future, all are yours; 23and you are Christ’s; and Christ is
God’s.
The Ministry of the Apostles
4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards
of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover it is required of stewards that they be
found trustworthy. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be
judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. 4I am not
aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the
Lord who judges me. 5Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the
time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden
in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will
receive his commendation from God.
6 I have applied all this to myself and Apol'los for your benefit, brethren,
that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you
may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7For who sees anything
different in you? What have you that you did not receive? If then you
received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?
8 Already you are filled! Already you have become rich! Without us you
have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share
the rule with you! 9For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of
all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the
world, to angels and to men. 10We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are
wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but
we in disrepute. 11To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly
clothed and buffeted and homeless, 12and we labor, working with our own
hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13when
slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become, and are now, as the refuse
of the world, the dregs of all things.
Fatherly Admonition
14 I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my
beloved children. 15For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do
not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the
gospel. 16I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17Therefore I sentg to you
Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my
ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18Some are
arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you
soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant
people but their power. 20For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk
but in power. 21What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with
love in a spirit of gentleness?
Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church
5 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a
kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his
father’s wife. * 2And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let
him who has done this be removed from among you.
3 For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have
already pronounced judgment 4in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man
who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is
present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5you are to deliver this man to
Satan * for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the
day of the Lord Jesus.h
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens
all the dough? 7Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be new dough, as
you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Paschal Lamb, has been
sacrificed. 8Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven,
the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth.
Immorality and Judgment
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; * 10not at
all meaning the immoral * of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or
idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11But rather I
wrotei to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if
he is guilty of immorality § or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or
robber—not even to eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with
judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the Church whom you are to judge?
13God judges those outside. “ Drive out the wicked person from among
you.”
Lawsuits among Believers
6 When one of you has a grievance against a brother, does he dare go to
law before the unrighteous * instead of the saints? 2Do you not know that
the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are
you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we are to judge
angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life! 4If then you have
such cases, why do you lay them before those who are least esteemed by the
Church? 5I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no man among you
wise enough to decide between members of the brotherhood, 6but brother
goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?
7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is defeat for you. Why not
rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8But you yourselves
wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren.
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, * nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor homosexuals,j * 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were
some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Glorifying God in the Body
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All
things are lawful for me,” § but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13“Food
is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy
both one and the other. The body is not meant for immorality, * but for the
Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14And God raised the Lord and will also
raise us up by his power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members
of Christ? Shall I therefore take the members of Christ and make them
members of a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that he who joins
himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written,
“The two shall become one.”k 17But he who is united to the Lord becomes
one spirit with him. 18Shun immorality. * Every other sin which a man
commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own
body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 20you were
bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Concerning Marriage
7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote. It is well for a
man not to touch a woman. 2But because of the temptation to immorality,
each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. *
3The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the
wife to her husband. 4For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the
husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but
the wife does. 5Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for
a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together
again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of self-control. 6I say this by way
of concession, not of command. 7I wish that all were as I myself am. But
each has his own special gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain
single as I do. 9But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry.
For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.
10 To the married I give charge, not I but the Lord, that the wife should
not separate from her husband 11(but if she does, let her remain single or
else be reconciled to her husband)—and that the husband should not
divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an
unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
13If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live
with her, she should not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband is
consecrated through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is consecrated
through her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it
is they are holy. 15But if the unbelieving partner desires to separate, let it be
so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. For God has called usl
to peace. 16Wife, how do you know whether you will save your husband?
Husband, how do you know whether you will save your wife?
Leading the Life the Lord Has Assigned
17 Only, let every one lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him,
and in which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18Was
any one at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to
remove the marks of circumcision. Was any one at the time of his call
uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19For neither circumcision
counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of
God. 20Every one should remain in the state in which he was called. 21Were
you a slave when called? Never mind. But if you can gain your freedom,
avail yourself of the opportunity.x 22For he who was called in the Lord as a
slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a
slave of Christ. 23You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of
men. 24So, brethren, in whatever state each was called, there let him remain
with God.
More concerning Marriage
25 Now concerning the unmarried, x2 I have no command of the Lord, but
I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26I think
that in view of the impending distressm it is well for a person to remain as
he is. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from
a wife? Do not seek marriage. 28But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a
girl m2 marries she does not sin. Yet those who marry will have worldly
troubles, and I would spare you that. 29I mean, brethren, the appointed time
has grown very short; from now on, let those who have wives live as though
they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning,
and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy
as though they had no goods, 31and those who deal with the world as
though they had no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing
away.
32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious
about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; 33but the married man
is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, 34and his interests
are divided. And the unmarried woman or virgin is anxious about the affairs
of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is
anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband. 35I say this for
your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good
order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
36 If any one thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his
betrothed,m2 if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he
wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. 37But whoever is firmly established in
his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and
has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed,m2 he will do
well. 38So that he who marries his betrothedm2 does well; and he who
refrains from marriage will do better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If the husband dies,
she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40But in my
judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I have the
Spirit of God.
Food Offered to Idols
8 Now concerning food offered to idols: * we know that “all of us
possess knowledge.” “Knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2If any one
imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to
know. 3But if one loves God, one is known by him.
4 Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol
has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5For although
there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are
many “gods” and many “lords”—6yet for us there is one God, the Father,
from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus
Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through being until
now accustomed to idols, eat food as really offered to an idol; and their
conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8Food will not commend us to God. We
are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9Only take care
lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
10For if any one sees you, a man of knowledge, at table in an idol’s temple,
Church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to
you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.
The Institution of the Eucharist
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord
Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24and when he had
given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is fors you. Do
this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way also the chalice, after
supper, saying, “This chalice is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as
often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this
bread and drink the chalice, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Partaking of the Eucharist Unworthily
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the
Lord. 28Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the
cup. 29For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats
and drinks judgment upon himself. 30That is why many of you are weak and
ill, and some have died.t 31But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not
be judged. 32But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastenedu so that
we may not be condemned along with the world.
33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one
another—34if any one is hungry, let him eat at home—lest you come
together to be condemned. About the other things I will give directions
when I come.
Spiritual Gifts
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be
uninformed. * 2You know that when you were heathen, you were led astray
to mute idols, however you may have been moved. 3Therefore I want you to
understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus be
cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are
varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of working,
but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. 7To each is given
the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given
through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of
knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same
Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working
of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish
between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the
interpretation of tongues. 11All these are inspired by one and the same
Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
One Body with Many Members
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the
members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For
by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves
or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot
should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that
would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say,
“Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not
make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where
would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the
sense of smell? 18But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one
of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single organ, where would the body be?
20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the
hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no
need of you.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be
weaker are indispensable, 23and those parts of the body which we think less
honorable we invest with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are
treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not
require. But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the
inferior part, 25that there may be no discord in the body, but that the
members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers,
all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And
God has appointed in the Church first apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators,
speakers in various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets?
Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing?
Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the
higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way. *
The Way of Love
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I
am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to
remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all I
have, and if I deliver my body to be burned,v but have not love, I gain
nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; 5it is not
arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or
resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. 7Love bears
all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues,
they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For our knowledge is
imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; 10but when the perfect comes, the
imperfect will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I
thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave
up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully
understood. 13So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of
these is love.
Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues
14 Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts,
especially that you may prophesy. 2For one who speaks in a tongue speaks
not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries
in the Spirit. 3On the other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for their
upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4He who speaks in a
tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the Church. 5Now I
want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. He who
prophesies is greater than he who speaks in tongues, unless some one
interprets, so that the Church may be edified.
6 Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how shall I benefit
you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or
teaching? 7If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not
give distinct notes, how will any one know what is played? 8And if the
bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? 9So with
yourselves; if you in a tongue utter speech that is not intelligible, how will
any one know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. 10There
are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without
meaning; 11but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a
foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. 12So with
yourselves; since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to
excel in building up the Church.
13 Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to
interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is
unfruitful. 15What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with
the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.
16Otherwise, if you blessw with the spirit, how can any one in the position
encouraged; 32and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33For God
is not a God of confusion but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints, 34the women should keep silence in
the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be
subordinate, as even the law says. 35If there is anything they desire to know,
let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to
speak in church. 36What! Did the word of God originate with you, or are
you the only ones it has reached?
37 If any one thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should
acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. 38If
any one does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39So, my brethren,
earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues; 40but
all things should be done decently and in order.
The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you
the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, 2by which you are
saved, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the
Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Ce'phas, then to the Twelve. 6Then he
appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are
still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared
also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the Church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am
what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I
worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God
which is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you
believed.
The Resurrection of the Dead
12 Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of
you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no
resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; * 14if Christ has
not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We
are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that
he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not
raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17If
Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If for
this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those
who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come
also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ
shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits,
then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when
he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and
every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his
enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27“For
Godz has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All
things are put in subjection under him,” it is plain that he is excepted who
put all things under him. 28When all things are subjected to him, then the
Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that
God may be everything to every one.
29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the
dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their
behalf? * 30Why am I in peril every hour? 31I protest, brethren, by my pride
in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32What do I
gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are
not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33Do not be
deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34Come to your right mind,
and sin no more. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your
shame.
The Resurrection of the Body
35 But some one will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of
body do they come?” 36You foolish man! What you sow does not come to
life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a
bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38But God gives it a
body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39For not all
flesh is alike, but there is one kind for men, another for animals, another for
birds, and another for fish. 40There are celestial bodies and there are
terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the
terrestrial is another. 41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of
the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable,
what is raised is imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44It is sown a physical body, it
is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual
body. 45Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul”; the
last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46But it is not the spiritual which is
first but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47The first man was from the
earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48As was the man of
dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are
those who are of heaven. 49Just as we have borne the image of the man of
dust, we shalla also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50I tell you this,
brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the
perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For
the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we
shall be changed. 53For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable,
and this mortal nature must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts
on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to
pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55“O death, where is your victory?
to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is
not in vain.
The Contribution for the Saints
16 Now concerning the contribution for the saints: * as I directed the
churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2On the first day of every week,
each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so
that contributions need not be made when I come. 3And when I arrive, I will
send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. 4If it
seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
Plans for Travel
5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass
through Macedonia, 6and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the
winter, so that you may speed me on my journey, wherever I go. 7For I do
not want to see you now just in passing; I hope to spend some time with
you, if the Lord permits. 8But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9for a
wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many
adversaries.
10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he
is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11So let no one despise him. Speed
him on his way in peace, that he may return to me; for I am expecting him
with the brethren.
12 As for our brother Apol'los, I strongly urged him to visit you with the
other brethren, but it was not at all his willb to come now. He will come
when he has opportunity.
Final Message and Greeting
13 Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. 14Let
all that you do be done in love.
15 Now, brethren, you know that the household of Steph'anas were the
first converts in Acha'ia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of
the saints; 16I urge you to be subject to such men and to every fellow
worker and laborer. 17I rejoice at the coming of Steph'anas and Fortuna'tus
and Acha'icus, because they have made up for your absence; 18for they
refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men.
19 The churches of Asia send greetings. Aqui'la and Prisca, together with
the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20All the
brethren send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22If any one has no love
for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!c 1The grace of the Lord
Jesus be with you. 24My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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2 Corinthians
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
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THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our
brother.
To the Church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in
the whole of Acha'ia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Thanksgiving after Affliction
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction, so
that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the
comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as we share
abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in
comfort too.a 6If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if
we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you
patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7Our hope for you is
unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also
share in our comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of the affliction * we
experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we
despaired of life itself. 9Why, we felt that we had received the sentence of
death; but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises
the dead; 10he delivered us from so deadly a peril, and he will deliver us; on
him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11You also must help
us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing
granted us in answer to many prayers.
12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience that we have
behaved in the world, and still more toward you, with holiness and godly
sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God. 13For we write
you nothing but what you can read and understand; I hope you will
understand fully, 14as you have understood in part, that you can be proud of
us as we can be of you, on the day of the Lord Jesus.
The Postponement of Paul’s Visit
15 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you
might have a double pleasure;b 16I wanted to visit you on my way to
Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send
me on my way to Judea. 17Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I
make my plans like a worldly man, ready to say Yes and No at once? 18As
surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19For
the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we preached among you, Silva'nus and
Timothy and I, was not Yes and No; but in him it is always Yes. 20For all
the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen
through him, to the glory of God. 21But it is God who establishes us with
you in Christ, and has commissioned us; 22he has put his seal upon us and
given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I
refrained from coming to Corinth. 24Not that we lord it over your faith; we
work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in
2 your faith. 1For I made up my mind not to make you another painful
visit. 2For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one
whom I have pained? 3And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not
suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of
all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4For I wrote you out of
much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you
pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
Forgiveness for the Offender
5 But if any one has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some
measure—not to put it too severely—to you all. 6For such a one this
punishment by the majority is enough; 7so you should rather turn to forgive
and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8So I
beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9For this is why I wrote, that I might
test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10Any one
whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven
anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11to keep Satan
from gaining the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
Paul’s Anxiety in Troas
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, a door was
opened for me in the Lord; 13but my mind could not rest because I did not
find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to
Macedonia.
14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and
through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved
and among those who are perishing, 16to one a fragrance from death to
death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these
things? 17For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word; but as men
of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in
Christ.
Ministers of the New Covenant
3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as
some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2You yourselves
are our letter of recommendation, written on yourc hearts, to be known and
read by all men; 3and you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered
by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on
tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5Not
that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our
sufficiency is from God, 6who has qualified us to be ministers of a new
covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills,
but the Spirit gives life.
7 Now if the dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone, came with
such splendor that the Israelites could not look at Moses’ face because of its
brightness, fading as this was, 8will not the dispensation of the Spirit be
attended with greater splendor? 9For if there was splendor in the
dispensation of condemnation, the dispensation of righteousness must far
exceed it in splendor. 10Indeed, in this case, what once had splendor has
come to have no splendor at all, because of the splendor that surpasses it.
11For if what faded away came with splendor, what is permanent must have
by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this
tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we
would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by
life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us
the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home
in the body we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight.
8We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and
at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our
aim to please him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has
done in the body.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but what
we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
12We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to be
proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who pride themselves
on a man’s position and not on his heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it
is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ
urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all
have died. 15And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer
for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh; even
though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus
no longer. 17Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation;g the old
has passed away, behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who
through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconcilingh the world to
himself, * not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us
the message of reconciliation. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, God
making his appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin * who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6 Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the
grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
“At the acceptable time I have listened to you,
and helped you on the day of salvation.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
3We put no obstacle in any one’s way, so that no fault may be found with
with an unbeliever? 16What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will live in them and move among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17Therefore come out from them,
all earnestness, and in your love for us—see that you excel in this gracious
work also.
8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others
that your love also is genuine. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by
his poverty you might become rich. 10And in this matter I give my advice: it
is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do
but to desire, 11so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your
completing it out of what you have. 12For if the readiness is there, it is
acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he has not.
13I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, 14but that as
a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their
want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be
equality. 15As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing over, and
he who gathered little had no lack.”
Commendation of Titus
16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the
heart of Titus. 17For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very
earnest he is going to you of his own accord. 18With him we are sending the
brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the
gospel; 19and not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to
travel with us in this gracious work which we are carrying on, for the glory
of the Lord and to show our good will. 20We intend that no one should
blame us about this liberal gift which we are administering, 21for we aim at
what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of men.
22And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested
and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever
because of his great confidence in you. 23As for Titus, he is my partner and
fellow worker in your service; and as for our brethren, they are messengersj
of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24So give proof, before the churches, of
your love and of our boasting about you to these men.
Generosity in Giving
9 Now it is superfluous * for me to write to you about the offering for
the saints, 2for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the
people of Macedonia, saying that Acha'ia has been ready since last year;
and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3But I am sending the brethren so
that our boasting about you may not prove vain in this case, so that you may
be ready, as I said you would be; 4lest if some Macedonians come with me
and find that you are not ready, we be humiliated—to say nothing of you—
for being so confident. 5So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren to go
on to you before me, and arrange in advance for this gift you have
promised, so that it may be ready not as an exaction but as a willing gift.
6 The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he
who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each one must do as he
has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver. 8And God is able to provide you with every blessing in
abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may
provide in abundance for every good work. 9As it is written,
“He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousnessk endures for ever.”
10He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and
will produce thanksgiving to God; 12for the rendering of this service not
only supplies the wants of the saints but also overflows in many
thanksgivings to God. 13Under the test of this service, youm will glorify
God by your obedience in acknowledging the gospel of Christ, and by the
generosity of your contribution for them and for all others; 14while they
long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in
you. 15Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Paul Defends His Ministry
10 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ
—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am
away! *—2I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show
boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who
suspect us of acting in worldly fashion. 3For though we live in the world we
are not carrying on a worldly war, 4for the weapons of our warfare are not
worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy
arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take
every thought captive to obey Christ, 6being ready to punish every
disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
7 Look at what is before your eyes. If any one is confident that he is
Christ’s, let him remind himself that as he is Christ’s, so are we. 8For even
if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for
building you up and not for destroying you, I shall not be put to shame. 9I
would not seem to be frightening you with letters. For they say, “His letters
are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of
no account.” 11Let such people understand that what we say by letter when
absent, we do when present. 12Not that we venture to class or compare
ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they
measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one
another, they are without understanding.
13 But we will not boast beyond limit, but will keep to the limits God has
apportioned us, to reach even to you. 14For we are not overextending
ourselves, as though we did not reach you; we were the first to come all the
way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15We do not boast beyond limit, in
other men’s labors; but our hope is that as your faith increases, our field
among you may be greatly enlarged, 16so that we may preach the gospel in
lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s field.
17“Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.” 18For it is not the man who
commends himself that is accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends.
Paul and the False Apostles
11 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with
me! 2I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present
you as a pure bride to her one husband. 3But I am afraid that as the serpent
deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a
sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if some one comes and preaches
another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit
from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one
you accepted, you submit to it readily enough. 5I think that I am not in the
least inferior to these superlative apostles. 6Even if I am unskilled in
speaking, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to
you in all things.
7 Did I commit a sin in abasing myself so that you might be exalted,
because I preached God’s gospel without cost to you? 8I robbed other
churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9And when
I was with you and was in want, I did not burden any one, for my needs
were supplied by the brethren who came from Macedonia. So I refrained
and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10As the truth of Christ is
in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Acha'ia.
11And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to
have failed. 8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the
truth. 9For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. What we pray
for is your improvement. 10I write this while I am away from you, in order
that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority
which the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.
Final Greetings and Benediction
11 Finally, brethren, rejoice. Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with
one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
12Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13All the saints greet you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the
fellowship ofn the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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Galatians
Chapters
123456
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THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE GALATIANS
Salutation
1 Paul an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus
Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—2and all the
brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
4who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age,
according to the will of our God and Father; 5to whom be the glory for ever
and ever. Amen.
There Is No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in
the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel— * 7not that there is
another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the
gospel of Christ. 8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to
you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be
accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is
preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be
accursed.
10 Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I trying to
please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servanta of
Christ. *
Paul’s Vindication of His Apostleship
11 Brethren, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached
by me is not man’sb gospel. 12For I did not receive it from man, nor was I
taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have
heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God
violently and tried to destroy it; 14and I advanced in Judaism beyond many
of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the
traditions of my fathers. 15But when he who had set me apart before I was
born, and had called me through his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son
toc me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not
confer with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who
were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned
to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Ce'phas, and
remained with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles
except James the Lord’s brother. * 20(In what I am writing to you, before
God, I do not lie!) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cili'cia.
22And I was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea;
23they only heard it said, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the
faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.
Paul and the Other Apostles
2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
taking Titus along with me. 2I went up by revelation; and I laid before them
(but privately before those who were of repute) the gospel which I preach
among the Gentiles, lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain.
3But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised,
though he was a Greek. 4But because of false brethren secretly brought in,
who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that
they might bring us into bondage—5to them we did not yield submission
even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.
6And from those who were reputed to be something (what they were makes
in you! 20I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone,
for I am perplexed about you.
The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under law, do you not hear the law?
22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a
free woman. 23But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the
son of the free woman through promise. 24Now this is an allegory: these
women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for
slavery; she is Hagar. 25Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;i she
corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
26But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27For it is written,
time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born
according to the Spirit, so it is now. 30But what does the Scripture say?
“Cast out the slave and her son; for the son of the slave shall not inherit
with the son of the free woman.” 31So, brethren, we are not children of the
slave but of the free woman.
Christian Freedom
5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not
submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Now I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be
of no advantage to you. 3I testify again to every man who receives
circumcision that he is bound to keep the whole law. 4You are severed from
Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from
grace. 5For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait for the hope of
righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
is of any avail, but faith working through love. 7You were running well;
who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8This persuasion is not from him
who called you. 9A little leaven leavens all the dough. 10I have confidence
in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine; and he who is
troubling you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11But if I, brethren,
still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the
stumbling block of the cross * has been removed. 12I wish those who
unsettle you would mutilate themselves!
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your
freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one
another. 14For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, “You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” 15But if you bite and devour one another take heed
that you are not consumed by one another.
The Works of the Fleshand the Fruit of the Spirit
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the
Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent
you from doing what you would. 18But if you are led by the Spirit you are
not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are plain: immorality,
impurity, licentiousness, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger,
selfishness, dissension, party spirit, 21envy,k drunkenness, carousing, and
the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-
control; against such there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us have no
self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.
Bear One Another’s Burdens
6 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual
should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be
tempted. 2Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3For if
any one thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in
himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5For each man will have to bear his
own load.
6 Let him who is taught the word share all good things with him who
teaches.
7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that
he will also reap. 8For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap
corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal
life. 9And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall
reap, if we do not lose heart. 10So then, as we have opportunity, let us do
good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Final Admonitions and Benediction
11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12It
is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel
you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for
the cross of Christ. 13For even those who receive circumcision do not
themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they
may glory in your flesh. 14But far be it from me to glory except in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whichl the world has been crucified to me, and
I to the world. 15For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16Peace and mercy be upon all who
walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God.
17 Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of
Jesus.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
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Ephesians
Chapters
123456
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THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS
Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are * also faithfula in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he
chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and blameless before him. 5He destined us in loveb to be his sons through
Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his
glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In him we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace 8which he lavished upon us. 9For he has
made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the
fulness of time, to unite * all things in him, things in heaven and things on
earth.
11 In him, according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things
according to the counsel of his will, 12we who first hoped in Christ have
been destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory. 13In him you
also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and
have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is
the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the
praise of his glory.
Paul’s Prayer
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your lovec toward all the saints, 16I do not cease to give thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers, 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the
knowledge of him, 18having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you
may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches
of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable
greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his
great might 20which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the
dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above
all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that
is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; 22and he has
put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for
the Church, 23which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all.
From Death to Life with Christ
2 And you he made alive, when you were dead through the trespasses
and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world,
following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in
the sons of disobedience. 3Among these we all once lived in the passions of
our flesh, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature
children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But God, who is rich in mercy,
out of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead
through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you
have been saved), 6and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in
the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the coming ages he might show
the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own
doing, it is the gift of God—9not because of works, lest any man should
boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
One in Christ
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called
the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the
flesh by hands—12remember that you were at that time separated from
Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in
the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and
has broken down the dividing wall * of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh
the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself
one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us
both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to
an end. 17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and
peace to those who were near; 18for through him we both have access in one
Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of
God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus
himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure is joined
together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are
built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles
3 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you
Gentiles—2assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace
that was given to me for you, 3how the mystery * was made known to me
by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4When you read this you can
perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known
to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his
holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6that is, how the Gentiles are
fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in
Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace
which was given me by the working of his power. 8To me, though I am the
very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles
the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to make all men see what is the plan
of the mystery hidden for ages ind God who created all things; 10that
through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made
known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. 11This was
according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our
Lord, 12in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our
faith in him. 13So I ask you not toe lose heart over what I am suffering for
you, which is your glory.
Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every
family in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his
glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in
the inner man, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that
you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have power to comprehend
with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may
be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more
abundantly than all that we ask or think, 21to him be glory in the Church
and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
Unity in the Body of Christ
4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner
worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all lowliness and
meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, 3eager to maintain
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one
Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, 5one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of us all, who is above
all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each of us according
to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it is said,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also
descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is he who
also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And
his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of
ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity
of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; 14so that we may no
longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.
15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into
him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and
knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is
working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love.
The Old Life and the New
17 Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk
as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds; 18they are darkened in
their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance
that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; 19they have become callous
and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every
kind of uncleanness. 20You did not so learn Christ! —21assuming that you
have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. 22Put
off the old man that belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt
through deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and
put on the new man, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness
and holiness.
Rules for the New Life
25 Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with
his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26Be angry but do not sin;
do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and give no opportunity to the
devil. 28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest
work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. 29Let
no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying,
as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. 30And do
not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander
be put away from you, with all malice, 32and be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love,
as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and
sacrifice to God.
Renounce Pagan Ways
3 But immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be
named among you, as is fitting among saints. 4Let there be no filthiness, nor
silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be
thanksgiving. 5Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure man, or one who
is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is
because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of
disobedience. 7Therefore do not associate with them, 8for once you were
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 9(for
the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to
learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of
darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is a shame even to speak of the
things that they do in secret; 13but when anything is exposed by the light it
becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. 14Therefore it is
said,
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give you light.” *
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not
be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get
drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20always and for
everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the
Father.
The Christian Household
21 Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22Wives, be
subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of
the wife as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, and is himself its
Savior. 24As the Church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in
everything to their husbands. 25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved
the Church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having
cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that he might present
the Church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such
thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28Even so husbands
should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves
himself. 29For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes
it, as Christ does the Church, 30because we are members of his body. 31“For
this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32This is a great mystery, and I
mean in reference to Christ and the Church; 33however, let each one of you
love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Children and Parents
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your
father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3“that it
may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.” 4Fathers, do
not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and
trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ; 6not in the way of eye-
service, as men-pleasers, but as servantsf of Christ, doing the will of God
from the heart, 7rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to
men, 8knowing that whatever good any one does, he will receive the same
again from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 9Masters, do the same to
them, and forbear threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and
yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on
the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of
the devil. 12For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against
the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present
darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having
fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the
breastplate of righteousness, 15and having shod your feet with the
equipment of the gospel of peace; 16besides all these, taking the shield of
faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the Evil One.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God. 18Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and
supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making
supplication for all the saints, 19and also for me, that utterance may be
given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the
gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it
boldly, as I ought to speak.
Personal Matters and Benediction
21 Now that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tych'icus
the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you
everything. 22I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may
know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. 24Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ
with love undying.
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Philippians
Chapters
1234
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THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS
Salutation
1 Paul and Timothy, servantsa of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philip'pi, with the bishopsb
and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer
of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5thankful for your
partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6And I am sure that
he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of
Jesus Christ. 7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold
you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my
imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God
is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with
knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve what is
excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with
the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory
and praise of God.
Paul’s Present Circumstances
12 I want you to know, brethren, that what has happened to me has really
served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the
whole praetorian guardc and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for
Christ; 14and most of the brethren have been made confident in the Lord
because of my imprisonment, * and are much more bold to speak the word
of God without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good
will. 16The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the
defense of the gospel; 17the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship, not
sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18What then? Only
that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and
in that I rejoice.
To Live Is Christ
19 Yes, and I shall rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the
help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it
is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that
with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, *
whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I
shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is
to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the
flesh is more necessary on your account. 25Convinced of this, I know that I
shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the
faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus,
because of my coming to you again.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that
whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand
firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the
gospel, 28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear
omen to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.
29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not
only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same
conflict which you saw and now hear to be mine.
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any
participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2complete my joy by
being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of
one mind. 3Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count
others better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own
interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Have this mind among
yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of
God, * did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied
himself, * taking the form of a servant,d being born in the likeness of men.
8And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient
unto death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.
Shining as Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only
as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling; 13for God is at work in you, both to will
and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15that you may be
blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a
crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the
world, 16holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be
proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17Even if I am to be poured
as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice
with you all. 18Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be
cheered by news of you. 20I have no one like him, who will be genuinely
anxious for your welfare. 21They all look after their own interests, not those
of Jesus Christ. 22But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a
father he has served with me in the gospel. 23I hope therefore to send him
just as soon as I see how it will go with me; 24and I trust in the Lord that
shortly I myself shall come also.
25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphrodi'tus my brother
and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to
my need, 26for he has been longing for you all, and has been distressed
because you heard that he was ill. 27Indeed he was ill, near to death. But
God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should
have sorrow upon sorrow. 28I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that
you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29So
receive him in the Lord with all joy; and honor such men, 30for he nearly
died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete your service to me.
Loss of All to Gain Christ
3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to
you is not irksome to me, and is safe for you.
2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil-workers, look out for those
who mutilate the flesh. 3For we are the true circumcision, who worship God
in spirit,e and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.
4Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If any other
man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of
do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I
press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus. 15Let those of us who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything
you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. 16Only let us
hold true to what we have attained.
17 Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so walk as you
have an example in us. 18For many, of whom I have often told you and now
tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end
is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with
minds set on earthly things. § 20But our commonwealth is in heaven, and
from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will change our
lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him
even to subject all things to himself.
Exhortations
4 Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,
stand firm in this way in the Lord, my beloved.
2 I entreat Eu-o'dia and I entreat Syn'tyche to agree in the Lord. 3And I
also ask you, who are a true co-worker, help these women, for they have
labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the
rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let all men know
your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. 6Have no anxiety about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which passes all
understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is
just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is
any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these
things. 9What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do;
and the God of peace will be with you.
Acknowledgment of the Philippians’ Gifts
10 I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your
concern for me; you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no
opportunity. 11Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever
state I am, to be content. 12I know how to be abased, and I know how to
abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing
plenty and hunger, abundance and want. 13I can do all things in him who
strengthens me.
14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15And you Philippians
yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia,
no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except
you only; 16for even in Thessaloni'ca you sent me helpf once and again.
17Not that I seek the gift; but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit.
18I have received full payment, and more; I am filled, having received from
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Colossians
Chapters
1234
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THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS
Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our
brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ at Colos'sae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Gratitude for the Colossians’ Faith
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we
pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of
the love which you have for all the saints, 5because of the hope laid up for
you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the
gospel 6which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing
fruit and growing—so among yourselves, from the day you heard and
understood the grace of God in truth, 7as you learned it from Ep'aphras our
beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on oura behalf
8and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9 And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you,
asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual
wisdom and understanding, 10to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully
pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God. 11May you be strengthened with all power, according to
his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12giving thanks
to the Father, who has qualified usb to share in the inheritance of the saints
in light. 13He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and
transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born * of all creation;
16for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and
obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, do not
provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22Slaves, obey in
everything those who are your earthly masters, not with eyeservice, as men-
pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. 23Whatever your task,
work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, 24knowing that from the
Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the
Lord Christ. 25For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has
done, and there is no partiality.
4 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have
a Master in heaven.
Further Instructions
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving;
3and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to
declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, 4that I
may make it clear, as I ought to speak.
5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the
time. 6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you
may know how you ought to answer every one.
Final Greetings and Benediction
7 Tych'icus will tell you all about my affairs; he is a beloved brother and
faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8I have sent him to you for
this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may
encourage your hearts, 9and with him Ones'imus, the faithful and beloved
brother, who is one of yourselves. They will tell you of everything that has
taken place here.
10 Aristar'chus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of
Barnabas * (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes
to you, receive him), 11and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only
men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God,
and they have been a comfort to me. 12Ep'aphras, who is one of yourselves,
a servantg of Christ Jesus, greets you, always remembering you earnestly in
his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of
God. 13For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those
in La-odice'a and in Hi-erap'olis. 14Luke the beloved physician * and
Demas greet you. 15Give my greetings to the brethren at La-odice'a, and to
Nympha and the church in her house. 16And when this letter has been read
among you, have it read also in the Church of the La-odice'ans; and see that
you read also the letter from La-odice'a. 17And say to Archip'pus, “See that
you fulfil the ministry which you have received in the Lord.”
18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains.
Grace be with you.
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1 Thessalonians
Chapters
12345
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THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
Salutation
1 Paul, Silva'nus, and Timothy, *
To the Church of the Thessalo'nians in God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in
our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith
and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For
we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you; 5for our gospel
came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and
with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among
you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for
you received the word in much affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy
Spirit; 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia
and in Acha'ia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from
you in Macedonia and Acha'ia, but your faith in God has gone forth
everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report
concerning us what a welcome we had among you, and how you turned to
God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son
from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the
wrath to come.
Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica
2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our visit to you was not in
vain; 2but though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at
Philip'pi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the
gospel of God in the face of great opposition. 3For our appeal does not
spring from error or uncleanness, nor is it made with guile; 4but just as we
have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak,
not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5For we never
used either words of flattery, as you know, or a cloak for greed, as God is
witness; 6nor did we seek glory from men, whether from you or from
others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7But we
were gentlea among you, like a nurse taking care of her children. 8So, being
affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the
gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear
to us.
9 For you remember our labor and toil, brethren; we worked night and
day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the
gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous
and blameless was our behavior to you believers; 11for you know how, like
a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you
and charged you 12to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into
his own kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the
word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of
men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you
believers. 14For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in
Christ Jesus which are in Judea; for you suffered the same things from your
own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15who killed both the Lord
Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all
men 16by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they may be saved
—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has
come upon them at last!b
Paul’s Desire to Visitthe Thessalonians Again
17 But since we were deprived of you, brethren, for a short time, in person
not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see
you face to face; 18because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, * again and
again—but Satan hindered us. 19For what is our hope or joy or crown of
boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20For you are
our glory and joy.
3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left
behind at Athens alone, 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s
servant in the gospel of Christ, to establish you in your faith and to exhort
you, 3that no one be moved by these afflictions. You yourselves know that
this is to be our lot. 4For when we were with you, we told you beforehand
that we were to suffer affliction; just as it has come to pass, and as you
know. 5For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent that I might
know your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and
that our labor would be in vain.
Timothy’s Good Report
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the
good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us
kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you—7for this reason, brethren,
in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through
your faith; 8for now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. 9For what
thanksgiving can we render to God for you, for all the joy which we feel for
your sake before our God, 10praying earnestly night and day that we may
see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our
way to you; 12and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to
one another and to all men, as we do to you, 13so that he may establish your
hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of
our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
A Life Pleasing to God
4 Finally, brethren, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you
learned from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are
doing, you do so more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave
you through the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your
sanctification: * that you abstain from immorality; * 4/sup>that each one of
you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5not in the
passion of lust like heathens who do not know God; 6that no man
transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter,c because the Lord is an
avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned you. 7For God has
not called us for uncleanness, but in holiness. 8Therefore whoever
disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to
you.
9 But concerning love of the brethren you have no need to have any one
write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one
another; 10and indeed you do love all the brethren throughout Macedonia.
But we exhort you, brethren, to do so more and more, 11to aspire to live
quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we
charged you; * 12so that you may command the respect of outsiders, and be
dependent on nobody.
The Coming of the Lord
13 But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who
are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. * 14For
since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God
will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to
you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the
coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For
the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the
archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in
Christ will rise first; 17then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we
shall always be with the Lord. * 18Therefore comfort one another with these
words.
5 But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to
have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves know well that the day of
the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3When people say, “There is
peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor
pains come upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. 4But you
are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5For
you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of
darkness. 6So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and
be sober. 7For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are
drunk at night. 8But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on
the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For
God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord
Jesus Christ, 10who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might
live with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up,
just as you are doing.
Final Exhortations, Greetings,and Benediction
12 But we beg you, brethren, to respect those who labor among you and
are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13and to esteem them very
highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.c2
14And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the idle, encourage the
fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15See that none of you
repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
16Rejoice always, 17pray constantly, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit,
20do not despise prophesying, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good,
22abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit
and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 24He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 Brethren, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
27 I adjure you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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2 Thessalonians
Chapters
123
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THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
Salutation
1 Paul, Silva'nus, and Timothy,
To the Church of the Thessalo'nians in God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
3 We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as is
fitting, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one
of you for one another is increasing. 4Therefore we ourselves boast of you
in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your
persecutions and in the afflictions which you are enduring.
The Judgment at Christ’s Coming
5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be
made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering—6since
indeed God deems it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7and
to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted, when the Lord Jesus is
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 8inflicting
vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not
obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They shall suffer the punishment of
eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from
the glory of his might, 10when he comes on that day to be glorified in his
saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed, because our
testimony to you was believed. 11To this end we always pray for you, that
our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfil every good
resolve and work of faith by his power, 12so that the name of our Lord Jesus
may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Man of Lawlessness
2 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, 2not to be quickly shaken in
mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be
from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. * 3Let no one
deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion
comes first, and the man of lawlessnessa * is revealed, the son of perdition,
4who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of
worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself
to be God. 5Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you
this? 6And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be
revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;
only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. * 8And
then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with
the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming.
9The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all
power and with pretended signs and wonders, 10and with all wicked
deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth
and so be saved. 11Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to
make them believe what is false, 12so that all may be condemned who did
not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Chosen for Salvation
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren
beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginningb to be
saved through sanctification by the Spiritc and belief in the truth. 14To this
he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions
which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who
loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
17comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
Request for Prayer
3 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed on
and triumph, as it did among you, 2and that we may be delivered from
wicked and evil men; for not all have faith. 3But the Lord is faithful; he will
strengthen you and guard you from evil.d 4And we have confidence in the
Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things which we
command. 5May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the
steadfastness of Christ.
Warning against Idleness
6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in
accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7For you yourselves
know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with
you, 8we did not eat any one’s bread without paying, but with toil and labor
we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. 9It was not
because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example
to imitate. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this command:
If any one will not work, let him not eat. 11For we hear that some of you are
walking in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12Now such
persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work
in quietness and to earn their own living. 13Brethren, do not be weary in
well-doing.
14 If any one refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man, and
have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15Do not look on him
as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Final Greetings and Benediction
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all
ways. The Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every
letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you all.
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1 Timothy
Chapters
123456
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THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY
Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of
Christ Jesus our hope,
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: *
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Warning against False Teachers
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that
you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4nor to
occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies * which promote
speculations rather than the divine traininga that is in faith; 5whereas the
aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good
conscience and sincere faith. 6Certain persons by swerving from these have
wandered away into vain discussion, 7desiring to be teachers of the law,
without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which
they make assertions.
8 Now we know that the law is good, if any one uses it lawfully,
9understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the
lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and
profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10immoral persons, sodomites, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else
the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15Yet woman will be
saved through bearing children,c if she continuesd in faith and love and
holiness, with modesty.
Qualifications of Bishops
3 The saying is sure: If any one aspires to the office of bishop, * he
desires a noble task. 2Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of
one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, 3no
drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money.
4He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive
and respectful in every way; 5for if a man does not know how to manage his
own household, how can he care for God’s Church? 6He must not be a
recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the
condemnation of the devil;f 7moreover he must be well thought of by
outsiders, or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.f
Qualifications of Deacons
8 Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to
much wine, not greedy for gain; 9they must hold the mystery of the faith
with a clear conscience. 10And let them also be tested first; then if they
prove themselves blameless let them serve as deacons. 11The women *
likewise must be serious, no slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things.
12Let deacons be the husband of one wife, and let them manage their
children and their households well; 13for those who serve well as deacons
gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
The Mystery of Our Religion
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you
so that, 15if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the
household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and
bulwark of the truth. 16Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our
religion:
Heh was manifested in the flesh,
vindicatedi in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
False Asceticism
4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from
the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
2through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, 3who forbid
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2 Timothy
Chapters
1234
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THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY
Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the
promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanksgiving and Encouragement
3 I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, as did my fathers,
when I remember you constantly in my prayers. 4As I remember your tears,
I long night and day to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5I am
reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother
Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you. 6For this
reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through
the laying on of my hands; 7for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a
spirit of power and love and self-control.
8 Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but take your share of suffering for the gospel in the power of God, 9who
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in
virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus
ages ago, 10and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior
Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel. 11For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle
and teacher, 12and therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I
know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that
Day what has been entrusted to me.a 13Follow the pattern of the sound
words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in
Christ Jesus; 14guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy
Spirit who dwells within us.
15 You are aware that all who are in Asia * turned away from me, and
among them Phy'gelus and Hermog'enes. 16May the Lord grant mercy to
the household of Onesiph'orus, for he often refreshed me; he was not
ashamed of my chains, 17but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me
eagerly and found me—18may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the
Lord on that Day—and you well know all the service he rendered at
Ephesus.
A Good Soldier of Christ
2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2and
what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men
who will be able to teach others also. 3Take your share of suffering as a
good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No soldier on service gets entangled in
civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him. 5An
athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6It is the
hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7Think
over what I say, for the Lord will grant you understanding in everything.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as
preached in my gospel, 9the gospel for which I am suffering and wearing
chains like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10Therefore I
endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the
salvation which in Christ Jesus goes with eternal glory. 11The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we shall also live with him;
12if we endure, we shall also reign with him;
has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16Avoid such
godless chatter, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,
17and their talk will eat its way like gangrene. Among them are Hymenae'us
and Phile'tus, 18who have swerved from the truth by holding that the
resurrection is past already. * They are upsetting the faith of some. 19But
God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those
who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart
from iniquity.”
20 In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of
wood and earthenware, and some for noble use, some for ignoble. 21If any
one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble
use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good
work. 22So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and
peace, along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart. 23Have
nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies; you know that they breed
quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to
every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, 25correcting his opponents with
gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know
the truth, 26and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being
captured by him to do his will.c
Godlessness in the Last Days
3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of
stress. 2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3inhuman,
implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, 4treacherous,
reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such
people. 6For among them are those who make their way into households
and capture weak women, burdened with sins and swayed by various
impulses, 7who will listen to anybody and can never arrive at a knowledge
of the truth. 8As Jan'nes and Jam'bres opposed Moses, so these men also
oppose the truth, men of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith; 9but they will
not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two
men.
Paul’s Charge to Timothy
10 Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my
faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11my persecutions, my
sufferings, what befell me at Antioch, at Ico'nium, and at Lystra, what
persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12Indeed all
who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while
evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and
deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have
firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15and how from
childhood you have been acquainted with the Sacred Writings which are
able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All
Scripture is inspired by God andd profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, * 17that the man of God may
be complete, equipped for every good work.
4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to
judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
2preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke,
and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. 3For the time is coming
when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they
will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, 4and will
turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. 5As for you,
always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your
ministry.
6 For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; * the time of my
departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. 8From now on there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that
Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Personal Instructions
9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10For Demas, in love with this present
world, has deserted me and gone to Thessaloni'ca; Crescens has gone to
Galatia,e Titus to Dalmatia. 11Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring
him with you; for he is very useful in serving me. 12Tych'icus I have sent to
Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at
Tro'as, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14Alexander the
coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds.
15Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16At my
first defense no one took my part; all deserted me. May it not be charged
against them! 17But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim
the word fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the
lion’s mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for
his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings and Benediction
19 Greet Prisca and Aqui'la, and the household of Onesiph'orus. 20Eras'tus
remained at Corinth; Troph'imus I left ill at Mile'tus. 21Do your best to
come before winter. Eubu'lus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and
Linus * and Claudia and all the brethren.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
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Titus
Chapters
123
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THE LETTER OF PAUL TO TITUS
Salutation
1 Paul, a servanta of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the
faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth which accords with
godliness, 2in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages
ago 3and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching
with which I have been entrusted by command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Titus in Crete
5 This is why I left you in Crete, that you might amend what was
defective, and appoint elders * in every town as I directed you, 6if any man
is blameless, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not
open to the charge of debauchery and not being insubordinate. 7For a
bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or
quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8but hospitable,
a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and self-controlled;
9he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give
instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it.
10For there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers,
especially the circumcision party; 11they must be silenced, since they are
upsetting whole families by teaching for base gain what they have no right
to teach. 12One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are
always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13This testimony is true. Therefore
rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14instead of giving
heed to Jewish myths or to commands of men who reject the truth. 15To the
pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure;
their very minds and consciences are corrupted. 16They profess to know
God, but they deny him by their deeds; they are detestable, disobedient,
unfit for any good deed.
Teach Sound Doctrine
2 But as for you, teach what befits sound doctrine. 2Bid the older men
be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
3Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in behavior, not to be
slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, 4and so train
the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be sensible,
chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of
God may not be discredited. 6Likewise urge the younger men to control
themselves. 7Show yourself in all respects a model of good deeds, and in
your teaching show integrity, gravity, 8and sound speech that cannot be
censured, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to
say of us. 9Bid slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give
satisfaction in every respect; they are not to talk back, 10nor to pilfer, but to
show entire and true fidelity, so that in everything they may adorn the
doctrine of God our Savior.
11 For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men,
12training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober,
upright, and godly lives in this world, 13awaiting our blessed hope, the
appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviorc * Jesus Christ, 14who
gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself
a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
15 Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one
disregard you.
Maintain Good Deeds
3 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be
obedient, to be ready for any honest work, 2to speak evil of no one, to avoid
quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men. 3For
we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various
passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by men
and hating one another; 4but when the goodness and loving kindness of God
our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in
righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of
regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, 6which he poured out upon us
richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that we might be justified by his
grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. * 8The saying is sure.
I desire you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in
God may be careful to apply themselves to good deeds;d these are excellent
and profitable to men. 9But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies,
dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile.
10As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have
nothing more to do with him, 11knowing that such a person is perverted and
sinful; he is self-condemned.
Final Messages and Benediction
12 When I send Ar'temas or Tych'icus to you, do your best to come to me
at Nicop'olis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13Do your best to
speed Ze'nas the lawyer and Apol'los on their way; see that they lack
nothing. 14And let our people learn to apply themselves to good deeds,d so
as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful.
15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in
the faith.
Grace be with you all.
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THE LETTER OF PAUL TO PHILEMON
Salutation
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Phile'mon our beloved fellow worker 2and Ap'phia our sister and
Archip'pus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Love and Faith
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5because I
hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and
all the saints, 6and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the
knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ. 7For I have derived much
joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints
have been refreshed through you.
Paul’s Plea for Onesimus
8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do
what is required, 9yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an
ambassadora and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—10I appeal to you for
my child, Ones'imus,b whose father I have become in my imprisonment.
11(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and
to me.) 12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13I would
have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on
your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel; 14but I preferred to do
nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by
compulsion but of your own free will.
15 Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might
have him back for ever, 16no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a
beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the
flesh and in the Lord. 17So if you consider me your partner, receive him as
you would receive me. 18If he has wronged you at all, or owes you
anything, charge that to my account. 19I, Paul, write this with my own hand,
I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20Yes,
brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in
Christ.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do
even more than I say. 22At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I
am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you.
Final Greetings and Benediction
23 Ep'aphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
24and so do Mark, Aristar'chus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
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Hebrews
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
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THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS
God Has Spoken by His Son
1 In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the
prophets; 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he
appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the ages. 3He
reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding
the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as
much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than
theirs. *
The Son’s Superiority to Angels
5 For to what angel did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
6And again, when he brings the first-born into the world, he says,
heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13But exhort one
another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be
hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we share in Christ, if only we
hold our first confidence firm to the end, 15while it is said,
“Today, when you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16Who were they that heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those
who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? 17And with whom was he
provoked forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell
in the wilderness? 18And to whom did he swear that they should never enter
his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were
unable to enter because of unbelief.
The Rest That God Promised
4 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear
lest any of you be judged to have failed to reach it. 2For good news came to
us just as to them; but the message which they heard did not benefit them,
because it did not meet with faith in the hearers.h 3For we who have
believed enter that rest, as he has said,
“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall never enter my rest,' "
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For
he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way, “And God rested
on the seventh day from all his works.” 5And again in this place he said,
“They shall never enter my rest.”
6Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly
from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14For it is evident that our
Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses
said nothing about priests.
15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the
likeness of Melchiz'edek, 16who has become a priest, not according to a
legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an
indestructible life. 17For it is witnessed of him,
“You are a priest for ever,
according to the order of Melchiz'edek.”
18On the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its
weakness and uselessness 19(for the law made nothing perfect); on the other
hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath. 21Those who formerly became priests
took their office without an oath, but this one was addressed with an oath,
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest for ever.' "
22This makes Jesus the surety of a better covenant.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented
by death from continuing in office; 24but he holds his priesthood
permanently, because he continues for ever. 25Consequently he is able for
all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always
lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy,
blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
27He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for
his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when
he offered up himself. 28Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as
high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law,
appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever.
Mediator of a New Covenant
8 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high
priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in
heaven, 2a minister in the sanctuary and the true tentn which is set up not by
man but by the Lord. 3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and
sacrifices; hence it is necessary for this priest also to have something to
offer. 4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there
are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5They serve a copy and
shadow of the heavenly sanctuary; for when Moses was about to erect the
tent,n he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything
according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” 6But as it
is, Christo has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the
old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better
promises. 7For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have
been no occasion for a second.
8 For he finds fault with them when he says:
“The days will come, says the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah;
9not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and
Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5above it were the
cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot
now speak in detail.
6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually
into the outer tent,p performing their ritual duties; 7but into the second only
the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood
which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people. 8By this the
Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened as
long as the outer tentp is still standing 9(which is symbolic for the present
age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which
cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10but deal only with food
and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the
time of reformation.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have
come,r then through the greater and more perfect tentp (not made with
hands, that is, not of this creation) 12he entered once for all into the Holy
Place, takings not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus
securing an eternal redemption. 13For if the sprinkling of defiled persons
with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for
the purification of the flesh, 14how much more shall the blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God,
purify yourt conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are
called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has
occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first
covenant.u 16For where a willu is involved, the death of the one who made it
must be established. 17For a willu takes effect only at death, since it is not in
force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18Hence even the first
covenant was not ratified without blood. 19For when every commandment
of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood
of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled
both the book itself and all the people, 20saying, “This is the blood of the
covenant which God commanded you.” 21And in the same way he sprinkled
with the blood both the tentp and all the vessels used in worship. 22Indeed,
under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the
shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Christ’s Sacrifice Takes Away Sin
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be
purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these. 24For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made
with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly with blood not his own; 26for
then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the
world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as it is appointed for men to
die once, and after that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered
once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with
sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All
10 * For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come
instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same
sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those
who draw near. 2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? If
the worshipers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any
consciousness of sin. 3But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year
after year. 4For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take
away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christv came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,’
sanctified. 15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16“This is the covenant that I will make with them
sin.
A Call to Persevere
19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by
the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way which he opened for us
through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have a great
priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of
our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful; 24and let us
consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not
neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
26 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth,
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a fearful prospect of
judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. 28A man
who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of
two or three witnesses. 29How much worse punishment do you think will be
deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the
blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of
grace? 30For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.”
And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God.
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you
endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33sometimes being publicly
exposed to abuse and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so
treated. 34For you had compassion on the prisoners, and you joyfully
accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you
yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35Therefore do not
throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36For you have
need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is
promised.
37“For yet a little while,
and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry;
38but my righteous one shall live by faith,
treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not
being afraid of the anger of the king; for he endured as seeing him who is
invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that
the Destroyer of the first-born might not touch them.
The Faith of Other Heroesin Israel’s History
29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as if on dry land; but the
Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. 30By faith
the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
31By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient,
for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left
without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate
children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to
discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to
the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time at
their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his
holiness. 11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant;
later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been
trained by it.
Exhortation to Be Strong and Avoid Sin
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
13and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put
out of joint but rather be healed. 14Strive for peace with all men, and for the
holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one fail
to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” spring up and cause
trouble, and by it the many become defiled; 16that no one be immoral or
irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17For you
know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was
rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire, and
darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, 19and the sound of a trumpet, and a
voice whose words made the hearers entreat that no further messages be
spoken to them. 20For they could not endure the order that was given, “If
even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21Indeed, so
terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22But you
have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23and to the
assemblyz of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who
is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the
mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more
graciously than the blood of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not
escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall
we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26His voice then shook
the earth; but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only
the earth but also the heaven.” 27This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the
removal of what is shaken, as of what has been made, in order that what
cannot be shaken may remain. 28Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a
kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable
worship, with reverence and awe; 29for our God is a consuming fire.
Sacrifices Well-Pleasing to God
13 * Let brotherly love continue. 2Do not neglect to show hospitality to
strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3Remember
those who are in prison, as though in prison with them; and those who are
ill-treated, since you also are in the body. 4Let marriage be held in honor
among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for God will judge the
immoral and adulterous. 5Keep your life free from love of money, and be
content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never fail you nor
forsake you.” 6Hence we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper,
I will not be afraid;
what can man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God;
consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday and today and for ever. 9Do not be led away by diverse and
strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be strengthened by grace, not
by foods, which have not benefited their adherents. * 10We have an altar
from which those who serve the tenta have no right to eat. 11For the bodies
of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high
priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12So Jesus also
suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own
blood. 13Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing abuse
for him. * 14For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is
to come. 15Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise
to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16Do not neglect
to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to
God.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over
your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully,
and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.
18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to
act honorably in all things. 19I urge you the more earnestly to do this in
order that I may be restored to you the sooner.
Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord
Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,
21equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in youb
that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
Final Exhortation and Greetings
22 I appeal to you, brethren, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have
written to you briefly. 23You should understand that our brother Timothy
has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon. 24Greet all
your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you
greetings. 25Grace be with all of you. Amen.
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James
Chapters
12345
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THE LETTER OF JAMES
Salutation
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes * in the Dispersion:
Greeting.
Faith and Wisdom
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, 3for you
know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let
steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men
generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6But let him
ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7, 8For that person must not suppose
that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything
from the Lord.
Poverty and Riches
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10and the rich in his
humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. 11For
the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls,
and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his
pursuits.
Trial and Temptation
12 Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he
will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love
him. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God
cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; 14but each
person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then
desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown
brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17Every good endowment
and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights
with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.a 18Of his own
will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of
first fruits of his creatures.
19 Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow
to speak, slow to anger, 20for the anger of man does not work the
righteousness of God. 21Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth
of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able
to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. *
23For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who
observes his natural face in a mirror; 24for he observes himself and goes
away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But he who looks into the
perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets
but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.
26 If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but
deceives his heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27Religion that is pure and
undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in
their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Warning against Partiality
2 * My brethren, show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2For if a man with gold rings and in fine
clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also
comes in, 3and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and
say, “Have a seat here, please,” while you say to the poor man, “Stand
there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4have you not made distinctions among
yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved
brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in
faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love
him? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress
you, is it not they who drag you into court? 7Is it not they who blaspheme
that honorable name by which you are called?
8 If you really fulfil the royal law, according to the Scripture, “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. 9But if you show partiality,
you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For
whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all
of it. * 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” said also, “Do not
kill.” If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become a
transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged
under the law of liberty. 13For judgment is without mercy to one who has
shown no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith without Works Is Dead
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not
works? Can his faith save him? * 15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed
and in lack of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be
warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body,
what does it profit? 17So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
18 But some one will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me
your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my
faith. 19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe
—and shudder. 20Do you want to be shown, you foolish fellow, that faith
apart from works is barren? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by
works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? 22You see that faith
was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, 23and
the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was
reckoned to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God.
24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25And in
the same way was not also Ra'hab the harlot justified by works when she
received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26For as the body
apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
Taming the Tongue
3 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that
we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness. 2For we all make
many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a
perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. 3If we put bits into the
mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies.
4Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong
winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot
directs. 5So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How
great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!
6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our
members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature,b and
set on fire by hell.c 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea
creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human
being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it
we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in
the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My
brethren, this ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same
opening fresh water and brackish? 12Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield
olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him
show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter
jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the
truth. 15This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly,
unspiritual, devilish. 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there
will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But the wisdom from above is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good
fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity. 18And the harvest of righteousness
is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Friendship with the World
4 What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not
your passions that are at war in your members? 2You desire and do not
have; so you kill. And you covetd and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage
war. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4Unfaithful
creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with
God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself
an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is in vain that the Scripture says,
“He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us”?
6But he gives more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but
gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and he will draw near to
you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of
double mind. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be
turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. 10Humble yourselves before
the Lord and he will exalt you.
Warning against Judging Another
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil
against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and
judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a
judge. 12There is one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to
destroy. But who are you that you judge your neighbor?
Boasting about Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and
such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain”; 14whereas you
do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that
appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15Instead you ought to say, “If
the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that.” 16As it is, you
boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17Whoever knows what is
right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Warning to Rich Oppressors
5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming
upon you. 2Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.
3Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against
you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasuree * for the last
days. 4Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you
kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the
ears of the Lord of hosts. 5You have lived on the earth in luxury and in
pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6You have
condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you.
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it
receives the early and the late rain. 8You also be patient. Establish your
hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9Do not grumble, brethren,
against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is
standing at the doors. 10As an example of suffering and patience, brethren,
take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11Behold, we call
those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate
and merciful.
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth
or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you
may not fall under condemnation.
The Prayer of Faith
13 * Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let
him sing praise. 14Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of
the Lord; 15and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will
raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore
confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
17Eli'jah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently
that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on
the earth. 18Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth
brought forth its fruit.
19 My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some
one brings him back, 20let him know that whoever brings back a sinner
from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a
multitude of sins.
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1 Peter
Chapters
12345
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THE FIRST LETTER OF PETER
Salutation
1 * Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappado'cia, Asia,
and Bithyn'ia, 2chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the
Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
A Living Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great
mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and to an inheritance which is imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are
guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6In this you rejoice,a though now for a little while you may have to suffer
various trials, 7so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than
gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and
glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8Without having seenb
him youc love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and
rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. 9As the outcome of your faith you
obtain the salvation of your souls.
10 The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours
searched and inquired about this salvation; 11they inquired what person or
time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ * within them when predicting the
sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. 12It was revealed to them that
they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now
been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you
through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to
look.
A Call to Holy Living
13 Therefore gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the
grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient
children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
15but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct;
16since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17And if you invoke
as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds,
conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile. 18You know
that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers,
not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious
blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was
destined before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the
end of the times for your sake. 21Through him you have confidence in God,
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and
hope are in God.d
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere
love of the brethren, love one another earnestly from the heart. 23You have
been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the
living and abiding word of God; 24for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25but the word of the Lord abides for ever.”
That word is the good news which was preached to you.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
2 So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all
slander. 2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it
you may grow up to salvation; 3for you have tasted the kindness of the
Lord.
4 Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight
chosen and precious; 5and like living stones be yourselves built into a
spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and
precious,
and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not
believe,
“The very stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8and
live as servants of God. 17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Honor the emperor.
The Example of Christ’s Suffering
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to the
kind and gentle but also to the overbearing. 19For one is approved if,
mindful of God, he endures pain while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit
is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you take it patiently? But if
when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God’s
approval. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered
for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22He
committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. 23When he was reviled,
he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he
trusted to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on
the tree,g that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds
you have been healed. 25For you were straying like sheep, but have now
returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Wives and Husbands
3 * Likewise you wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that some,
though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the
behavior of their wives, 2when they see your reverent and chaste behavior.
3Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of
gold, and wearing of robes, 4but let it be the hidden person of the heart with
the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is
very precious. 5So once the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn
themselves and were submissive to their husbands, 6as Sarah obeyed
Abraham, calling him lord. And you are now her children if you do right
and let nothing terrify you.
7 Likewise you husbands, live considerately with your wives, bestowing
honor on the woman as the weaker sex, since you are joint heirs of the
grace of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered.
Suffering for Doing Right
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love of the brethren, a
tender heart and a humble mind. 9Do not return evil for evil or reviling for
reviling; but on the contrary bless, for to this you have been called, that you
may obtain a blessing. 10For
“He that would love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking guile;
11let him turn away from evil and do right;
Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15but in your hearts reverence Christ
as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to
account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence;
16and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those who
revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to
suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong.
18For Christ also diedh for sins once for all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh
but made alive in the spirit; 19in which he went and preached to the spirits
in prison, 20who formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the
days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight
persons, were saved through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this,
now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to
God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who
has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels,
authorities, and powers subject to him.
Good Stewards of God’s Grace
4 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh,i arm yourselves with the
same thought, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, *
2so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer by human
passions but by the will of God. 3Let the time that is past suffice for doing
what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness,
revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4They are surprised that you do not
now join them in the same wild debauchery, and they abuse you; 5but they
will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For
this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead, that though judged in
the flesh like men, they might live in the spirit like God.
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your
prayers. 8Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love
covers a multitude of sins. 9Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one
another. 10As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good
stewards of God’s varied grace: 11whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles
of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength
which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.
Suffering as a Christian
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you
to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But
rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice
and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14If you are reproached for the name
of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of gloryj and of God rests upon
you. 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a wrongdoer,
or a mischief-maker; 16yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be
ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God. 17For the time has come
for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us,
what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And
“If the righteous man is scarcely saved,
where will the impious and sinner appear?”
19Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will do right and
all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due
time he may exalt you. 7Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about
you. 8Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. 9Resist him, firm in your faith,
knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your
brotherhood throughout the world. 10And after you have suffered a little
while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in
Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthenm you. 11To him be the
dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings and Benediction
12 By Silva'nus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to
you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God; stand fast in
it. 13She who is at Babylon, * who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings;
and so does my son Mark. 14Greet one another with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you that are in Christ.
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2 Peter
Chapters
123
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THE SECOND LETTER OF PETER
Salutation
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the
righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:a
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and
of Jesus our Lord.
The Christian’s Call and Election
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us tob his own glory
and excellence, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great
promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in
the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. *
5For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with
virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and
self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and
godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8For if
these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For whoever lacks
these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed
from his old sins. 10Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm
your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; 11so there will
be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you
know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13I think it right,
as long as I am in this body,c to arouse you by way of reminder, 14since I
know that the putting off of my bodyc will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ
showed me. 15And I will see to it that after my departure you may be able at
any time to recall these things.
Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory
16 * For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known
to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were
eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For when he received honor and glory from
God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This
is my beloved Son,d with whom I am well pleased,” 18we heard this voice
borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19And we
have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention
to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts. 20First of all you must understand this,
that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
21because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved
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1 John
Chapters
12345
OceanofPDF.com
THE FIRST LETTER OF JOHN
The Word of Life
1 * That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our
hands, concerning the word of life—2the life was made manifest, and we
saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with
the Father and was made manifest to us—3that which we have seen and
heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship * with us;
and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And
we are writing this that oura joy may be complete.
God Is Light
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that
God is light and in him is no darkness * at all. 6If we say we have
fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live
according to the truth; 7but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses
us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will
forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we
have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Christ Is Our Advocate
2 My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but
if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous; 2and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but
also for the sins of the whole world. 3And by this we may be sure that we
know him, if we keep his commandments. * 4He who says “I know him”
but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5but
whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we
may be sure that we are in him: 6he who says he abides in him ought to
walk in the same way in which he walked.
A New Commandment
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old
commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is
the word which you have heard. 8Yet I am writing you a new
commandment, which is true in him and in you, becauseb the darkness is
passing away and the true light is already shining. 9He who says he is in the
light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. 10He who loves his
brother abides in the light, and in itc there is no cause for stumbling. 11But
he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and
does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his
eyes.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for
his sake. 13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from
the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome
the Evil One. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14I
write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I
write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God
abides in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the
world, love for the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the
lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the
Father but is of the world. 17And the world passes away, and the lust of it;
but he who does the will of God abides for ever.
Warning against the Antichrist
18 Children, it is the last hour; * and as you have heard that antichrist is
coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is
the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they
had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that
it might be plain that they all are not of us. 20But you have been anointed by
the Holy One, and you all know.d 21I write to you, not because you do not
know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the
truth. 22Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is
the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23Any one who denies
the Son does not have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father
also. 24Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you
heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and
in the Father. 25And this is what he has promised us,e eternal life.
26 I write this to you about those who would deceive you; 27but the
anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no
need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about
everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him.
Children of God
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may
have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29If you
know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is
born of him.
3 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called
children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us
is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does
not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3And every one who thus hopes in
him purifies himself as he is pure.
4 Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
5You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
6Any one who abides in him does not sin; * any one who sins has not seen
him, nor has he known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. He
who does right is righteous, as he is righteous. 8He who commits sin is of
the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of
God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9Any one born of God
does not commit sin; for God’sf seed abides in him, and he cannot sin
because he isg born of God. 10By this it may be seen who are the children of
God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not
of God, nor he who does not love his brother.
Love One Another
11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that
we should love one another, 12and not be like Cain who was of the Evil One
and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own
deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13Do not wonder, brethren, that
the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed out of death into life,
because we love the brethren. He who does not love remains in death.
15Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16By this we know love, that he
laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren. 17But if any one has the world’s goods and sees his brother in
need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
18Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts
before him 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our
hearts, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn
us, we have confidence before God; 22and we receive from him whatever
we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24All
who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we
know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.
Testing the Spirits
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits * to see
whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the
world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3and every spirit which
does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which
you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already. 4Little
children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is
greater than he who is in the world. 5They are of the world, therefore what
they say is of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are of God.
Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen
to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is
born of God and knows God. 8He who does not love does not know God;
for God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that
God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, so that we might live
through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved
us, we also ought to love one another. 12No man has ever seen God; if we
love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has
given us of his own Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father
has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15Whoever confesses that Jesus
is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16So we know and
believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love
abides in God, and God abides in him. 17In this is love perfected with us,
that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so
are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out
fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected
in love. 19We love, because he first loved us. 20If any one says, “I love
God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his
brother whom he has seen, cannoth love God whom he has not seen. 21And
this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love
his brother also.
Faith Conquers the World
5 Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,
and every one who loves the parent loves the one begotten by him. 2By this
we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his
commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4For
whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that
overcomes the world, our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world but he
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Testimony concerning the Son of God
6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the
water only but with the water and the blood. 7And the Spirit is the witness,
because the Spirit is the truth. 8There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the
water, and the blood; and these three agree. * 9If we receive the testimony
of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that
he has borne witness to his Son. 10He who believes in the Son of God has
the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar,
because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son.
11And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has
not life.
Epilogue
13 I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you
may know that you have eternal life. 14And this is the confidence which we
have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15And
if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have
obtained the requests made of him. 16If any one sees his brother committing
what is not a deadly sin, he will ask, and Godi will give him life for those
whose sin is not deadly. There is sin which is deadly; I do not say that one
is to pray for that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not
deadly.
18 We know that any one born of God does not sin, but He who was born
of God keeps him, and the Evil One does not touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of
the Evil One.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us
understanding, to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in
his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21Little children,
keep yourselves from idols.
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THE SECOND LETTER OF JOHN
Salutation
1 The elder * to the elect lady * and her children, whom I love in the truth,
and not only I but also all who know the truth, 2because of the truth which
abides in us and will be with us for ever:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from
Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
Truth and Love
4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children following the truth, just
as we have been commanded by the Father. 5And now I beg you, lady, not
as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had
from the beginning, that we love one another. 6And this is love, that we
follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard
from the beginning, that you follow love. 7For many deceivers have gone
out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus
Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Look to
yourselves, that you may not lose what youa have worked for, but may win
a full reward. 9Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine
of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the
Father and the Son. 10If any one comes to you and does not bring this
doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; 11for
he who greets him shares his wicked work.
Final Greetings
12 Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and
ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our
joy may be complete.
13 The children * of your elect sister greet you.
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THE THIRD LETTER OF JOHN
Salutation
1 The elder to the beloved Ga'ius, whom I love in the truth.
Gaius Commended for His Service
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in
health; I know that it is well with your soul. 3For I greatly rejoiced when
some of the brethren arrived and testified to the truth of your life, as indeed
you do follow the truth. 4No greater joy can I have than this, to hear that my
children follow the truth.
5 Beloved, it is a loyal thing you do when you render any service to the
brethren, especially to strangers, 6who have testified to your love before the
Church. You will do well to send them on their journey as befits God’s
service. 7For they have set out for his sake and have accepted nothing from
the heathen. 8So we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow
workers in the truth.
Diotrephes and Demetrius
9 I have written something to the Church; but Diot'rephes, who likes to
put himself first, does not acknowledge my authority. 10So if I come, I will
bring up what he is doing, accusing me falsely with evil words. And not
content with that, he refuses himself to welcome the brethren, and also
stops those who want to welcome them and puts them out of the Church.
11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who does good is of
God; he who does evil has not seen God. 12Deme'trius * has testimony from
every one, and from the truth itself; I testify to him too, and you know my
testimony is true.
Final Greetings
13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and
ink; 14I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.
15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, every one of
them.
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THE LETTER OF JUDE
Salutation
1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus
Christ:
2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
Occasion of the Letter
3 Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I
found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which
was once for all delivered to the saints. 4For admission has been secretly
gained by some who long ago were designated for this condemnation,
ungodly persons who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and
deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.a
Judgment on the Ungodly
5 Now I desire to remind you, though you were once for all fully
informed, that heb who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward
destroyed those who did not believe. 6And the angels that did not keep their
own position but left their proper dwelling have been kept by him in eternal
chains in the deepest darkness until the judgment of the great day; * 7just as
Sodom and Gomor'rah and the surrounding cities, which likewise acted
immorally and indulged in unnatural lust, serve as an example by
undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet in like manner these men in their dreamings defile the flesh, reject
authority, and revile the glorious ones.c 9But when the archangel Michael,
contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not
presume to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him, but said, “The Lord
rebuke you.” * 10But these men revile whatever they do not understand, and
by those things that they know by instinct as irrational animals do, they are
destroyed. 11Woe to them! For they walk in the way of Cain, and abandon
themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error, and perish in Ko'rah’s
rebellion. 12These are blemishesd on your love feasts, as they boldly
carouse together, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, carried along
by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13wild waves
of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars for
whom the deepest darkness has been reserved for ever.
14 It was of these also that Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam
prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with myriads of his holy ones,
15to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their
the fire; on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment spotted by
the flesh.e
Benediction
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you
without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 25to the
only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty,
dominion, and authority, before all time and now and for ever. Amen.
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Revelation
Chapters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
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THE REVELATION TO JOHN (THE APOCALYPSE)
Introduction and Salutation
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his
servants what must soon take place; and he made it known by sending his
angel to his servant John, 2who bore witness to the word of God and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3Blessed is he who reads
aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who
keep what is written therein; for the time is near.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: *
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to
come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus
Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings
on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6and
made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7Behold, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the
earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who
was and who is to come, the Almighty.
A Vision of Christ
9 I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the
kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on
account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10I was in the Spirit
on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
11saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches,
to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Per'gamum and to Thyati'ra and to Sardis
and to Philadelphia and to La-odice'a.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I
saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like
a Son of man, * clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his
chest; 14his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his
eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined
as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; 16in his
right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged
sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right
hand upon me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living
one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of
Death and Hades. 19Now write what you see, what is and what is to take
place hereafter. 20As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in
my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven
churches.
The Message to Ephesus
2 “To the angel of the Church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who
holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden
lampstands.
2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how
you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call themselves
apostles but are not, and found them to be false; 3I know you are enduring
patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown
weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you
had at first. 5Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the
works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand
from its place, unless you repent. 6Yet this you have, you hate the works of
the Nicola'itans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will grant to eat of
the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
The Message to Smyrna
8 “And to the angel of the Church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first
and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the
slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue
of Satan. 10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is
about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten
days * you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you
the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches. He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.’
The Message to Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the Church in Per'gamum write: ‘The words of
him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; you hold fast my
name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of An'tipas my
witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
14But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the
teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the
sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice
immorality. 15So you also have some who hold the teaching of the
Nicola'itans. 16Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against
them with the sword of my mouth. 17He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will give some of the
hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written
on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it.’
The Message to Thyatira
18 “And to the angel of the Church in Thyati'ra write: ‘The words of the
Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like
burnished bronze.
19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient
endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20But I have this
against you, that you tolerate the woman Jez'ebel, who calls herself a
prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice
immorality * and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21I gave her time to repent,
but she refuses to repent of her immorality. * 22Behold, I will throw her on a
sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great
tribulation, unless they repent of her doings; 23and I will strike her children
dead. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches mind and
heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24But to the rest
of you in Thyati'ra, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned
what some call the deep things of Satan, * to you I say, I do not lay upon
you any other burden; 25only hold fast what you have, until I come. 26He
who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power
over the nations, 27and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when
earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power
from my Father; 28and I will give him the morning star. * 29He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
The Message to Sardis
3 “And to the angel of the Church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him
who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“ ‘I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead.
2Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I
have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3Remember then
what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I
will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon
you. 4Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled
their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
5He who conquers shall be clothed like them in white garments, and I will
not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my
Father and before his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches.’
The Message to Philadelphia
7 “And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the
holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one
shall shut, who shuts and no one opens.
8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door,
which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet
you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9Behold, I will make
those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but
lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and
learn that I have loved you. 10Because you have kept my word of patient
endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the
whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. 11I am coming soon;
hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12He who
conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he
go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of
the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God
out of heaven, and my own new name. * 13He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.’
The Message to La-odicea
14 “And to the angel of the Church in La-odice'a write: ‘The words of the
Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you
were cold or hot! 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spew you out of my mouth. 17For you say, I am rich, I have
prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable,
poor, blind, and naked. 18Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold
refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and
to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint
your eyes, that you may see. 19Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten;
so be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any
one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with
him, and he with me. 21He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on
my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his
throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.’ ”
The Heavenly Worship
4 After this I looked, and behold, in heaven an open door! And the first
voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up
here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2At once I was in
the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the
throne! 3And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian, and round
the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald. * 4Round the throne
were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four
elders, * clothed in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads.
5From the throne issue flashes of lightning, and voices and peals of thunder,
and before the throne burn seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits
of God; 6and before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living
creatures, * full of eyes in front and behind: 7the first living creature like a
lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the
face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 8And the
four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round
and within, and day and night they never cease to sing,
“Holy, holy, holy, * is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
9And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to
him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-
four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship
him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne,
singing,
11“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and
thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb
who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and
honor and glory and blessing!” 13And I heard every creature in heaven and
on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, “To him
who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory
and might for ever and ever!” 14And the four living creatures said, “Amen!”
and the elders fell down and worshiped.
The Seven Seals
6 * Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I
heard one of the four living creatures say, as with a voice of thunder,
“Come!” 2And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow;
and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
3 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say,
“Come!” 4And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to
take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another; and he was
given a great sword.
5 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say,
“Come!” And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a balance *
in his hand; 6and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four
living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,a and three quarts
of barley for a denarius;a but do not harm oil and wine!”
7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living
creature say, “Come!” 8And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider’s
name was Death, and Hades followed him; and they were given power over
a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence
and by wild beasts of the earth.
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those
who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne;
10they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how
long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon
the earth?” 11Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little
longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should
be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
12 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great
earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became
like blood, 13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its
winter fruit when shaken by a gale; 14the sky vanished like a scroll that is
rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the generals and the
rich and the strong, and every one, slave and free, hid in the caves and
among the rocks of the mountains, 16calling to the mountains and rocks,
“Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne,
and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17for the great day of their wrath has
come, and who can stand before it?”
The 144,000 of Israel Sealed
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth
or sea or against any tree. 2Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising
of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice
to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3saying,
“Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the
servants of our God upon their foreheads.” 4And I heard the number of the
sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand * sealed, out of every tribe of the
sons of Israel, 5twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve
thousand of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand of the tribe of Gad,
6twelve thousand of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand of the tribe of
four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and
worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and
thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and
ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed
in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you
know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great
tribulation; * they have washed their robes and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb.
15Therefore are they before the throne of God,
the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
hand of the angel before God. 5Then the angel took the censer and filled it
with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth; * and there were peals of
thunder, loud noises, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
The Seven Angels and Seven Trumpets
6 Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow
them.
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed
with blood, which fell on the earth; and a third of the earth was burnt up,
and a third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great
mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea; 9and a third of the sea
became blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of
the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven,
blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the fountains
of water. 11The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters
became wormwood, and many men died of the water, because it was made
bitter.
12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck,
and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light
was darkened; a third of the day was kept from shining, and likewise a third
of the night.
13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice, as it flew
in midheaven, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts
of the other trumpets which the three angels are about to blow!”
9 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star * fallen from
heaven to earth, and he was given the key of the shaft of the bottomless pit;
2he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke
like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened
with the smoke from the shaft. 3Then from the smoke came locusts on the
earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth;
4they were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green growth or
any tree, but only those of mankind who have not the seal of God upon their
foreheads; 5they were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to
kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion, when it stings
a man. 1And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will
long to die, and death will fly from them.
7 In appearance the locusts were like horses arrayed for battle; on their
heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human
faces, 8their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; 9they
had scales like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings was like the
noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 10They have tails
like scorpions, and stings, and their power of hurting men for five months
lies in their tails. 11They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless
pit; his name in Hebrew is Abad'don, and in Greek he is called Apol'lyon.b
12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the
four horns of the golden altar before God, 14saying to the sixth angel who
had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river
Euphra'tes.” * 15So the four angels were released, who had been held ready
for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, to kill a third of mankind.
16The number of the troops of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten
thousand; I heard their number. 17And this was how I saw the horses in my
vision: the riders wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphirec and of
sulphur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and
smoke and sulphur issued from their mouths. 18By these three plagues a
third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulphur issuing from
their mouths. 19For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their
tails; their tails are like serpents, with heads, and by means of them they
wound.
20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not
repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols
of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot either see
or hear or walk; 21nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or
their immorality * or their thefts.
The Angel with the Little Scroll
10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven,
wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the
sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2He had a little scroll open in his hand.
And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3and called
out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring; when he called out, the seven
thunders sounded. 4And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about
to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven
thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5And the angel whom I saw
standing on sea and land lifted up his right hand to heaven 6and swore by
him who lives for ever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the
earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there should be no
more delay, 7but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the
seventh angel, the mystery of God, * as he announced to his servants the
prophets, should be fulfilled.
8 Then the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again,
saying, “Go, take the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who is
standing on the sea and on the land.” 9So I went to the angel and told him to
give me the little scroll; and he said to me, “Take it and eat; it will be bitter
to your stomach, but sweet * as honey in your mouth.” 10And I took the
little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in
my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11And I
was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and
tongues and kings.”
The Two Witnesses
11 * Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told: “Rise
and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there,
2but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is
given over to the nations, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-
two months. * 3And I will grant my two witnesses * power to prophesy for
one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before
the Lord of the earth. 5And if any one would harm them, fire pours from
their mouth and consumes their foes; if any one would harm them, thus he
is doomed to be killed. 6They have power to shut the sky, that no rain may
fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the
waters to turn them into blood, and to afflict the earth with every plague, as
often as they desire. 7And when they have finished their testimony, the
beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will make war upon them and
conquer them and kill them, 8and their dead bodies will lie in the street of
the great city * which is allegoricallyd called Sodom and Egypt, where their
Lord was crucified. 9For three days and a half men from the peoples and
tribes and tongues and nations gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let
them be placed in a tomb, 10and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice
over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two
prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11But after the
three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood
up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12Then they
heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And in
the sight of their foes they went up to heaven in a cloud. 13And at that hour
there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand
people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave
glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in
heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our
Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.” 16And the
twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces
and worshiped God, 17saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were,
that you have taken your great power and begun to reign.
18The nations raged, but your wrath came,
delivery. 3And another sign appeared in heaven; behold, a great red dragon,
with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads. 4His tail
swept down a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And
the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, that he
might devour her child when she brought it forth; 5she brought forth a male
child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was
caught up to God and to his throne, 6and the woman fled into the
wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which to be
nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Michael Defeats the Dragon
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the
dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8but they were defeated and
there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9And the great dragon
was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan,
the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his
angels were thrown down with him. 10And I heard a loud voice in heaven,
saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and
the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has
been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11And
they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their
testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12Rejoice then, O
heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the
devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time
is short!”
The Dragon Makes War against the Woman’s Offspring
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth,
he pursued the woman who had borne the male child. 14But the woman was
given the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent
into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and
times, and half a time. * 15The serpent poured water like a river out of his
mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. 16But the earth
came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and
swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17Then
the dragon was angry with the woman, * and went off to make war on the
rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and
bear testimony to Jesus. And he stoode on the sand of the sea.
The Beast from the Sea
13 And I saw a beast * rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven
heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its
heads. 2And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a
bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his
power and his throne and great authority. 3One of its heads seemed to have
a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth
followed the beast with wonder. 4Men worshiped the dragon, for he had
given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who
is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous
words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months; 6it
opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name
and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7Also it was allowed to
make war on the saints and to conquer them.f And authority was given it
over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, 8and all who dwell on
earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the
foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. 9If
any one has an ear, let him hear:
10If any one is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if any one slays with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.
The Beast from the Earth
11 Then I saw another beast * which rose out of the earth; it had two horns
like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12It exercises all the authority of the
first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship
the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13It works great signs, even
making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men; 14and by
the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it
deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the
beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived; 15and it was allowed
to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should
even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the
beast to be slain. 16Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and
poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,
17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of
the beast or the number of its name. 18This calls for wisdom: let him who
has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number,
its number is six hundred and sixty-six.g *
The Lamb and the 144,000
14 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with
him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s
name written on their foreheads. 2And I heard a voice from heaven like the
sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard
was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3and they sing a new
song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the
elders. No one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four
thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. 4It is these who have not
defiled themselves with women, for they are chaste;h * it is these who
follow the Lamb wherever he goes; these have been redeemed from
mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, 5and in their mouth no lie was
found, for they are spotless.
The Messages of the Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to
proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue
and people; 7and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory,
for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven
and earth, the sea and the fountains of water.”
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon *
the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of her impure passion.”
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If
any one worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his
forehead or on his hand, 10he also shall drink the wine of God’s wrath,
poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and he shall be tormented with
fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of
the Lamb. 11And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and
they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image,
and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the
dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit,
“that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
Reaping the Earth’s Harvest
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one
like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his
hand. 15And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice
to him who sat upon the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to
reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16So he who sat
upon the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a
sharp sickle. 18Then another angel came out from the altar, the angel who
has power over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him who had the
sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the
earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19So the angel swung his sickle on the earth
and gathered the vintage of the earth, and threw it into the great wine press
of the wrath of God; 20and the wine press was trodden outside the city, and
blood flowed from the wine press, as high as a horse’s bridle, for one
thousand six hundred stadia.i
The Angels with the Seven Last Plagues
15 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful, seven
angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of
God is ended.
2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire, and
those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its
name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.
3And they sing the song of Moses, * the servant of God, and the song of the
Lamb, saying,
“Great and wonderful are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the ages!j
4Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord?
Armaged'don. *
17 The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air, and a great voice came
out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18And there were
flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake
such as had never been since men were on the earth, so great was that
earthquake. 19The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the
nations fell, and God remembered great Babylon, to make her drain the cup
of the fury of his wrath. 20And every island fled away, and no mountains
were to be found; 21and great hailstones, heavy as a hundredweight,
dropped on men from heaven, till men cursed God for the plague of the
hail, so fearful was that plague.
The Great Whore and the Beast
17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and
said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot * who
is seated upon many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth have
committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication * the
dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3And he carried me away in the
Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which
was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4The
woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels
and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the
impurities of her fornication; 5and on her forehead was written a name of
mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth’s
abominations.” 6And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints
and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
When I saw her I marveled greatly. 7But the angel said to me, “Why
marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with
seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8The beast that you saw was, and
is not, and is to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to perdition; and the
dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life
from the foundation of the world, will marvel to behold the beast, because it
was and is not and is to come. 9This calls for a mind with wisdom: the
seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is seated; 10they are also
seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come,
and when he comes he must remain only a little while. 11As for the beast
that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to
perdition. 12And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet
received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one
hour, together with the beast. 13These are of one mind and give over their
power and authority to the beast; 14they will make war on the Lamb, and
the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and
those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
15 And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the harlot is
seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16And the ten
horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot; they will make
her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17for
God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one
mind and giving over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God
shall be fulfilled. 18And the woman that you saw is the great city which has
dominion over the kings of the earth.”
The Fall of Babylon
18 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having
great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. 2And he
called out with a mighty voice,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
It has become a dwelling place of demons,
a haunt of every foul spirit,
a haunt of every foul and hateful bird;
3for all nations have drunkk the wine of her impure passion,
and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich with the wealth of her
wantonness.”
4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
and all your delicacies and your splendor are lost to you, never to be
found again!”
15The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand
And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on
the sea, stood far off 18and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,
“What city was like the great city?”
19And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying
out,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth!
In one hour she has been laid waste.
20Rejoice over her, O heaven,
O saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has given judgment for you against her!”
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it
into the sea, saying,
“So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
and shall be found no more;
22and the sound of harpists and minstrels, of flute players and
trumpeters,
shall be heard in you no more;
and a craftsman of any craft
shall be found in you no more;
and the sound of the millstone
shall be heard in you no more;
23and the light of a lamp
he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her
fornication,
and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3Once more they cried,
“Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”
4And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and
sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying,
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
7Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in
a robe dipped inm blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of
God. 14And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure,
followed him on white horses. 15From his mouth issues a sharp sword with
which to strike the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will
tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his
robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of
lords.
The Beast and Its Armies Defeated
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he
called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, gather for the great
supper of God, 18to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of
mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men,
both free and slave, both small and great.” 19And I saw the beast and the
kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who
sits upon the horse and against his army. 20And the beast was captured, and
with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which
he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who
worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that
burns with brimstone. 21And the rest were slain by the sword of him who
sits upon the horse, the sword that issues from his mouth; and all the birds
were gorged with their flesh.
The Thousand Years
20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand
the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2And he seized the dragon,
that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years, 3and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over
him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years
were ended. * After that he must be let out for a little while.
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment
was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for
their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not
worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their
foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with Christ a
thousand years. 5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand
years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he who
shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power,
but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him
a thousand years.
Satan’s Doom
7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his
prison 8and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four
corners of the earth, that is, Gog and Ma'gog, to gather them for battle; their
number is like the sand of the sea. 9And they marched up over the broad
earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city; but fire
came down from heavenn and consumed them, 10and the devil who had
deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the
beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night
for ever and ever.
The Dead Are Judged
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; from his
presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12And I
saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were
opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the
dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done.
13And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in
them, and all were judged by what they had done. 14Then Death and Hades
were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire;
15and if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was
or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
River of the Water of Life
22 Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the
street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of lifer with its
twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree
were for the healing of the nations. 3There shall no more be anything
accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his
servants shall worship him; 4they shall see his face, and his name shall be
on their foreheads. 5And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp
or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and
ever.
6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the
Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his
servants what must soon take place. 7And behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.
Epilogue and Benediction
8 I John am he who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and
saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them
to me; 9but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with
you and your brethren the prophets, and with those who keep the words of
this book. Worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this
book, for the time is near. 11Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still
be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every
one for what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the
last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,s that they may have the right
to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15Outside are
the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and
every one who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I Jesus have sent my angel to you with this testimony for the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let him who hears say,
“Come.” And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the
water of life without price.
18 I warn every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if
any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this
book, 19and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy
city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints.t Amen.
OceanofPDF.com
PARALLEL NOTES
THE BOOK OF GENESIS
Gen 1:1: Jn 1:1. Back to text.
Gen 1:26, 27: Gen 5:1; Mt 19:4; Mk 10:6; Col 3:10; Jas 3:9. Back to
text.
Gen 2:1–3: Ex 20:11. Back to text.
Gen 2:2: Heb 4:4, 10. Back to text.
Gen 2:7: 1 Cor 15:45, 47. Back to text.
Gen 2:9: Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19. Back to text.
Gen 2:24: Mt 19:5; Mk 10:7; 1 Cor 6:16; Eph 5:31. Back to text.
Gen 3:1: Rev 12:9; 20:2. Back to text.
Gen 3:4: 2 Cor 11:3. Back to text.
Gen 3:13: 2 Cor 11:3. Back to text.
Gen 3:14, 15: Rev 12:9; 20:2. Back to text.
Gen 3:17, 18: Heb 6:8. Back to text.
Gen 3:22, 24: Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19. Back to text.
Gen 4:4: Heb 11:4. Back to text.
Gen 4:8: 1 Jn 3:12. Back to text.
Gen 5:1: Gen 1:27. Back to text.
Gen 5:24: Heb 11:5. Back to text.
Gen 6:4: Num 13:33. Back to text.
Gen 7:7: Mt 24:38; Lk 17:27. Back to text.
Gen 9:4: Lev 7:26, 27; 17:10–14; Deut 12:16, 23. Back to text.
Gen 12:1: Acts 7:3; Heb 11:8. Back to text.
Gen 12:2: Gen 15:5; 17:4, 5; 18:18; 22:17; 28:14; 32:12; 35:11; 46:3.
Back to text.
Gen 12:3: Gen 18:18; 22:17, 18; 26:4; 28:14; Gal 3:8. Back to text.
Gen 12:7: Gen 13:15; 15:18; 17:8; 24:7; 26:3; 28:4, 13; 35:12; 48:4;
Acts 7:5; Gal 3:16. Back to text.
Gen 12:10–20: Gen 20:1–18; 26:7–11. Back to text.
Gen 13:15: Acts 7:5; Gal 3:16. Back to text.
Gen 14:17–20: Heb 7:1–10. Back to text.
Gen 15:4: Gen 17:16, 21; 18:10; 21:2. Back to text.
Gen 15:5: Rom 4:18; Heb 11:12. Back to text.
Gen 15:6: Rom 4:3, 9, 22, 23; Gal 3:6. Back to text.
Gen 15:13, 14: Acts 7:6, 7. Back to text.
Gen 15:18: Gen 17:2, 7, 9–14, 21. Back to text.
Gen 17:5: Rom 4:17. Back to text.
Gen 17:7: Lk 1:55; Gal 3:16. Back to text.
Gen 17:8: Acts 7:5. Back to text.
Gen 17:10: Acts 7:8. Back to text.
Gen 17:11–14: Gen 17:24; 21:4. Back to text.
Gen 18:10: Rom 9:9. Back to text.
Gen 18:12: 1 Pet 3:6. Back to text.
Gen 18:14: Mt 19:26; Mk 10:27; Lk 1:37; Rom 9:9. Back to text.
Gen 18:18: Gen 12:3; Acts 3:25; Gal 3:8. Back to text.
Gen 19:24, 25: Lk 17:29. Back to text.
Gen 19:26: Lk 17:32. Back to text.
Gen 19:28: Rev 9:2. Back to text.
Gen 21:4: Acts 7:8. Back to text.
Gen 21:10: Gal 4:30. Back to text.
Gen 21:12: Rom 9:7; Heb 11:18. Back to text.
Gen 21:31: Gen 26:33. Back to text.
Gen 22:1–18: Heb 11:17–19. Back to text.
Gen 22:9, 10, 12: Jas 2:21. Back to text.
Gen 22:16, 17: Lk 1:73; Heb 6:13, 14; 11:12. Back to text.
Gen 22:18: Acts 3:25; Gal 3:16. Back to text.
Gen 23:4: Heb 11:9, 13. Back to text.
Gen 23:16, 17: Acts 7:16. Back to text.
Gen 25:13–16: 1 Chron 1:29–31. Back to text.
Gen 26:33: Gen 21:31. Back to text.
Gen 27:5: Gen 12:3; Num 24:9. Back to text.
Gen 36:2: Gen 26:34; 28:9. Back to text.
Gen 36:20–28: 1 Chron 1:38–42. Back to text.
Gen 36:31–43: 1 Chron 1:43–53. Back to text.
Gen 37:11, 28: Acts 7:9. Back to text.
Gen 39:1, 2, 21: Acts 7:9. Back to text.
Gen 41:38–45: Acts 7:10. Back to text.
Gen 41:54: Acts 7:11. Back to text.
Gen 42:2: Acts 7:12. Back to text.
Gen 42:5: Acts 7:11. Back to text.
Gen 45:1: Acts 7:13. Back to text.
Gen 46:6: Acts 7:14, 15. Back to text.
Gen 46.8–27: Ex 1:1–4; Num 26:4–50. Back to text.
Gen 46:27: Acts 7:14. Back to text.
Gen 49:9, 10: Num 24:9; Rev 5:5. Back to text.
Gen 50:13: Acts 7:16. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF EXODUS
Ex 1:1–4: Gen 46:8–27; Num 26:4–50. Back to text.
Ex 1:5–8: Acts 7:14–18. Back to text.
Ex 1:10, 11, 22: Acts 7:19. Back to text.
Ex 2:2: Acts 7:20; Heb 11:23. Back to text.
Ex 2:5, 10: Acts 7:21. Back to text.
Ex 2:11: Acts 7:23; Heb 11:24. Back to text.
Ex 2:12: Acts 7:24. Back to text.
Ex 2:14: Acts 7:27, 28. Back to text.
Ex 2:15, 22: Acts 7:29. Back to text.
Ex 2:24: Acts 7:34. Back to text.
Ex 3:1—4:17: Ex 6:2–13. Back to text.
Ex 3:2: Acts 7:30. Back to text.
Ex 3:5: Acts 7:33. Back to text.
Ex 3:6: Mt 22:32; Mk 12:26; Lk 20:37; Acts 3–13; 7:32. Back to text.
Ex 4:19: Acts 7:34. Back to text.
Ex 6:1, 6: Acts 13:17. Back to text.
Ex 6:14–16: Gen 46:8–11; Num 26:5–14. Back to text.
Ex 6:16–19: Num 3:15–20; 26:57–58; 1 Chron 6:1, 16–19. Back to text.
Ex 6:20–23: Num 26:58–60. Back to text.
Ex 7:3: Acts 7:36. Back to text.
Ex 9:16: Rom 9:17. Back to text.
Ex 12:13: Heb 11:28. Back to text.
Ex 12:40: Acts 7:6. Back to text.
Ex 12:46: Num 9:12; Jn 19:36. Back to text.
Ex 12:49: Lev 24:22; Num 9:14; 15:15, 16, 29. Back to text.
Ex 13:2, 12, 15: Lk 2:23. Back to text.
Ex 13:19: Gen 50:25. Back to text.
Ex 14:8: Acts 13:17. Back to text.
Ex 14:12: Ex 16:3; 17:3. Back to text.
Ex 16:3: Ex 14:12; 17:3. Back to text.
Ex 16:4, 13: Jn 6:31. Back to text.
Ex 16:18: 2 Cor 8:15. Back to text.
Ex 17:3: 14:12; 16:3. Back to text.
Ex 17:14: Deut 25:17–19; 1 Sam 15:2–9. Back to text.
Ex 18:3, 4: Acts 7:29. Back to text.
Ex 19:5, 6: Deut 7:6; 14:2, 21; 26:19; Tit 2.14; 1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:6; 5:10.
Back to text.
Ex 19:12–19: Heb 12:18–20. Back to text.
Ex 20:2–17: Deut 5:6–21. Back to text.
Ex 20:3: Ex 20:23; Deut 5:7. Back to text.
Ex 20:4: Ex 20:23; 34:17; Lev 19:4; 26:1; Deut 4:15–19; 5:8; 27:15.
Back to text.
Ex 20:5, 6: Ex 23:24; 34:6, 7, 14; Deut 4:24; 5:9, 10; 7:9. Back to text.
Ex 20:7: Lev 19:12; Deut 5:11. Back to text.
Ex 20:8: Ex 23:12; 31:12–17; 34:21; 35:2, 3; Lev 19:3; Deut 5:12–15.
Back to text.
Ex 20:12–16: Mt 19:18, 19; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20. Back to text.
Ex 20:12: Lev 19:3; Deut 5:16; Mt 15:4; Mk 7:10; Eph 6:2. Back to text.
Ex 20:13: Gen 9:6; Ex 21:12; Lev 24:17; Deut 5:17; Mt 5:21; Jas 2:11.
Back to text.
Ex 20:13–17: Rom 13:9. Back to text.
Ex 20:14: Lev 20:10; Deut 5:18; Mt 5:27; Rom 7:7. Back to text.
Ex 20:15: Lev 19:11; Deut 5:19. Back to text.
Ex 20:16: Ex 23:1; Deut 5:20. Back to text.
Ex 20:17: Deut 5:21; Rom 7:7. Back to text.
Ex 20:23: Ex 20:3, 4; 34:17; Deut 27:15. Back to text.
Ex 20:24: Ex 27:1–8; Deut 12:5; 26:2. Back to text.
Ex 20:25: Deut 27:5, 6. Back to text.
Ex 21:2–11: Lev 25:39–46; Deut 15:12–18. Back to text.
Ex 21:12: Ex 20:13; Lev 24:17; Deut 5:17; Mt 5:21. Back to text.
Ex 21:13: Num 35:10–34; Deut 19:1–13; Josh 20:1–9. Back to text.
Ex 21:16: Deut 24:7. Back to text.
Ex 21:17: Lev 20:9; Mt 15:4; Mk 7:10. Back to text.
Ex 21:23–25: Lev 24:19–20; Deut 19:21; Mt 5:38. Back to text.
Ex 22:7–15: Lev 5:14—6:7; Num 5:5–8. Back to text.
Ex 22:16–17: Deut 22:28, 29. Back to text.
Ex 22:18: Lev 20:27; Deut 18:10. Back to text.
Ex 22:19: Lev 18:23; 20:15, 16; Deut 27:21. Back to text.
Ex 22:21: Ex 23:9; Lev 19:33, 34; Deut 27:19. Back to text.
Ex 22:22: Deut 24:17. Back to text.
Ex 22:25–27: Lev 25:36, 37; Deut 23:19, 20. Back to text.
Ex 22:28: Acts 23:5. Back to text.
Ex 22:29: Ex 23:16, 19; Deut 26:2–11; Ex 13:2, 11–16. Back to text.
Ex 22:31: Ex 19:6; Lev 11:44; 19:1; 7:24; 17:15. Back to text.
Ex 23:1: Ex 20:16; 23:7; Deut 5:20; 19:15–21. Back to text.
Ex 23:3, 6: Lev 19:15. Back to text.
Ex 23:7: Ex 20:16; 23:1. Back to text.
Ex 23:8: Deut 16:19. Back to text.
Ex 23:9: Ex 22:21; Lev 19:33, 34; Deut 27:19. Back to text.
Ex 23:10, 11: Lev 25:1–7. Back to text.
Ex 23:12: Ex 20:8–11; 31:15–17; 34:21; 35:2; Deut 5:12–15. Back to
text.
Ex 23:14–17: Ex 34:22–24; Lev 23:1–44; Deut 16:1–17. Back to text.
Ex 23:18: Ex 12:10; 34:25; Lev 2:11; 7:15. Back to text.
Ex 23:19: Ex 22:29; 34:26; Deut 26:2–11; 14:21. Back to text.
Ex 24:8: Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 9:20; 10:29.
Back to text.
Ex 24:12: 2 Cor 3:3. Back to text.
25–31: Ex 35–40. Back to text.
Ex 25:2–8: Ex 35:4–9. Back to text.
Ex 25:10–22: Ex 37:1–9. Back to text.
Ex 25:23–30: Ex 37:10–15. Back to text.
Ex 25:30: Ex 39:36; 40:23; Lev 24:5–9. Back to text.
Ex 25:31–40: Ex 37:17–24. Back to text.
Ex 25:40: Acts 7:44; Heb 8:5. Back to text.
Ex 26:1–14: Ex 36:8–19. Back to text.
Ex 26:15–29: Ex 36:20–34. Back to text.
Ex 26:31–37: Ex 36:35–38. Back to text.
Ex 27:1–8: Ex 38:1–7. Back to text.
Ex 27:9–19: Ex 38:9–20. Back to text.
Ex 27:20–21: Lev 24:1–4. Back to text.
Ex 28:6–12: Ex 39:2–7. Back to text.
Ex 28:15–28: Ex 39:8–21. Back to text.
Ex 28:31–34: Ex 39:22–26. Back to text.
Ex 28:36, 37: Ex 39:30, 31. Back to text.
Ex 28:39, 40, 42: Ex 39:27–29. Back to text.
Ex 29:1–37: Lev 8:1–34. Back to text.
Ex 29:18: Eph 5:2; Phil 4:18. Back to text.
Ex 29:38–42: Num 28:3–10. Back to text.
Ex 30:1–5: Ex 37:25–29. Back to text.
Ex 30:11–16: Ex 38:25, 26. Back to text.
Ex 30:18: Ex 38:8. Back to text.
Ex 30:22–33: Ex 37:29. Back to text.
Ex 31:1–6: Ex 35:30—36:1. Back to text.
Ex 31:12–17: Ex 20:8; 23:12; 35:2; Deut 5:12–15. Back to text.
Ex 32:1–6: Acts 7:40, 41. Back to text.
Ex 32:6: 1 Cor 10:7. Back to text.
Ex 32:9–14: Ex 32:31–35; Num 14:11–25. Back to text.
Ex 32:23: Acts 7:40. Back to text.
Ex 32:32, 33: Rev 3:5. Back to text.
Ex 33:3: Acts 7:51. Back to text.
Ex 33:11: Num 12:8; Deut 34:10. Back to text.
Ex 33:19: Rom 9:15. Back to text.
Ex 34:6: Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Jon 4:2. Back to
text.
Ex 34:14: Ex 20:5; 34:7; Deut 4:24; 5:9. Back to text.
Ex 34:17: Ex 20:4. Back to text.
Ex 34:18: Ex 12:15–20. Back to text.
Ex 34:19–20: Ex 13:2, 11–16. Back to text.
Ex 34:21: Ex 20:8–10; 23:12; 31:12–17; 35:2; Deut 5:12–15. Back to
text.
Ex 34:22–24: Ex 23:14–17; Lev 23:1–44; Deut 16:1–17. Back to text.
Ex 34:25: Ex 23:18; Lev 2:11; Ex 12:10. Back to text.
Ex 34:26: Ex 23:19; Deut 14:21; 26:2–11. Back to text.
Ex 34:29–35: 2 Cor 3:7–16. Back to text.
Ex 35:2, 3: Ex 23:12; 31:12–17; 34:21; Deut 5:12–15. Back to text.
Ex 35:4–9: Ex 25:1–9. Back to text.
Ex 35:30—36:1: Ex 31:1–6. Back to text.
Ex 36:8–19: Ex 26:1–14. Back to text.
Ex 36:20–34: Ex 26:15–29. Back to text.
Ex 36:35–38: Ex 26:31–37. Back to text.
Ex 37:1–9: Ex 25:10–22. Back to text.
Ex 37:10–16: Ex 25:23–29. Back to text.
Ex 37:17–24: Ex 25:31–39. Back to text.
Ex 37:25–29: Ex 30:1–5. Back to text.
Ex 38:1–7: Ex 27:1–8. Back to text.
Ex 38:8: Ex 30:18. Back to text.
Ex 38:9–20: Ex 27:9–19. Back to text.
Ex 38:25, 26: Ex 30:11–16. Back to text.
Ex 39:2–7: Ex 28:6–12. Back to text.
Ex 39:8–21: Ex 28:15–28. Back to text.
Ex 39:22–26: Ex 28:31–34. Back to text.
Ex 39:27–29: Ex 28:39, 40, 42. Back to text.
Ex 39:30–31: Ex 28:36, 37. Back to text.
Ex 39:36: Ex 25:30; 40:23; Lev 24:5–9. Back to text.
Ex 40:23: Ex 25:30; 39:36; Lev 24:5–9. Back to text.
Ex 40:30–32: Ex 30:18–21. Back to text.
Ex 40:34: Rev 15:8. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS
Lev 3:1–17: Lev 7:11–18. Back to text.
Lev 4:2–12: Num 15:27–29. Back to text.
Lev 4:13–21: Num 15:22–26. Back to text.
Lev 6:1–7: Ex 22:7–15; Num 5:5–8. Back to text.
Lev 8:1–36: Ex 29:1–37. Back to text.
Lev 9:18–21: Lev 3:1–11. Back to text.
Lev 10:8: Ezek 44:21. Back to text.
Lev 10:12, 13: Lev 6:14–18. Back to text.
Lev 10:14, 15: Lev 7:30–34. Back to text.
Lev 11:2–47: Deut 14:3–21. Back to text.
Lev 11:44–45: Lev 19:2; 20:7, 26; 1 Pet 1:16. Back to text.
Lev 11:46: Num 5:2, 3. Back to text.
Lev 12:1–8: Lk 2:22–24. Back to text.
Lev 14:2–32: Mt 8:4; Mk 1:44; Lk 5:14; 17:14. Back to text.
Lev 15:24: Lev 18:19; 20:18. Back to text.
Lev 16:2, 12: Heb 6:19; 9:7, 25. Back to text.
Lev 16:27: Heb 13:11. Back to text.
Lev 17:10–16: Lev 3:17; 7:26, 27; 19:26; Deut 12:16, 23–25. Back to
text.
Lev 18:5: Lk 10:28; Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12. Back to text.
Lev 18:7: Lev 20:11. Back to text.
Lev 18:9, 11: Lev 20:17; Deut 27:22. Back to text.
Lev 18:12: Lev 20:19. Back to text.
Lev 18:14: Lev 20:20. Back to text.
Lev 18:15: Lev 20:12. Back to text.
Lev 18:16: Lev 20:21. Back to text.
Lev 18:17: Lev 20:14. Back to text.
Lev 18:19: Lev 15:24; 20:18. Back to text.
Lev 18:21: Lev 20:2–5. Back to text.
Lev 18:22: Lev 20:13; Deut 23:18. Back to text.
Lev 18:23: Ex 22:19; Lev 20:15, 16; Deut 27:21. Back to text.
Lev 19:2: Lev 11:44, 45; 20:7, 26; 1 Pet 1:16. Back to text.
Lev 19:3, 30: Ex 20:12; Deut 5:16; Ex 20:8; 23:12; 34:21; 35:23; Deut
5:12–15. Back to text.
Lev 19:4: Ex 20:4; Lev 26:1; Deut 4:15–19; 27:15. Back to text.
Lev 19:9, 10: Lev 23:22; Deut 24:20, 21. Back to text.
Lev 19:11: Ex 20:15, 16; Deut 5:19. Back to text.
Lev 19:12: Ex 20:7; Deut 5:11; Mt 5:33. Back to text.
Lev 19:13: Deut 24:15; Jas 5:4. Back to text.
Lev 19:14: Deut 27:18. Back to text.
Lev 19:15: Ex 23:6; Deut 1:17. Back to text.
Lev 19:18: Mt 5:43; 19:19; 22:39; Mk 12:31; Lk 10:27; Rom 13:9; Gal
5:14; Jas 2:8. Back to text.
Lev 19:19: Deut 22:9, 11. Back to text.
Lev 19:26: Lev 3:17; 7:26, 27; 17:10–16; Deut 12:16, 23–25; 18:10.
Back to text.
Lev 19:27: Lev 21:5; Deut 14:1. Back to text.
Lev 19:29: Deut 23:17, 18. Back to text.
Lev 19:30: Ex 20:8–11; 23:12; 34:21; 35:2, 3; Lev 19:3; 26:2; Deut
5:12–15. Back to text.
Lev 19:31: Lev 20:6, 27. Back to text.
Lev 19:33: Ex 22:21. Back to text.
Lev 20:2–5: Lev 18:21. Back to text.
Lev 20:6: Lev 19:31. Back to text.
Lev 20:7: Lev 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:26; 1 Pet 1:16. Back to text.
Lev 20:9: Ex 21:17; Deut 27:16. Back to text.
Lev 20:10: Ex 20:14; Lev 18:20; Deut 5:18. Back to text.
Lev 20:11: Lev 18:7, 8. Back to text.
Lev 20:12: Lev 18:15. Back to text.
Lev 20:13: Lev 18:22. Back to text.
Lev 20:14: Lev 18:17; Deut 27:23. Back to text.
Lev 20:15, 16: Lev 18:23. Back to text.
Lev 20:17: Lev 18:9. Back to text.
Lev 20:18: Lev 15:24; 18:19. Back to text.
Lev 20:19: Lev 18:12, 13. Back to text.
Lev 20:20: Lev 18:14. Back to text.
Lev 20:21: Lev 18:16. Back to text.
Lev 20:26: Lev 20:7. Back to text.
Lev 20:27: Lev 19:31; 20:6. Back to text.
Lev 21:1–3: Ezek 44:25. Back to text.
Lev 21:5: Lev 19:27; Deut 14:1. Back to text.
Lev 22:12: Lev 7:31–36. Back to text.
Lev 23:1–44: Ex 23:14–17; 34:22–24; Deut 16:1–17. Back to text.
Lev 23:22: Lev 19:9, 10; Deut 24:20, 21. Back to text.
Lev 24:1–4: Ex 27:20, 21. Back to text.
Lev 24:5–9: Ex 25:30; 39:36; 40:23; Mt 12:4; Mk 2:26; Lk 6:4. Back to
text.
Lev 24:19, 20: Ex 21:23–25; Deut 19:21; Mt 5:38. Back to text.
Lev 24:22: Ex 12:49; Num 9:14; 15:15, 16, 29. Back to text.
Lev 25:2–7: Ex 23:10, 11. Back to text.
Lev 25:35: Deut 15:7–11. Back to text.
Lev 25:36: Ex 22:25; Deut 23:19, 20. Back to text.
Lev 25:39–43: Ex 21:2–6; Deut 15:12–18. Back to text.
Lev 26:1: Lev 19:4; Ex 20:4, 23; Deut 4:15–18; 27:15. Back to text.
Lev 26:2: Ex 20:8; 23:12; 34:21; 35:2, 3; Lev 19:3, 30; Deut 5:12–15.
Back to text.
Lev 26:3–13: Deut 7:12–26; 28:1–14. Back to text.
Lev 26:11, 12: 2 Cor 6:16. Back to text.
Lev 26:14–45: Deut 28:16–68. Back to text.
Lev 26:40, 41: Acts 7:51. Back to text.
Lev 27:28: Num 18:14. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF NUMBERS
Num 1:1–46: Num 26:1–51. Back to text.
Num 1:47: Num 2:33. Back to text.
Num 1:50–53: Num 3:5–8, 21–37; 4:1–33; 8:19; 18:3, 4, 23. Back to
text.
Num 3:2: Num 26:60. Back to text.
Num 3:5–13: Num 8:6–26. Back to text.
Num 3:5–8: Num 1:50–53; 3:21–37; 4:1–33; 8:19. Back to text.
Num 3:11–13: Num 3:45; 8:18. Back to text.
Num 3:15–34: Num 4:34–49. Back to text.
Num 3:17–20: Ex 6:16, 22. Back to text.
Num 3:45: Num 3:11–13; 8:18. Back to text.
Num 4:1–33: Num 1:50–53; 3:5–8, 21–37; 8:19; 18:3, 4, 23. Back to
text.
Num 4:34–49: Num 3:15–34. Back to text.
Num 5:2, 3: Num 12:14, 15. Back to text.
Num 5:5–8: Ex 22:7–15; Lev 6:1–7. Back to text.
Num 6:3: Lk 1:15. Back to text.
Num 6:13–21: Acts 21:24, 26. Back to text.
Num 8:6–26: Num 3:5–13. Back to text.
Num 8:18: Num 3:11–13, 45. Back to text.
Num 9:1–5: Ex 12:1–14, 21–28. Back to text.
Num 9:12: Ex 12:46; Jn 19:36. Back to text.
Num 9:15–23: Ex 40:36–38. Back to text.
Num 10:35: Ps 68:1, 2. Back to text.
Num 11:4: 1 Cor 10:6. Back to text.
Num 11:34: 1 Cor 10:6. Back to text.
Num 12:7: Heb 3:2, 5, 6. Back to text.
Num 12:8: Ex 33:11; Deut 34:10. Back to text.
Num 13:33: Gen 6:4. Back to text.
Num 14:3: Acts 7:39. Back to text.
Num 14:11–25: Ex 32:9–14, 31–35. Back to text.
Num 14:22, 23: Heb 3:18. Back to text.
Num 14:29: Heb 3:17. Back to text.
Num 14:33: Acts 7:36. Back to text.
Num 15:14: Ex 12:49; Lev 24:22; Num 15:15, 16, 29. Back to text.
Num 15:17–21: Ex 34:26; Lev 23:14. Back to text.
Num 15:22–26: Lev 4:13–21. Back to text.
Num 15:27–29: Lev 4:2–12. Back to text.
Num 15:38–40: Deut 22:12. Back to text.
Num 16:5: 2 Tim 2:19. Back to text.
Num 18:3, 4, 23: Num 1:50–53; 3:5–8, 21–37; 4:1–33; 8:19. Back to
text.
Num 18:14: Lev 27:28. Back to text.
Num 18:19: 2 Chron 13:5. Back to text.
Num 20:2–13: Ex 17:2–7. Back to text.
Num 20:25–29: Num 33:38, 39. Back to text.
Num 21:1: Num 33:40. Back to text.
Num 21:21–30: Deut 2:26–37. Back to text.
Num 21:33–35: Deut 3:1–7. Back to text.
Num 22:1: Num 33:48. Back to text.
Num 24:9: Gen 49:9. Back to text.
Num 26:5–51: Num 1:22–46. Back to text.
Num 26:57–62: Num 1:47–49. Back to text.
Num 26:64, 65: Num 14:26–35. Back to text.
Num 27:1–11: Num 36:1–12. Back to text.
Num 27:12–14: Deut 3:23–27; 32:48–52. Back to text.
Num 27:18–23: Deut 3:28. Back to text.
Num 28:3–8: Ex 29:38–42. Back to text.
Num 28:16: Ex 12:1–14, 21–27; Lev 23:5; Deut 16:1, 2, 5–7. Back to
text.
Num 28:17–25: Ex 12:15–20; Lev 23:6–8; Deut 16:3, 4, 8. Back to text.
Num 28:26–31: Ex 23:16; 34:22; Lev 23:15–21; Deut 16:9–12. Back to
text.
Num 29:1–6: Ex 23:16; 34:22; Lev 23:23–25. Back to text.
Num 29:7–11: Lev 16:29–34; 23:26–32. Back to text.
Num 29:12–34: Lev 23:33–35. Back to text.
Num 29:35–38: Lev 23:36. Back to text.
Num 30:2–16: Deut 23:21–23. Back to text.
Num 30:2: Mt 5:33. Back to text.
Num 31:16: Rev 2:14. Back to text.
Num 33:38, 39: Num 20:23–29; Deut 10:6. Back to text.
Num 33:52: Ex 23:24; Deut 7:5; 12:3. Back to text.
Num 34:3–5: Josh 15:1–4. Back to text.
Num 34:13–15: Josh 14:1–5. Back to text.
Num 35:1–8: Lev 25:32–34; Josh 21:1–42. Back to text.
Num 35:6, 9–34: Deut 19:1–13. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
Deut 1:9–15: Num 11:10–25. Back to text.
Deut 1:16–18: Ex 18:25, 26. Back to text.
Deut 1:22–46: Num 13:1—14:45; 32:8–13. Back to text.
Deut 1:31: Acts 13:18. Back to text.
Deut 2:1–8: Num 21:4–20. Back to text.
Deut 2:26–37: Num 21:21–32. Back to text.
Deut 3:1–11: Num 21:33–35. Back to text.
Deut 3:12–20: Num 32. Back to text.
Deut 3:23–27: Num 27:12–14; Deut 32:48–52. Back to text.
Deut 4:2: Rev 22:18, 19. Back to text.
Deut 4:9–14: Ex 19:1–20, 21. Back to text.
Deut 4:24: Heb 12:29. Back to text.
Deut 4:35: Mk 12:32. Back to text.
Deut 4:41–43: Num 35:6, 9–34; Deut 19:2–13; Josh 20:7–9. Back to
text.
Deut 5:6–21: Ex 20:2–17. Back to text.
Deut 5:14: Ex 20:8–11; 23:12. Back to text.
Deut 5:16–20: Mt 19:18, 19; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20. Back to text.
Deut 5:16: Mt 15:4; Mk 7:10; Eph 6:3. Back to text.
Deut 5:17, 18: Jas 2:11. Back to text.
Deut 5:17–21: Rom 13:9. Back to text.
Deut 5:18: Mt 5:27; Rom 7:7. Back to text.
Deut 5:21: Rom 7:7. Back to text.
Deut 5:22–27: Ex 20:18–21. Back to text.
Deut 6:4, 5: Mt 22:37; Mk 12:29, 30; Lk 10:27. Back to text.
Deut 6:6–9: Deut 6:20–25; 11:18–20. Back to text.
Deut 6:8: Ex 13:9, 16; Deut 11:18. Back to text.
Deut 6:13: Mt 4:10; Lk 4:8. Back to text.
Deut 6:16: Mt 4:7; Lk 4:12. Back to text.
Deut 7:1: Acts 13:19. Back to text.
Deut 7:2–4: Ex 23:32, 33; 34:12, 15, 16. Back to text.
Deut 7:3: Ex 34:15, 16. Back to text.
Deut 7:5: Ex 23:24; 34:13; Num 33:52; Deut 12:3. Back to text.
Deut 7:6: Ex 19:5; 22:31; Lev 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; Num 15:40;
Deut 14:2, 21; 26:19; 28:9. Back to text.
Deut 8:3: Mt 4:4; Lk 4:4. Back to text.
Deut 9:3: Heb 12:29. Back to text.
Deut 9:8–21: Ex 32:7–20. Back to text.
Deut 9:25–29: Ex 32:11–14. Back to text.
Deut 10:17: Acts 10:34; Gal 2:6; Rev 17:14; 19:16. Back to text.
Deut 10:19: Ex 22:21; 23:9; Lev 19:34. Back to text.
Deut 10:22: Acts 7:14. Back to text.
Deut 12:1–28: Ex 20:24. Back to text.
Deut 12:16, 23: Lev 17:10–14; 19:26. Back to text.
Deut 12:29–32: Ex 23:24; 34:12–14; Num 33:52. Back to text.
Deut 14:1: Lev 19:28. Back to text.
Deut 14:2: Ex 19:5, 6; Deut 26:19; Tit 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:6; 5:10.
Back to text.
Deut 14:3–20: Lev 11:2–23. Back to text.
Deut 14:21: Lev 11:39, 40; 17:15; Ex 23:19; 34:26. Back to text.
Deut 14:22–29: Lev 27:30–33; Num 18:21–32. Back to text.
Deut 15:12–18: Ex 21:2–11; Lev 25:39–46. Back to text.
Deut 15:19–23: Ex 13:11, 12; 22:30; 34:19; Num 18:17, 18. Back to
text.
Deut 16:1–17: Ex 23:14–17; Lev 23; Num 28–29. Back to text.
Deut 16:19: Ex 23:6–9; Lev 19:15. Back to text.
Deut 16:21, 22: Lev 26:1. Back to text.
Deut 17:1: Lev 22:17–24. Back to text.
Deut 17:2–7: Ex 22:20. Back to text.
Deut 17:6: Num 35:30; Deut 19:15; Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Tim 5:19;
Heb 10:28. Back to text.
Deut 17:7: Deut 19:19; 1 Cor 5:13. Back to text.
Deut 18:1–8: Num 18:20–24. Back to text.
Deut 18:10, 11: Ex 22:18; Lev 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27. Back to text.
Deut 18:13: Mt 5:48. Back to text.
Deut 18:15–19: Acts 3:22, 23; 7:37. Back to text.
Deut 19:1–13: Ex 21:12–14; Num 35. Back to text.
Deut 19:15: Num 35:30; Deut 17:6; Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Tim 5:19;
Heb 10:28. Back to text.
Deut 19:16–20: Ex 20:16; 23:1; Lev 19:16; Deut 5:20. Back to text.
Deut 19:19: 1 Cor 5:13. Back to text.
Deut 19:21: Ex 21:23–26; Lev 24:20; Mt 5:38. Back to text.
Deut 21:18–21: Ex 20:12; 21:15, 17; Lev 20:9; Deut 5:16; 27:16. Back
to text.
Deut 21:22: Acts 5:30; 10:39. Back to text.
Deut 21:23: Gal 3:13. Back to text.
Deut 22:1–4: Ex 23:4, 5. Back to text.
Deut 22:9–11: Lev 19:19. Back to text.
Deut 22:12: Num 15:37–41. Back to text.
Deut 22:21: 1 Cor 5:13. Back to text.
Deut 22:22–27: Ex 20:14; Lev 18:20; 20:10; Deut 5:18. Back to text.
Deut 22:24: 1 Cor 5:13. Back to text.
Deut 22:28, 29: Ex 22:16, 17. Back to text.
Deut 23:19: Ex 22:26; Lev 25:35–37. Back to text.
Deut 23:21–23: Num 30:2–16. Back to text.
Deut 24:1: Mt 5:31; 19:7; Mk 10:4. Back to text.
Deut 24:6, 10–13: Ex 22:26, 27. Back to text.
Deut 24:7: Ex 21:16; 1 Cor 5:13. Back to text.
Deut 24:8, 9: Lev 13–14. Back to text.
Deut 24:14, 15: Lev 19:13; Jas 5:4. Back to text.
Deut 24:17, 18: Ex 22:21–24; 23:9; Lev 19:33, 34. Back to text.
Deut 24:19–22: Lev 19:9, 10; 23:22. Back to text.
Deut 25:4: 1 Cor 9:9; 1 Tim 5:18. Back to text.
Deut 25:5, 6: Mt 22:24; Mk 12:19; Lk 20:28. Back to text.
Deut 25:13–16: Lev 19:35, 36. Back to text.
Deut 25:17–19:Ex 17:14; 1 Sam 15. Back to text.
Deut 26:1–11: Ex 22:29; 23:19; 34:26; Num 18:12, 13. Back to text.
Deut 27:15: Ex 20:4, 23; 34:17; Lev 19:4; 26:1; Deut 4:16, 23, 25; 5:8;
7:25. Back to text.
Deut 27:16: Ex 20:12; 21:15, 17; Lev 20:9; Deut 5:16; 21:18–21. Back
to text.
Deut 27:18: Lev 19:14. Back to text.
Deut 27:19: Ex 22:21–24; 23:9; Lev 19:33, 34; Deut 24:17, 18. Back to
text.
Deut 27:20: Lev 18:8; 20:11; Deut 22:30. Back to text.
Deut 27:21: Ex 22:19; Lev 18:23; 20:15. Back to text.
Deut 27:22: Lev 18:9; 20:17. Back to text.
Deut 27:23: Lev 18:17; 20:14. Back to text.
Deut 27:26: Gal 3:10. Back to text.
Deut 28: Lev 26:3–45. Back to text.
Deut 28:49: 1 Cor 14:21. Back to text.
Deut 29:4: Rom 11:8. Back to text.
Deut 29:18: Acts 8:23; Heb 12:15. Back to text.
Deut 30:4: Mt 24:31; Mk 13:27. Back to text.
Deut 30:12, 13: Rom 10:6, 7. Back to text.
Deut 30:14: Rom 10:8. Back to text.
Deut 31:6, 8: Heb 13:5. Back to text.
Deut 32:5: Phil 2:15. Back to text.
Deut 32:17: 1 Cor 10:20. Back to text.
Deut 32:21: Rom 10:19; 11:11; 1 Cor 10:22. Back to text.
Deut 32:35: Rom 12:19; Heb 10:30. Back to text.
Deut 32:43: Rom 15:10; Heb 1:6 (Septuagint); Rev 6:10; 19:2. Back to
text.
Deut 34:10: Num 12:6–8. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
Josh 1:5: Heb 13:5. Back to text.
Josh 1:12–18: Josh 22:1–34; Num 32:20–22. Back to text.
Josh 6:26: 1 Kings 16:34. Back to text.
Josh 8:30–35: Deut 27:2–8. Back to text.
Josh 14:6–15: Num 13:6, 30; 14:6, 24, 30. Back to text.
Josh 15:14–19: Judg 1:10–15, 20. Back to text.
Josh 15:63: Judg 1:21; 2 Sam 5:6. Back to text.
Josh 16:10: Judg 1:29. Back to text.
Josh 17:3, 4: Num 26:33; 27:1–7. Back to text.
17:11–13: Judg 1:27–28.
Josh 19:47: Judg 18:27–31. Back to text.
Josh 20:2–9: Num 35:6–34; Deut 4:41–43; 19:1–13. Back to text.
Josh 21:1–42: Num 35:1–8; 1 Chron 6:54–81. Back to text.
Josh 22:1–34: 1:12–18; Num 32:20–22. Back to text.
Josh 24:32: Gen 50:24, 25; Ex 13:19; Acts 7:16. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF JUDGES
Judg 1:10: Josh 15:13–19. Back to text.
Judg 1:10–15: Josh 15:14–19. Back to text.
Judg 1:20: Josh 15:14. Back to text.
Judg 1:21: Josh 15:63. Back to text.
Judg 1:27, 28: Josh 17:11–13. Back to text.
Judg 1:29: Josh 16:10. Back to text.
Judg 2:6–9: Josh 24:28–31. Back to text.
Judg 5:31: Rev 1:16. Back to text.
Judg 13:4, 5: Lk 1:15. Back to text.
Judg 13:24: Lk 2:40. Back to text.
Judg 18:7: Judg 18:27, 28. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF RUTH
Ruth 4:7: Deut 25:8–10. Back to text.
THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL
1 Sam 2:1–10: Lk 1:46–55. Back to text.
1 Sam 2:26: Lk 2:52. Back to text.
1 Sam 10:11–12: 19:23, 24. Back to text.
1 Sam 13:14: Acts 13:22. Back to text.
1 Sam 14:49: 31:2; 1 Chron 10:2. Back to text.
1 Sam 15:22: Mk 12:33. Back to text.
1 Sam 18:7: 21:11; 29:5. Back to text.
1 Sam 19:23, 24: 10, 11, 12. Back to text.
1 Sam 21:11: 18:7; 29:5. Back to text.
1 Sam 24:1–22: 26:1–25. Back to text.
1 Sam 26:1–25: 24:1–22. Back to text.
1 Sam 29:5: 18:7; 21:11. Back to text.
1 Sam 31:1–13: 2 Sam 1:6–10; 1 Chron 10:1–12. Back to text.
THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL
2 Sam 1:6–10: 1 Sam 31:1–13; 1 Chron 10:1–12. Back to text.
2 Sam 3:2–5: 1 Chron 3:1–4. Back to text.
2 Sam 5:1–3: 1 Chron 11:1–3. Back to text.
2 Sam 5:4, 5: 1 Chron 3:4. Back to text.
2 Sam 5:6–10: 1 Chron 11:4–9. Back to text.
2 Sam 5:11–12: 1 Chron 14:1, 2. Back to text.
2 Sam 5:14–16: 1 Chron 3:5–8; 14:3–7. Back to text.
2 Sam 5:17–21: 1 Chron 14:8–12. Back to text.
2 Sam 5:22–25: 1 Chron 14:13–16. Back to text.
2 Sam 6:1–11: 1 Chron 13:1–14. Back to text.
2 Sam 6:12–19: 1 Chron 15:1—16:3. Back to text.
2 Sam 7:1–29: 1 Chron 17:1–27. Back to text.
2 Sam 7:14: Heb 1:5. Back to text.
2 Sam 8:1–14: 1 Chron 18:1–13. Back to text.
2 Sam 8:15–18: 2 Sam 20:23–26; 1 Chron 18:14–17. Back to text.
2 Sam 10:1–19: 1 Chron 19:1–19. Back to text.
2 Sam 11:1: 1 Chron 20:1. Back to text.
2 Sam 12:26–31: 1 Chron 20:1–3. Back to text.
2 Sam 20:23–26: 8:15–18; 1 Chron 18:14–17. Back to text.
2 Sam 21:18–22: 1 Chron 20:4–8. Back to text.
2 Sam 22:2–51: Ps 18:2–50. Back to text.
2 Sam 22:50: Rom 15:9. Back to text.
2 Sam 23:8–39: 1 Chron 11:10–41. Back to text.
2 Sam 24:1–25: 1 Chron 21:1–27. Back to text.
THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS
1 Kings 2:12: 1 Chron 29:23. Back to text.
1 Kings 3:4–15: 2 Chron 1:3–13. Back to text.
1 Kings 5:2–11: 2 Chron 2:3–16. Back to text.
1 Kings 5:5: 2 Chron 2:1. Back to text.
1 Kings 5:15, 16: 2 Chron 2:2, 18. Back to text.
1 Kings 6:1–28: 2 Chron 3:1–13; Acts 7:47. Back to text.
1 Kings 7:15–21: 2 Chron 3:15–17. Back to text.
1 Kings 7:23–26: 2 Chron 4:2–5. Back to text.
1 Kings 7:38–51: 2 Chron 4:6, 5:1. Back to text.
1 Kings 8:1–6: Rev 11:19. Back to text.
1 Kings 8:10, 11: 2 Chron 5:13, 14; Rev 15:8. Back to text.
1 Kings 8:12–50: 2 Chron 6:1–39. Back to text.
1 Kings 8:62–66: 2 Chron 7:4–10. Back to text.
1 Kings 9:1–9: 2 Chron 7:11–22. Back to text.
1 Kings 9:10–28: 2 Chron 8:8–18. Back to text.
1 Kings 10:1–29: 2 Chron 9:1–28. Back to text.
1 Kings 11:42–43: 2 Chron 9:30, 31. Back to text.
1 Kings 12:1–19: 2 Chron 10:1–19. Back to text.
1 Kings 12:22–24: 2 Chron 11:1–4. Back to text.
1 Kings 14:25–31: 2 Chron 12:1–16. Back to text.
1 Kings 15:1, 2, 7: 2 Chron 13:1, 2. Back to text.
1 Kings 15:8–12: 2 Chron 14:1–5. Back to text.
1 Kings 15:13–22: 2 Chron 15:16—16:6. Back to text.
1 Kings 15:23, 24: 2 Chron 16:12–14. Back to text.
1 Kings 15:24: 2 Chron 17:1. Back to text.
1 Kings 16:34: Josh 6:26. Back to text.
1 Kings 17:1: Rev 11:6. Back to text.
1 Kings 17:8–16: Lk 4:25, 26. Back to text.
1 Kings 17:18: Mt 8:29; Mk 1:24; Jn 2:4. Back to text.
1 Kings 19:10: Rom 11:2, 3. Back to text.
1 Kings 19:18: Rom 11:4. Back to text.
1 Kings 21:19: 2 Kings 9:26. Back to text.
1 Kings 21:23: 2 Kings 9:36. Back to text.
1 Kings 22:1–35: 2 Chron 18:1–34. Back to text.
1 Kings 22:17: Mt 9:36. Back to text.
1 Kings 22:41–43: 2 Chron 20:31–33. Back to text.
1 Kings 22:48, 49: 2 Chron 20:35–37. Back to text.
1 Kings 22:50: 2 Chron 21:1. Back to text.
THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS
2 Kings 1:10–12: Lk 9:54; Rev 11:5; 20:9. Back to text.
2 Kings 2:11: Rev 11:12. Back to text.
2 Kings 4:33: Mt 6:6. Back to text.
2 Kings 8:17–24: 2 Chron 21:5–10, 20. Back to text.
2 Kings 8:24–29: 2 Chron 22:1–6. Back to text.
2 Kings 9:1—10:36: 2 Chron 22:7–9. Back to text.
2 Kings 9:25: 1 Kings 21:19. Back to text.
2 Kings 9:36: 1 Kings 21:23. Back to text.
2 Kings 11:1–20: 2 Chron 22:10—23:21. Back to text.
2 Kings 11:21—12:14: 2 Chron 24:1–14. Back to text.
2 Kings 12:17–21: 2 Chron 24:23–26. Back to text.
2 Kings 14:2–6: 2 Chron 25:1–4. Back to text.
2 Kings 14:7: 2 Chron 25:11. Back to text.
2 Kings 14:8–14: 2 Chron 25:17–24. Back to text.
2 Kings 14:17–20: 2 Chron 25:25–28. Back to text.
2 Kings 14:21, 22: 2 Chron 26:1, 2. Back to text.
2 Kings 15:2, 3: 2 Chron 26:3, 4. Back to text.
2 Kings 15:5–7: 2 Chron 26:20–23. Back to text.
2 Kings 15:33–35: 2 Chron 27:1–3. Back to text.
2 Kings 15:38: 2 Chron 27:9. Back to text.
2 Kings 16:2–4: 2 Chron 28:1–4. Back to text.
2 Kings 16:20: 2 Chron 28:27. Back to text.
2 Kings 18:1–3: 2 Chron 29:1, 2. Back to text.
2 Kings 18:13—19:35: 2 Chron 32:1–21; Is 36:1—37:38. Back to text.
2 Kings 20:1–21: 2 Chron 32:24–33; Is 38:1—39:8. Back to text.
2 Kings 21:1–9: 2 Chron 33:1–9. Back to text.
2 Kings 21:18: 2 Chron 33:20. Back to text.
2 Kings 21:19–24: 2 Chron 33:21–25. Back to text.
2 Kings 22:1, 2: 2 Chron 34:1, 2. Back to text.
2 Kings 22:3–7: 2 Chron 34:8–12. Back to text.
2 Kings 23:4–20: 2 Chron 34:3–7. Back to text.
2 Kings 23:21–23: 2 Chron 35:1–19. Back to text.
2 Kings 23:30–34: 2 Chron 36:1–4. Back to text.
2 Kings 23:36—24:6: 2 Chron 36:5–8. Back to text.
2 Kings 24:8–17: 2 Chron 36:9–10. Back to text.
2 Kings 24:18—25:21: 2 Chron 36:11–21; Jer 52:1–27. Back to text.
2 Kings 25:22–26: Jer 40:7—43:7. Back to text.
2 Kings 25:27–30: Jer 52:31–34. Back to text.
THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES
1 Chron 1:1–53: Gen 5; 10; 11; 25; 36. Back to text.
1 Chron 2:1–2: Gen 35:23–26. Back to text.
1 Chron 2:3–4: Gen 38:3–7, 29–30; Num 26:19, 20. Back to text.
1 Chron 2:5: Gen 46:12; Num 26:21. Back to text.
1 Chron 2:6–8: Josh 7:1; 1 Kings 4:31. Back to text.
1 Chron 3:1–9: 2 Sam 3:2–5; 5:14–16; 1 Chron 14:3–6. Back to text.
1 Chron 3:4: 2 Sam 5:4, 5. Back to text.
1 Chron 4:24: Gen 46:10; Ex 6:15; Num 26:12, 13. Back to text.
1 Chron 4:28–33: Josh 19:2–8. Back to text.
1 Chron 5:1–26: Gen 46:9; Num 26:5, 6. Back to text.
1 Chron 6:1–15: Gen 46:11; Ex 6:16–20; Num 3:2. Back to text.
1 Chron 6:16–53: Ex 6:16–24. Back to text.
1 Chron 6:54–81: Josh 21:1–42. Back to text.
1 Chron 9:1, 2: Ezra 2:70; Neh 7:73; 11:3. Back to text.
1 Chron 9:3–17: Neh 11:4–19. Back to text.
1 Chron 10:1–12: 1 Sam 31:1–13. Back to text.
1 Chron 11:1–3: 2 Sam 5:1–3. Back to text.
1 Chron 11:4–9: 2 Sam 5:6–10. Back to text.
1 Chron 11:10–41: 2 Sam 23:8–39. Back to text.
1 Chron 13:1–14: 2 Sam 6:1–11. Back to text.
1 Chron 14:1, 2: 2 Sam 5:11, 12. Back to text.
1 Chron 14:3–7: 3:5–8; 2 Sam 5:14–16. Back to text.
1 Chron 14:8–12: 2 Sam 5:17–21. Back to text.
1 Chron 14:13–16: 2 Sam 5:22–25. Back to text.
1 Chron 15:1—16:3: 2 Sam 6:12–19. Back to text.
1 Chron 16:8–22: Ps 105:1–15. Back to text.
1 Chron 16:23–33: Ps 96:1–13. Back to text.
1 Chron 16:34: Ps 106:1. Back to text.
1 Chron 16:35–36: Ps 106:47, 48. Back to text.
1 Chron 17:1–27: 2 Sam 7:1–29. Back to text.
1 Chron 18:1–13: 2 Sam 8:1–14. Back to text.
1 Chron 18:14–17: 2 Sam 8:15–18. Back to text.
1 Chron 19:1–19: 2 Sam 10:1–19. Back to text.
1 Chron 20:1: 2 Sam 11:1. Back to text.
1 Chron 20:1–3: 2 Sam 12:26–31. Back to text.
1 Chron 20:4–8: 2 Sam 21:18–22. Back to text.
1 Chron 21:1–27: 2 Sam 24:1–25. Back to text.
1 Chron 29:23: 1 Kings 2:12. Back to text.
THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES
2 Chron 1:3–13: 1 Kings 3:4–15. Back to text.
2 Chron 1:14–17:1 Kings 10:26–29. Back to text.
2 Chron 2:1: 1 Kings 5:5. Back to text.
2 Chron 2:2: 2:18; 1 Kings 5:15, 16. Back to text.
2 Chron 2:3–16: 1 Kings 5:2–11. Back to text.
2 Chron 3:1–13: 1 Kings 6:1–28. Back to text.
2 Chron 3:15–17: 1 Kings 7:15–21. Back to text.
2 Chron 4:2–5: 1 Kings 7:23–26. Back to text.
2 Chron 4:6–5:1: 1 Kings 7:38–51. Back to text.
2 Chron 5:13, 14: 1 Kings 8:10–11. Back to text.
2 Chron 6:1–39: 1 Kings 8:12-50. Back to text.
2 Chron 6:41–42: Ps 132:8–10. Back to text.
2 Chron 7:4–10: 1 Kings 8:62–66. Back to text.
2 Chron 7:11–22: 1 Kings 9:1–9. Back to text.
2 Chron 8:1–18: 1 Kings 9:10–28. Back to text.
2 Chron 9:1–28: 1 Kings 10:1–29. Back to text.
2 Chron 9:30, 31: 1 Kings 11:42–48. Back to text.
2 Chron 10:1–19: 1 Kings 12:1–19. Back to text.
2 Chron 11:1–4: 1 Kings 12:22–24. Back to text.
2 Chron 12:1–16: 1 Kings 14:25–31. Back to text.
2 Chron 13:1, 2: 1 Kings 15:1, 2, 7. Back to text.
2 Chron 14:1–5: 1 Kings 15:8–12. Back to text.
2 Chron 15:16—16:6: 1 Kings 15:13–22. Back to text.
2 Chron 16:12–14: 1 Kings 15:23, 24. Back to text.
2 Chron 17:1: 1 Kings 15:24. Back to text.
2 Chron 18:1–34: 1 Kings 22:1–35. Back to text.
2 Chron 20:7: Jas 2:23. Back to text.
2 Chron 20:31–33: 1 Kings 22:41–43. Back to text.
2 Chron 20:35–37: 1 Kings 22:48, 49. Back to text.
2 Chron 21:1: 1 Kings 22:50. Back to text.
2 Chron 21:5–10: 2 Kings 8:17–22. Back to text.
2 Chron 21:20: 2 Kings 8:17, 24. Back to text.
2 Chron 22:1–6: 2 Kings 8:24–29. Back to text.
2 Chron 22:7–9: 2 Kings 9:1—10:36. Back to text.
2 Chron 22:10—23:21: 2 Kings 11:1–20. Back to text.
2 Chron 24:1–14: 2 Kings 11:21—12:14. Back to text.
2 Chron 24:23–26: 2 Kings 12:17, 18, 20, 21. Back to text.
2 Chron 25:1–4: 2 Kings 14:2–6. Back to text.
2 Chron 25:11: 2 Kings 14:7. Back to text.
2 Chron 25:17–20, 21–24: 2 Kings 14:8–14. Back to text.
2 Chron 25:25–28: 2 Kings 14:17–20. Back to text.
2 Chron 26:1–4: 2 Kings 14:21, 22; 15:2, 3. Back to text.
2 Chron 26:20–23: 2 Kings 15:5–7. Back to text.
2 Chron 27:1–3: 2 Kings 15:33–35. Back to text.
2 Chron 27:9: 2 Kings 15:38. Back to text.
2 Chron 28:1–4: 2 Kings 16:2–4. Back to text.
2 Chron 28:27: 2 Kings 16:20. Back to text.
2 Chron 29:1, 2: 2 Kings 18:1–3. Back to text.
2 Chron 32:1: 2 Kings 18:13. Back to text.
2 Chron 32:9–21: 2 Kings 18:17-19:37. Back to text.
2 Chron 32:24–33: 2 Kings 20:1–21. Back to text.
2 Chron 33:1–9: 2 Kings 21:1–9. Back to text.
2 Chron 33:20: 2 Kings 21:18. Back to text.
2 Chron 33:21–25: 2 Kings 21:19–24. Back to text.
2 Chron 34:1, 2: 2 Kings 22:1, 2. Back to text.
2 Chron 34:3–7: 2 Kings 23:4–20. Back to text.
2 Chron 34:8–12: 2 Kings 22:3–7. Back to text.
2 Chron 35:1–19: 2 Kings 23:21–23. Back to text.
2 Chron 36:1–4: 2 Kings 23:30–34. Back to text.
2 Chron 36:5–8: 2 Kings 23:36—24:6. Back to text.
2 Chron 36:9–10: 2 Kings 24:8–17. Back to text.
2 Chron 36:11–21: 2 Kings 24:18—25:21. Back to text.
2 Chron 36:22, 23: Ezra 1:1–3. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF EZRA
Ezra 1:1–3: 5:13; 6:3; 2 Chron 36:22, 23. Back to text.
Ezra 2:1–70: Neh 7:6–73. Back to text.
Ezra 5:1: Hag 1:1; Zech 1:1. Back to text.
Ezra 5:13: 1:1; 6:3. Back to text.
Ezra 6:3: 1:1; 5:13. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH
Neh 7:6–73: Ezra 2:1–70. Back to text.
Neh 11:3–22: 1 Chron 9:2–34. Back to text.
Neh 13:1: Deut 23:3–5. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF ESTHER
Esther 5:3, 6: Mk 6:23. Back to text.
Esther 7:2: Mk 6:23. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF JOB
Job 3:3–19: Jer 20:14–18. Back to text.
Job 5:12–13: 1 Cor 3:19. Back to text.
Job 7:17: Ps 8:4. Back to text.
Job 22:2, 3: 35:6–8. Back to text.
Job 35:6–8: 22:2–3. Back to text.
Job 38:10: Jer 5:22. Back to text.
Job 41:11: Rom 11:35. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF THE PSALMS
Ps 1:1–3: Jer 17:7–8. Back to text.
Ps 2:1–2: Acts 4:25–26. Back to text.
Ps 2:7: Mt 3:17; Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5; 2 Pet 1:17. Back to text.
Ps 2:8–9: Rev 2:26; 12:5; 19:15. Back to text.
Ps 4:4: Eph 4:26. Back to text.
Ps 5:9: Rom 3:13. Back to text.
Ps 6:8: Mt 7:23; Lk 13:27. Back to text.
Ps 7:9: Rev 2:23. Back to text.
Ps 8:2: Mt 21:16. Back to text.
Ps 8:4–6: Job 7:17–18; Ps 144:3; Heb 2:6–8. Back to text.
Ps 8:6: 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22. Back to text.
Ps 9:8: Acts 17:31. Back to text.
Ps 10:7: Rom 3:14. Back to text.
Ps 14:1–3: Rom 3:10–12. Back to text.
Ps 14:1–7: Ps 53:1–6. Back to text.
Ps 16:8–11: Acts 2:25–28, 31. Back to text.
Ps 16:10: Acts 13:35. Back to text.
Ps 18:1–50: 2 Sam 22:2–51. Back to text.
Ps 18:49: Rom 15:9. Back to text.
Ps 19:4: Rom 10:18. Back to text.
Ps 22:1: Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34. Back to text.
Ps 22:7–8: Mt 27:39, 43; Mk 15:29; Lk 23:35. Back to text.
Ps 22:18: Mt 27:35; Mk 15:24; Lk 23:34; Jn 19:24. Back to text.
Ps 22:22: Heb 2:12. Back to text.
Ps 23:2: Rev 7:17. Back to text.
Ps 24:1: 1 Cor 10:26. Back to text.
Ps 24:4: Mt 5:8. Back to text.
Ps 31:5: Lk 23:46. Back to text.
Ps 31:13: Jer 6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5; 49:29. Back to text.
Ps 32:1–2: Rom 4:7–8. Back to text.
Ps 34:8: 1 Pet 2:3. Back to text.
Ps 34:12–16: 1 Pet 3:10–12. Back to text.
Ps 35:19: Ps 69:4; Jn 15:25. Back to text.
Ps 36:1: Rom 3:18. Back to text.
Ps 37:11: Mt 5:5. Back to text.
Ps 40:6–8: Heb 10:5–9. Back to text.
Ps 40:13–17: Ps 70:1–5. Back to text.
Ps 41:9: Jn 13:18. Back to text.
Ps 44:22: Rom 8:36. Back to text.
Ps 45:6–7: Heb 1:8–9. Back to text.
Ps 48:2: Mt 5:35. Back to text.
Ps 51:4: Rom 3:4. Back to text.
Ps 53:1–3: Rom 3:10–12. Back to text.
Ps 53:1–6: Ps 14:1–7. Back to text.
Ps 55:22: 1 Pet 5:7. Back to text.
Ps 57:7–11: Ps 108:1–5. Back to text.
Ps 60:5–12: Ps 108:6–13. Back to text.
Ps 62:12: Jer 17:10; Rev 2:23; 22:12. Back to text.
Ps 68:18: Eph 4:8. Back to text.
Ps 69:4: Ps 35:19; Jn 15:25. Back to text.
Ps 69:9: Jn 2:17; Rom 15:3. Back to text.
Ps 69:21: Mt 27:34, 48; Mk 15:36; Lk 23:36; Jn 19:29. Back to text.
Ps 69:22–23: Rom 11:9–10. Back to text.
Ps 69:24: Rev 16:1. Back to text.
Ps 69:25: Acts 1:20. Back to text.
Ps 69:28: Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27. Back to text.
Ps 70:1–5: Ps 40:13–17. Back to text.
Ps 78:2: Mt 13:35. Back to text.
Ps 78:24: Jn 6:31. Back to text.
Ps 78:37: Acts 8:21. Back to text.
Ps 82:6: Jn 10:34. Back to text.
Ps 89:3–4: Ps 132:11; Acts 2:30. Back to text.
Ps 89:20: Acts 13:22. Back to text.
Ps 89:27: Rev 1:5. Back to text.
Ps 89:37: Rev 1:5; 3:14. Back to text.
Ps 90:4: 2 Pet 3:8. Back to text.
Ps 91:11–12: Mt 4:6; Lk 4:10–11. Back to text.
Ps 91:13: Lk 10:19. Back to text.
Ps 94:11: 1 Cor 3:20. Back to text.
Ps 95:7–11: Heb 3:7–11; 4:3–11. Back to text.
Ps 96:1–13: 1 Chron 16:23–33. Back to text.
Ps 97:7: Heb 1:6. Back to text.
Ps 102:25–27: Heb 1:10–12. Back to text.
Ps 103:8 Jas 5:11. Back to text.
Ps 103:17: Lk 1:50. Back to text.
Ps 104:4: Heb 1:7. Back to text.
Ps 104:12: Mt 13:32; Mk 4:32; Lk 13:19. Back to text.
Ps 105:1–15: 1 Chron 16:8–22. Back to text.
Ps 105:8–9: Lk 1:72–73. Back to text.
Ps 106:1: 1 Chron 16:34. Back to text.
Ps 106:47–48: 1 Chron 16:35–36. Back to text.
Ps 108:1–5: Ps 57:7–11. Back to text.
Ps 108:6–13: Ps 60:5–12. Back to text.
Ps 109:8: Acts 1:20. Back to text.
Ps 109:25: Mt 27:39; Mk 15:29. Back to text.
Ps 110:1: Mt 22:44; 26:64; Mk 12:36; 14:62; 16:19; Lk 20:42–43; 22:69;
Acts 2:34; 1 Cor 15:25; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3, 13; 10:12–13; 12:2.
Back to text.
Ps 110:4: Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11, 15, 21. Back to text.
Ps 112:9: 2 Cor 9:9. Back to text.
Ps 115:4–8: Ps 135:15–18. Back to text.
Ps 115:13: Rev 11:18; 19:5. Back to text.
Ps 116:10: 2 Cor 4:13. Back to text.
Ps 117:1: Rom 15:11. Back to text.
Ps 118:6: Heb 13:6. Back to text.
Ps 118:22–23: Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10–11; Lk 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:7.
Back to text.
Ps 118:25–26: Mt 21:9; 23:39; Mk 11:9–10; Lk 13:35; 19:38; Jn 12:13.
Back to text.
Ps 130:3: Ps 143:2; Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16. Back to text.
Ps 132:11: Ps 89:3–4; Acts 2:30. Back to text.
Ps 135:14: Heb 10:30. Back to text.
Ps 135:15–18: Ps 115:4–8. Back to text.
Ps 140:3: Rom 3:13. Back to text.
Ps 141:2: Rev 5:8; 8:3–4. Back to text.
Ps 143:2: Ps 130:3; Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF THE PROVERBS
Prov 1:20, 21: 8:1–3. Back to text.
Prov 3:4: Rom 12:17. Back to text.
Prov 3:7: Rom 12:16. Back to text.
Prov 3:11, 12: Heb 12:5, 6. Back to text.
Prov 3:34 (Gk): Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5. Back to text.
Prov 4:26 (Gk): Heb 12:13. Back to text.
Prov 8:1–3: 1:20, 21. Back to text.
Prov 10:12: Jas 5:20; 1 Pet 4:8. Back to text.
Prov 11:31 (Gk): 1 Pet 4:18. Back to text.
Prov 22:8 (Gk): 1 Cor 9:7. Back to text.
Prov 25:21, 22: Rom 12:20. Back to text.
Prov 26:11: 2 Pet 2:22. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH
Is 1:9: Rom 9:29. Back to text.
Is 2:2–4: Mic 4:1–3. Back to text.
Is 4:2: Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12. Back to text.
Is 5:1–7: Mt 21:33–46; Mk 12:1–12; Lk 20:9–19. Back to text.
Is 6:3: Rev 4:8. Back to text.
Is 6:4: Rev 15:8. Back to text.
Is 6:9–10: Mt 13:14–15; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:39–41; Acts 28:26–27.
Back to text.
Is 7:14: Mt 1:23. Back to text.
Is 8:12–13: 1 Pet 3:14–15. Back to text.
Is 8:14: Rom 9:32–33; 1 Pet 2:8. Back to text.
Is 8:17–18: Heb 2:13. Back to text.
Is 9:1–2: Mt 4:15–16; Lk 1:79. Back to text.
Is 10:5–34: Nahum; Zeph 2:13–15. Back to text.
Is 10:22–23: Rom 9:27–28. Back to text.
Is 11:1: Is 11:10; Rom 15:12. Back to text.
Is 11:2: 1 Pet 4:14. Back to text.
Is 11:5: Eph 6:14. Back to text.
Is 11:6–9: Is 65:25; Hab 2:14. Back to text.
Is 11:10: Is 11:1; Rom 15:12. Back to text.
Is 13:1—14:23: Is 47; Jer 50–51; Hab 1–2. Back to text.
Is 13:10: Mt 24:29; Mk 13:24; Rev 6:12; 8:12. Back to text.
Is 13:21: Rev 18:2. Back to text.
Is 14:29–31: Jer 47; Ezek 25:15–17; Joel 3:4–8; Amos 1:6–8; Zeph 2:4–
7; Zech 9:5–7. Back to text.
Is 15–16: Is 25:10–12; Jer 48; Ezek 25:8–11; Amos 2:1–3; Zeph 2:8–11.
Is 17:1–3: Jer 49:23–27; Amos 1:3–5; Zech 9:1. Back to text.
Is 18: Zeph 2:12.
Is 19: Jer 46; Ezek 29–32; Zech 14:18–19.
Is 22:22: Rev 3:7. Back to text.
Is 23: Ezek 26:1—28:19; Joel 3:4–8; Amos 1:9–10; Zech 9:3–4. Back to
text.
Is 23:17: Rev 17:2. Back to text.
Is 24:8: Rev 18:22. Back to text.
Is 25:8: 1 Cor 15:54; Rev 7:17; 21:4. Back to text.
Is 25:10–12: Is 15–16; Jer 48; Ezek 25:8–11; Amos 2:1–3; Zeph 2:8–11.
Back to text.
Is 27:13: Mt 24:31; 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16. Back to text.
Is 28:11–12: 1 Cor 14:21. Back to text.
Is 28:12: Mt 11:29. Back to text.
Is 28:16: Rom 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pet 2:4–6. Back to text.
Is 29:13: Mt 15:8–9; Mk 7:6–7. Back to text.
Is 29:14: 1 Cor 1:19. Back to text.
Is 29:16: Is 45:9; Rom 9:20. Back to text.
Is 29:18–19: Mt 11:5. Back to text.
Is 34: Is 63:1–6; Jer 49:7–22; Ezek 25:12–14; 35; Amos 1:11–12; Obad;
Mal 1:2–5.
Is 34:4: Rev 6:13–14. Back to text.
Is 34:9–10: Rev 19:3. Back to text.
Is 35:3: Heb 12:12. Back to text.
Is 35:5–6: Mt 11:5; Lk 7:22. Back to text.
Is 36:1—38:8, 21–22: 2 Kings 18:13—20:11; 2 Chron 32:1–24. Back to
text.
Is 39:1–8: 2 Kings 20:12–19; 2 Chron 32:31. Back to text.
Is 40:3: Mt 3:3; Mk 1:3; Lk 3:4; Jn 1:23. Back to text.
Is 40:4–5: Lk 3:5–6. Back to text.
Is 40:6–8: 1 Pet 1:24–25. Back to text.
Is 40:9: Is 52:7; Nah 1:15; Acts 10:36; Rom 10:15. Back to text.
Is 40:10: Rev 22:7, 12. Back to text.
Is 40:13: Rom 11:34; 1 Cor 2:16. Back to text.
Is 41:8: Jas 2:23. Back to text.
Is 41:8–9: Lk 1:54; Heb 2:16. Back to text.
Is 41:10: Acts 18:10. Back to text.
Is 42:1–4: Mt 12:18–21. Back to text.
Is 42:5: Acts 17:24–25. Back to text.
Is 42:6: Is 49:6; Lk 2:32; Acts 13:47; 26:23. Back to text.
Is 42:7, 16: Acts 26:18. Back to text.
Is 43:5: Acts 18:10. Back to text.
Is 44:6: Is 48:12; Rev 1:17; 2:8; 22:13. Back to text.
Is 44:23: Jer 51:48; Rev 12:12; 18:20. Back to text.
Is 44:25: 1 Cor 1:20. Back to text.
Is 45:9: Is 29:16; Rom 9:20. Back to text.
Is 45:14: 1 Cor 14:25 Back to text.
Is 45:17: Heb 5:9. Back to text.
Is 45:21: Acts 15:18. Back to text.
Is 45:23: Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10–11. Back to text.
47: Is 13:1–14:23; Jer 50–51; Hab 1–2.
Is 47:8: Rev 18:7. Back to text.
Is 47:9: Rev 18:8. Back to text.
Is 48:12: Is 44:6; Rev 1:17; 2:8; 22:13. Back to text.
Is 49:1: Jer 1:5; Gal 1:15. Back to text.
Is 49:4: Phil 2:16. Back to text.
Is 49:6: Is 42:6; Lk 2:32; Acts 13:47; 26:23. Back to text.
Is 49:8: 2 Cor 6:2. Back to text.
Is 49:10: Rev 7:16. Back to text.
Is 49:13: Is 44:23; Jer 51:48; Rev 12:12; 18:20. Back to text.
Is 50:8–9: Rom 8:33; Heb 1:11. Back to text.
Is 51:6: Heb 1:11. Back to text.
Is 52:1: Rev 21:27. Back to text.
Is 52:5: Rom 2:24. Back to text.
Is 52:7: Acts 10:36; Rom 10:15; Eph 6:15. Back to text.
Is 52:10: Lk 2:30; 3:6. Back to text.
Is 52:11: 2 Cor 6:17. Back to text.
Is 52:15: Rom 15:21. Back to text.
Is 53:1: Jn 12:38; Rom 10:16. Back to text.
Is 53:4: Mt 8:17. Back to text.
Is 53:5–6: 1 Pet 2:24–25. Back to text.
Is 53:7–8: Acts 8:32–33. Back to text.
Is 53:9: 1 Pet 2:22. Back to text.
Is 53:12: Lk 22:37. Back to text.
Is 54:1: Gal 4:27. Back to text.
Is 54:11–12: Rev 21:19. Back to text.
Is 54:13: Jn 6:45. Back to text.
Is 55:1: Rev 21:6; 22:17. Back to text.
Is 55:3: Acts 13:34; Heb 13:20. Back to text.
Is 55:10: 2 Cor 9:10. Back to text.
Is 56:7: Mt 21:13; Mk 11:17; Lk 19:46. Back to text.
Is 57:15: Mt 5:3. Back to text.
Is 57:19: Acts 2:39; Eph 2:13, 17. Back to text.
Is 58:6: Acts 8:23. Back to text.
Is 59:7–8: Rom 3:15–17. Back to text.
Is 59:17: Eph 6:14, 17; 1 Thess 5:8. Back to text.
Is 59:19: Mt 8:11; Lk 13:29. Back to text.
Is 59:20–21: Rom 11:26–27. Back to text.
Is 60:6: Mt 2:11. Back to text.
Is 60:11: Rev 21:25–26. Back to text.
Is 60:14: Rev 3:9. Back to text.
Is 60:19: Rev 21:23; 22:5. Back to text.
Is 61:1–2: Mt 11:5; Lk 4:18–19; 7:22. Back to text.
Is 61:6: Ex 19:6; 1 Pet 2:5; Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6. Back to text.
Is 62:2: Rev 2:17. Back to text.
Is 63:1–6: Is 34; Jer 49:7–22; Ezek 25:12–14; 35; Amos 1:11–12; Obad;
Mal 1:2–5. Back to text.
Is 63:3: Rev 19:15. Back to text.
Is 63:11: Heb 13:20. Back to text.
Is 64:4: 1 Cor 2:9. Back to text.
Is 65:1–2: Rom 10:20–21. Back to text.
Is 65:17: Is 66:22; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1. Back to text.
Is 65:25: Is 11:6–9. Back to text.
Is 66:1–2: Mt 5:34; Acts 7:49–50. Back to text.
Is 66:6: Rev 16:1, 17. Back to text.
Is 66:7: Rev 12:5. Back to text.
Is 66:22: Is 65:17; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1. Back to text.
Is 66:24: Mk 9:48. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH
Jer 1:5: Is 49:1; Gal 1:15. Back to text.
Jer 1:8: Is 43:5; Acts 18:9–10. Back to text.
Jer 1:10: Rev 10:11. Back to text.
Jer 5:21: Is 6:9–10; Mt 13:10–15; Mk 8:17–18. Back to text.
Jer 6:16: Mt 11:29. Back to text.
Jer 6:25: Jer 20:3, 10; 46:5; 49:29; Ps 31:13. Back to text.
Jer 7:11: Mt 21:13; Mk 11:17; Lk 19:46. Back to text.
Jer 7:34: Rev 18:23. Back to text.
Jer 9:24: 1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17. Back to text.
Jer 9:26: Acts 7:51. Back to text.
Jer 10:25: 1 Thess 4:5; Rev 16:1. Back to text.
Jer 14:12: Rev 6:8. Back to text.
Jer 15:2: Rev 13:10. Back to text.
Jer 16:9: Jer 7:34; 25:10; Rev 18:23. Back to text.
Jer 17:7–8: Ps 1:1–3. Back to text.
Jer 17:10: Ps 62:12; Rev 2:23; 22:12. Back to text.
Jer 18:6: Rom 9:21. Back to text.
Jer 19:13: Acts 7:42. Back to text.
Jer 20:3, 10: Jer 6:25; 46:5; 49:29; Ps 31:13. Back to text.
Jer 20:14–18: Job 3:3–13. Back to text.
Jer 22:5: Mt 23:38; Lk 13:35. Back to text.
Jer 23:5: Jer 33:15; Is 4:2; Zech 3:8; Zech6:12. Back to text.
Jer 25:10: Jer 7:34; 16:9; Rev 18:23. Back to text.
Jer 25:15: Jer 51:7; Rev 14:8, 10; 16:19; 17:4; 18:3. Back to text.
Jer 31:15: Mt 2:18. Back to text.
Jer 31:31: Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25. Back to text.
Jer 31:31–34: Jer 32:38–40; Heb 8:8–12; 10:16–17. Back to text.
Jer 32:38–40: Jer 31:31–34. Back to text.
Jer 33:15: Jer 23:5; Is 4:2; Zech 3:8; 6:12. Back to text.
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Jer 46: Is 19; Ezek 29–32; Zech 14:18–19. Back to text.
Jer 46:5: Jer 6:25; 20:3, 10; 49:29; Ps 31:13. Back to text.
Jer 47 Is 14:29–31; Ezek 25:15–17; Amos 1:6–8; Zeph 2:4–7; Zech 9:5–
7. Back to text.
Jer 48: Is 15–16; 25:10–12; Ezek 25:8–11; Amos 2:1–3; Zeph 2:8–11.
Back to text.
Jer 49:1–6: Ezek 21:28–32; 25:1–7; Amos 1:13–15; Zeph 2:8–11. Back
to text.
Jer 49:7–22: Is 34; 63:1–6; Ezek 25:12–14; 35; Amos 1:11–12; Obad;
Mal 1:2–5. Back to text.
Jer 49:23–27: Is 17:1–3; Amos 1:3–5; Zech 9:1. Back to text.
Jer 49:29: Jer 6:25; 20:3, 10; 46:5; Ps 31:13. Back to text.
Jer 50–51: Is 13:1–14:23; 47; Hab 1–2. Back to text.
Jer 50:8: Jer 51:6, 9, 45; 2 Cor 6:17; Rev 18:4. Back to text.
Jer 51:6, 9, 45: Jer 50:8; 2 Cor 6:17; Rev 18:4. Back to text.
Jer 51:7–8: Jer 25:15; Rev 14:8, 10; 16:19; 17:4; 18:3. Back to text.
Jer 51:13: Rev 17:1. Back to text.
Jer 51:48: Is 44:23; Rev 12:12; 18:20. Back to text.
Jer 51:63–64: Rev 18:21. Back to text.
Jer 52: 2 Kings 24:18—25:30; 2 Chron 36:11–13. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL
Ezek 1:1: Rev 19:11. Back to text.
Ezek 1:5, 18: Rev 4:6. Back to text.
Ezek 1:10: Rev 4:7. Back to text.
Ezek 1:13: Rev 4:5. Back to text.
Ezek 1:18: Ezek 10:12; Rev 4:8. Back to text.
Ezek 1:24: Ezek 43:2; Rev 1:15; 14:2; 19:6. Back to text.
Ezek 1:26: Rev 1:13; 4:2. Back to text.
Ezek 2:8—3:3: Rev 5:1; 10:8–10. Back to text.
Ezek 3:16–21: Ezek 33:1–9. Back to text.
Ezek 6:9: Ezek 20:43; 36:31. Back to text.
Ezek 7:2: Rev 7:1; 20:8. Back to text.
Ezek 9:4, 6: 1 Pet 4:17; Rev 7:3; 9:4; 14:1. Back to text.
Ezek 10:1: Rev 4:2. Back to text.
Ezek 10:2: Rev 8:5. Back to text.
Ezek 10:12: Ezek 1:18; Rev 4:8. Back to text.
Ezek 10:14: Ezek 1:10; Rev 4:7. Back to text.
Ezek 11:19: Ezek 18:31; 36:26; 2 Cor 3:3. Back to text.
Ezek 12:2: Mk 8:18. Back to text.
Ezek 14:21: Rev 6:8. Back to text.
Ezek 16:3: Ezek 16:45. Back to text.
Ezek 16:45: Ezek 16:3. Back to text.
Ezek 17:23: Ezek 31:6; Mt 13:32; Mk 4:32; Lk 13:19. Back to text.
Ezek 18:2: Jer 31:29. Back to text.
Ezek 18:4: Ezek 18:20. Back to text.
Ezek 18:20: Ezek 18:4. Back to text.
Ezek 18:23: Ezek 18:32; 33:11. Back to text.
Ezek 18:31: Ezek 11:19; 36:26. Back to text.
Ezek 18:32: Ezek 18:23; 33:11. Back to text.
Ezek 20:41: Eph 5:2; Phil 4:18. Back to text.
Ezek 20:43: Ezek 6:9; 36:31. Back to text.
Ezek 21:28–32: Ezek 25:1–7; Jer 49:1–6; Amos 1:13–15; Zeph 2:8–11.
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Ezek 25:1–7: Ezek 21:28–32; Jer 49:1–6; Amos 1:13–15; Zeph 2:8–11.
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Ezek 25:8–11: Is 15–16; 25:10–12; Jer 48; Amos 2:1–3; Zeph 2:8–11.
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Ezek 25:12–14: Ezek 35; Is 34; 63:1–6; Jer 49:7–22; Amos 1:11–12;
Obad; Mal 1:2–5. Back to text.
Ezek 25:15–17: Is 14:29–31; Jer 47; Amos 1:6–8; Zeph 2:4–7; Zech
9:5–7. Back to text.
Ezek 26:1—28:19: Is 23; Joel 3:4–8; Amos 1:9–10; Zech 9:3–4. Back to
text.
Ezek 26:13: Rev 18:22. Back to text.
Ezek 26:16–17: Rev 18:9–10. Back to text.
Ezek 27:13: Rev 18:13. Back to text.
Ezek 27:27–36: Rev 18:9–19. Back to text.
Ezek 28:2: Dan 11:36; 2 Thess 2:4; Rev 13:5. Back to text.
Ezek 28:20–26: Joel 3:4–8; Zech 9:2. Back to text.
Ezek 29–32: Is 19; Jer 46; Zech 14:18–19. Back to text.
Ezek 31:6: Ezek 17:23; Dan 4:12–21; Mt 13:32; Mk 4:32; Lk 13:19.
Back to text.
Ezek 31:8 (Gk): Rev 2:7. Back to text.
Ezek 33:1–9: Ezek 3:16–21. Back to text.
Ezek 33:11: Ezek 18:23, 32. Back to text.
Ezek 34:5: Mt 9:36; Mk 6:34. Back to text.
Ezek 34:16: Lk 19:10. Back to text.
Ezek 34:23: Ezek 37:24. Back to text.
Ezek 36:26: Ezek 11:19; 18:31; 2 Cor 3:3. Back to text.
Ezek 36:27: Ezek 37:14; 1 Thess 4:8. Back to text.
Ezek 36:31: Ezek 6:9; 20:43. Back to text.
Ezek 37:5, 10: Rev 11:11. Back to text.
Ezek 37:14: Ezek 36:27; 1 Thess 4:8. Back to text.
Ezek 37:26: Heb 13:20. Back to text.
Ezek 37:27: Ex 25:8; 29:45; Lev 26:12; Jer 31:1; 2 Cor 6:16; Rev 21:3.
Back to text.
Ezek 38:2, 9, 15: Rev 20:8. Back to text.
Ezek 38:22: Rev 8:7; 14:10. Back to text.
Ezek 39:4, 17–20: Rev 19:17, 18, 21. Back to text.
Ezek 40:1—43:17: 1 Kings 6–7; 2 Chron 3–4. Back to text.
Ezek 40:2: Rev 21:10. Back to text.
Ezek 40:3, 5: Rev 21:15. Back to text.
Ezek 43:2: Ezek 1:24; Rev 1:15; 14:2; 19:6. Back to text.
Ezek 44:4: Rev 15:8. Back to text.
Ezek 47:1–2: Zech 14:8; Rev 22:1–2. Back to text.
Ezek 48:16: Rev 21:16. Back to text.
Ezek 48:31–35: Rev 21:12–13. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF DANIEL
Dan 2:44: Rev 11:15. Back to text.
Dan 3:5, 6: Rev 13:15. Back to text.
Dan 4:12, 21: Ezek 17:23; 31:6; Mt 13:32; Mk 4:32; Lk 13:19. Back to
text.
Dan 6:22: 2 Tim 4:17. Back to text.
Dan 7:3: Rev 13:1. Back to text.
Dan 7:3, 7, 21: Rev 11:7. Back to text.
Dan 7:4–6: Rev 13:2. Back to text.
Dan 7:7: Rev 12:3; 13:1; 17:3. Back to text.
Dan 7:8, 11: Rev 13:5. Back to text.
Dan 7:9: Rev 1:14; 20:4, 11. Back to text.
Dan 7:10: Rev 5:11; 20:12. Back to text.
Dan 7:13–14: Mt 24:30; 26:64; Mk 13:26; 14:62; Lk 21:27; 22:69; Rev
1:7, 13; 14:14. Back to text.
Dan 7:14, 18, 22, 27: Rev 11:15. Back to text.
Dan 7:20, 24: Rev 17:12. Back to text.
Dan 7:21: Rev 13:7. Back to text.
Dan 7:25: Rev 12:14. Back to text.
Dan 8:10: Rev 12:4. Back to text.
Dan 8:13: Lk 21:24. Back to text.
Dan 9:27: Dan 11:31; 12:11; Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14. Back to text.
Dan 10:5–6: Rev 1:13–14; 2:18. Back to text.
Dan 10:13, 21: Rev 12:7. Back to text.
Dan 11:31: Dan 9:27; 12:11; Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14. Back to text.
Dan 11:36: Ezek 28:2; 2 Thess 2:4; Rev 13:5. Back to text.
Dan 12:1: Mt 24:21; Mk 13:19; Rev 12:7; 16:18. Back to text.
Dan 12:2: Mt 25:46. Back to text.
Dan 12:3: Mt 13:43. Back to text.
Dan 12:4: Rev 22:10. Back to text.
Dan 12:7: Rev 4:9; 10:5; 12:14. Back to text.
Dan 12:11: Dan 9:27; 11:31; Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF HOSEA
Hos 1:6, 9: Hos 2:23; 1 Pet 2:10. Back to text.
Hos 1:10: Rom 9:26. Back to text.
Hos 2:1, 23: Rom 9:25; 1 Pet 2:10. Back to text.
Hos 6:6: Mt 9:13; 12:7. Back to text.
Hos 8:14: Amos 1:4, 7, 10, 12, 14; 2:2, 5. Back to text.
Hos 9:7: Lk 21:22. Back to text.
Hos 10:8: Lk 23:30; Rev 6:16. Back to text.
Hos 10:12: 2 Cor 9:10. Back to text.
Hos 11:1: Mt 2:15. Back to text.
Hos 12:8: Rev 3:17. Back to text.
Hos 13:14: 1 Cor 15:55. Back to text.
Hos 14:2: Heb 13:15. Back to text.
Hos 14:9: Acts 13:10. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF JOEL
Joel 1:6: Rev 9:8. Back to text.
Joel 2:4–5: Rev 9:7, 9. Back to text.
Joel 2:10: Rev 9:2. Back to text.
Joel 2:11: Rev 6:17. Back to text.
Joel 2:28–32: Acts 2:17–21. Back to text.
Joel 2:31: Rev 6:12. Back to text.
Joel 2:32: Rom 10:13. Back to text.
Joel 3:4–8: Is 23; Ezek 26:1–28:19; Amos 1:9–10; Zech 9:3–4; Ezek
28:20–26; Zech 9:2; Is 14:29–31; Jer 47; Ezek 25:15–17; Amos 1:6–8;
Zeph 2:4–7; Zech 9:5–7. Back to text.
Joel 3:10: Is 2:4; Mic 4:3. Back to text.
Joel 3:13: Mk 4:29; Rev 14:15, 18, 19. Back to text.
Joel 3:16: Amos 1:2. Back to text.
Joel 3:18: Ezek 47:1–12; Amos 9:13; Zech 14:8; Rev 22:1. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF AMOS
Amos 1:2: Joel 3:16. Back to text.
Amos 1:3–5: Is 17:1–3; Jer 49:23–27; Zech 9:1. Back to text.
Amos 1:6–8: Is 14:29–31; Jer 47; Ezek 25:15–17; Joel 3:4–8; Zeph 2:4–
7; Zech 9:5–7. Back to text.
Amos 1:9–10: Is 23; Ezek 26:1—28:19; Joel 3:4–8; Zech 9:3-4. Back to
text.
Amos 1:11–12: Is 34; 63:1–6; Jer 49:7–22; Ezek 25:12–14; 35; Obad;
Mal 1:2–5. Back to text.
Amos 1:13–15: Jer 49:1–6; Ezek 21:28–32; 25:1–7; Zeph 2:8–11. Back
to text.
Amos 2:1–3: Is 15–16; 25:10–12; Jer 48; Ezek 25:8–11; Zeph 2:8–11.
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Amos 3:7: Rev 10:7. Back to text.
Amos 5:25–27: Acts 7:42–43. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF OBADIAH
Obad 1–21: Is 34; 63:1–6; Jer 49:7–22; Ezek 25:12–14; 35; Amos 1:11–
12; Mal 1:2–5. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF JONAH
Jon 1:17: Mt 12:40. Back to text.
Jon 3:9: Joel 2:14. Back to text.
Jon 4:2: Ex 34:6. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF MICAH
Mic 1:2: 1 Kings 22:28. Back to text.
Mic 4:1–3: Is 2:2–4. Back to text.
Mic 4:4: Zech 3:10. Back to text.
Mic 5:2: Mt 2:6; Jn 7:42. Back to text.
Mic 7:6: Mt 10:21, 35, 36; Mk 13:12; Lk 12:53. Back to text.
Mic 7:20: Lk 1:55. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF NAHUM
Nahum 1–3: Is 10:5–34; Zeph 2:12–15. Back to text.
Nahum 1:15: Is 40:9; 52:7; Acts 10:36; Rom 10:15. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK
Hab 1:2: Is 13:1–14:23; 47; Jer 50–51. Back to text.
Hab 1:5: Acts 13:41. Back to text.
Hab 1:6: Rev 20:9. Back to text.
Hab 2:1: Is 21:8. Back to text.
Hab 2:3: Heb 10:37. Back to text.
Hab 2:4: Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38–39. Back to text.
Hab 2:14: Is 11:9. Back to text.
Hab 2:20: Zeph 1:7; Zech 2:13. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF ZEPHANIAH
Zeph 3:13: Rev 14:5. Back to text.
Zeph 1:7: Hab 2:20; Zech 2:13. Back to text.
Zeph 2:4–7: Is 14:29–31; Jer 47; Ezek 25:15–17; Joel 3:4–8; Amos 1:6–
8; Zech 9:5–7. Back to text.
Zeph 2:8–11: Is 15–16; 25:10–12; Jer 48; Ezek 25:8–11; Amos 2:1–3.
Back to text.
Zeph 2:12: Is 18. Back to text.
Zeph 2:13–15: Is 10:5–34; Nah. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF HAGGAI
Hag 2:6: Heb 12:26 Back to text.
THE BOOK OF ZECHARIAH
Zech 2:13: Hab 2:20; Zeph 1:7. Back to text.
Zech 3:2: Jude 9. Back to text.
Zech 3:8: Is 4:2; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 6:12. Back to text.
Zech 3:10: Mic 4:4. Back to text.
Zech 4:3, 11–14: Rev 11:4. Back to text.
Zech 4:10: Rev 5:6. Back to text.
Zech 6:1–3: Rev 6:2–8. Back to text.
Zech 6:5: Rev 7:1. Back to text.
Zech 6:12: Zech 3:8; Is 4:2; Jer 23:5; 33:15. Back to text.
Zech 8:16: Eph 4:25. Back to text.
Zech 9:9: Mt 21:5; Jn 12:15. Back to text.
Zech 11:12–13: Mt 26:15; 27:9. Back to text.
Zech 12:10: Jn 19:37. Back to text.
Zech 13:7: Mt 26:31; Mk 14:27. Back to text.
Zech 14:8: Ezek 47:1–12; Rev 22:1–2. Back to text.
Zech 14:11: Rev 22:3. Back to text.
Zech 14:18–19: Is 19; Jer 46; Ezek 29–32. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF MALACHI
Mal 1:2–3: Rom 9:13. Back to text.
Mal 1:2–5: Is 34; 63:1–6; Jer 49:7–22; Ezek 25:12–14; 35; Amos 1:11–
12; Obad. Back to text.
Mal 3:1: Mt 11:10; Mk 1:2; Lk 1:17, 76; 7:27. Back to text.
Mal 3:2: Rev 6:17 Back to text.
Mal 4:5: Mt 17:11; Mk 9:12. Back to text.
Mal 4:6: Lk 1:17. Back to text.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
Mt 1:1–17: Lk 3:23–38. Back to text.
Mt 1:3–6: Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chron 2:1–15. Back to text.
Mt 1:11: 2 Kings 24:14; Jer 27:20. Back to text.
Mt 1:18: Lk 1:26–38. Back to text.
Mt 1:21: Lk 2:21; Jn 1:29; Acts 13:23. Back to text.
Mt 1:23: Is 7:14. Back to text.
Mt 2:1: Lk 2:4–7; 1:5. Back to text.
Mt 2:2: Jer 23:5; Zech 9:9; Mk 15:2; Jn 1:49; Num 24:17. Back to text.
Mt 2:5: Jn 7:42. Back to text.
Mt 2:6: Mic 5:2. Back to text.
Mt 2:11: Mt 1:18; 12:46. Back to text.
Mt 2:12: Mt 2:22; Acts 10:22; Heb 11:7. Back to text.
Mt 2:15: Hos 11:1; Ex 4:22. Back to text.
Mt 2:18: Jer 31:15. Back to text.
Mt 2:19: Mt 1:20; 2:13. Back to text.
Mt 2:23: Lk 1:26; Is 11:1; Mk 1:24. Back to text.
Mt 3:1–12: Mk 1:3–8; Lk 3:2–17; Jn 1:6–8, 19–28. Back to text.
Mt 3:2: Mt 4:17; Dan 2:44; 4:17; Mt 10:7. Back to text.
Mt 3:3: Is 40:3. Back to text.
Mt 3:4: 2 Kings 1:8; Zech 13:4; Lev 11:22. Back to text.
Mt 3:7: Mt 12:34; 23:33; 1 Thess 1:10. Back to text.
Mt 3:9: Jn 8:33; Rom 4:16. Back to text.
Mt 3:10: Mt 7:19. Back to text.
Mt 3:12: Mt 13:30. Back to text.
Mt 3:13–17: Mk 1:9–11; Lk 3:21–22; Jn 1:31–34. Back to text.
Mt 3:17: Mt 12:18; 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35; Ps 2:7; Is 42:1. Back to text.
Mt 4:1–11: Mk 1:12–13; Lk 4:1–13; Heb 2:18; 4:15. Back to text.
Mt 4:2: Ex 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8. Back to text.
Mt 4:4: Deut 8:3. Back to text.
Mt 4:5: Mt 27:53; Neh 11:1; Dan 9:24; Rev 21:10. Back to text.
Mt 4:6: Ps 91:11–12. Back to text.
Mt 4:7: Deut 6:16. Back to text.
Mt 4:10: Deut 6:13; Mk 8:33. Back to text.
Mt 4:11: Mt 26:53; Lk 22:43. Back to text.
Mt 4:12: Mk 1:14; Lk 4:14; Mt 14:3; Jn 1:43. Back to text.
Mt 4:13: Jn 2:12; Mk 1:21; Lk 4:23. Back to text.
Mt 4:15: Is 9:1–2. Back to text.
Mt 4:17: Mk 1:15; Mt 3:2; 10:7. Back to text.
Mt 4:18–22: Mk 1:16–20; Lk 5:1–11; Jn 1:35–42. Back to text.
Mt 4:23–25: Mk 1:39; Lk 4:15, 44; Mt 9:35; Mk 3:7–8; Lk 6:17. Back to
text.
Mt 5:1–12: Lk 6:17, 20–23; Mk 3:13; Jn 6:3. Back to text.
Mt 5:3: Mk 10:14; Lk 22:29. Back to text.
Mt 5:4: Is 61:2; Jn 16:20, Rev 7:17. Back to text.
Mt 5:5: Ps 37:11. Back to text.
Mt 5:6: Is 55:1–2; Jn 4:14; 6:48–51. Back to text.
Mt 5:8: Ps 24:4; Heb 12:14; 1 Jn 3:2; Rev 22:4. Back to text.
Mt 5:10: 1 Pet 3:14; 4:14. Back to text.
Mt 5:12: 2 Chron 36:16; Mt 23:37; Acts 7:52; 1 Thess 2:15; Jas 5:10.
Back to text.
Mt 5:13: Mk 9:49–50; Lk 14:34–35. Back to text.
Mt 5:14: Eph 5:8; Phil 2:15; Jn 8:12. Back to text.
Mt 5:15–16: Lk 11:33; Mk 4:21; 1 Pet 2:12. Back to text.
Mt 5:18: Lk 16:17; Mk 13:31. Back to text.
Mt 5:19: Jas 2:10. Back to text.
Mt 5:21: Ex 20:13; Deut 5:17; 16:18. Back to text.
Mt 5:25–26: Lk 12:57–59. Back to text.
Mt 5:27: Ex 20:14; Deut 5:18. Back to text.
Mt 5:29–30: Mk 9:43–48; Mt 18:8–9. Back to text.
Mt 5:31–32: Lk 16:18; Mk 10:11–12; Mt 19:9; 1 Cor 7:10–11; Deut
24:1–4. Back to text.
Mt 5:33–37: Mt 23:16–22; Jas 5:12; Lev 19:12; Num 30:2; Deut 23:21.
Back to text.
Mt 5:35: Is 66:1; Acts 7:49; Ps 48:2. Back to text.
Mt 5:38: Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21. Back to text.
Mt 5:39–42: Lk 6:29–30; 1 Cor 6:7; Rom 12:17; 1 Pet 2:19; 3:9; Prov
24:29. Back to text.
Mt 5:43–48: Lk 6:27–28, 32–36; Lev 19:18; Prov 25:21–22. Back to
text.
Mt 5:48: Lev 19:2. Back to text.
Mt 6:1: Mt 23:5. Back to text.
Mt 6:4: Col 3:23–24. Back to text.
Mt 6:5: Mk 11:25; Lk 18:10–14. Back to text.
Mt 6:7: 1 Kings 18:25–29. Back to text.
Mt 6:8: Mt 6:32; Lk 12:30. Back to text.
Mt 6:9–13: Lk 11:2–4. Back to text.
Mt 6:13: 2 Thess 3:3; Jn 17:15; Jas 1:13. Back to text.
Mt 6:14–15: Mt 18:35; Mk 11:25; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13. Back to text.
Mt 6:16: Is 58:5. Back to text.
Mt 6:18: Mt 6:4, 6. Back to text.
Mt 6:19–21: Lk 12:33–34; Mk 10:21; 1 Tim 6:17–19; Jas 5:1–3. Back to
text.
Mt 6:22–23: Lk 11:34–36; Mt 20:15; Mk 7:22. Back to text.
Mt 6:24: Lk 16:13. Back to text.
Mt 6:25–33: Lk 12:22–31; 10:41; 12:11; Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7. Back to text.
Mt 6:26: Mt 10:29. Back to text.
Mt 6:27: Ps 39:5. Back to text.
Mt 6:29: 1 Kings 10:4–7. Back to text.
Mt 6:30: Mt 8:26; 14:31; 16:8. Back to text.
Mt 6:33: Mt 19:28; Mk 10:29–30; Lk 18:29–30. Back to text.
Mt 7:1–2: Lk 6:37–38; Mk 4:24; Rom 2:1; 14:10. Back to text.
Mt 7:3–5: Lk 6:41–42. Back to text.
Mt 7:7–11: Lk 11:9–13; Mk 11:24; Jn 15:7; 16:23–24; Jas 4:3; 1 Jn 3:22;
5:14. Back to text.
Mt 7:12: Lk 6:31. Back to text.
Mt 7:13–14: Lk 13:23–24; Jer 21:8; Deut 30:19; Jn 14:6; 10:7. Back to
text.
Mt 7:15: Mt 24:11, 24; Ezek 22:27; 1 Jn 4:1; Jn 10:12. Back to text.
Mt 7:16–20: Lk 6:43–44; Mt 12:33–35; Mt 3:10; Jas 3:12; Lk 13:7. Back
to text.
Mt 7:21: Lk 6:46. Back to text.
Mt 7:22–23: Lk 13:26–27; Mt 25:12; Ps 6:8. Back to text.
Mt 7:24–27: Lk 6:47–49; Jas 1:22–25. Back to text.
Mt 7:28–29: Mk 1:22; Lk 4:32; Mt 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1. Back to text.
Mt 8:2–4: Mk 1:40–44; Lk 5:12–14. Back to text.
Mt 8:2: Mt 9:18; 15:25; 18:26; 20:20; Jn 9:38. Back to text.
Mt 8:4: Mk 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:30; 9:9; Lev 14:2. Back to text.
Mt 8:5–13: Lk 7:1–10; Jn 4:46–53. Back to text.
Mt 8:11–12: Lk 13:28–29; Is 49:12; 59:19; Mal 1:11; Ps 107:3. Back to
text.
Mt 8:12: Mt 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28. Back to text.
Mt 8:14–16: Mk 1:29–34; Lk 4:38–41; Mt 4:23–24. Back to text.
Mt 8:17: Is 53:4. Back to text.
Mt 8:18–22: Lk 9:57–60; Mk 4:35; Lk 8:22. Back to text.
Mt 8:22: Mt 9:9; Jn 1:43; 21:19. Back to text.
Mt 8:23–27: Mk 4:36–41; Lk 8:22–25. Back to text.
Mt 8:26: Mt 6:30; 14:31; 16:8. Back to text.
Mt 8:28–34: Mk 5:1–17; Lk 8:26–37. Back to text.
Mt 8:29: Judg 11:12; 2 Sam 16:10; Mk 1:24; Jn 2:4. Back to text.
Mt 9:1–8: Mk 2:1–12, Lk 5:17–26. Back to text.
Mt 9:2: Mt 9:22; Mk 6:50; 10:49; Jn 16:33; Acts 23:11; Lk 7:48. Back to
text.
Mt 9:9–13: Mk 2:13–17; Lk 5:27–32; 15:1–2; 7:34. Back to text.
Mt 9:13: Hos 6:6; Mt 12:7; 1 Tim 1:15. Back to text.
Mt 9:14–17: Mk 2:18–22; Lk 5:33–39; 18:12. Back to text.
Mt 9:18–26: Mk 5:21–43; Lk 8:40–56. Back to text.
Mt 9:18: Mt 8:2; 15:25; 18:26; 20:20; Jn 9:38. Back to text.
Mt 9:20: Num 15:38; Deut 22:12; Mt 14:36; Mk 3:10. Back to text.
Mt 9:22: Mk 10:52; Lk 7:50; 17:19; Mt 15:28; 9:29. Back to text.
Mt 9:27–31: Mt 20:29–34. Back to text.
Mt 9:32–34: Lk 11:14–15; Mt 12:22–24; Mk 3:22; Jn 7:20. Back to text.
Mt 9:35: Mt 4:23; Mk 6:6. Back to text.
Mt 9:36: Mk 6:34; Mt 14:14; 15:32; Num 27:17; Zech 10:2. Back to
text.
Mt 9:37–38: Lk 10:2; Jn 4:35. Back to text.
Mt 10:1–4: Mk 6:7; 3:16–19; Lk 9:1; 6:14–16; Acts 1:13. Back to text.
Mt 10:5: Lk 9:52; Jn 4:9; Acts 8:5, 25. Back to text.
Mt 10:6: Mt 15:24; 10:23. Back to text.
Mt 10:7–8: Lk 9:2; 10:9–11; Mt 4:17. Back to text.
Mt 10:9–14: Mk 6:8–11; Lk 9:3–5; 10:4–12; 22:35–36. Back to text.
Mt 10:10: 1 Cor 9:14; 1 Tim 5:18. Back to text.
Mt 10:14: Acts 13:51. Back to text.
Mt 10:15: Mt 11:24; Lk 10:12; Jude 7; 2 Pet 2:6. Back to text.
Mt 10:16: Lk 10:3; Gen 3:1; Rom l6:19. Back to text.
Mt 10:17–22: Mk 13:9–13; Lk 12:11–12; 21:12–19; Jn 16:2. Back to
text.
Mt 10:18: Acts 25:24–26. Back to text.
Mt 10:20: Jn 16:7–11. Back to text.
Mt 10:21: Mt 10:35–36; Lk 12:52–53. Back to text.
Mt 10:22: Jn 15:18; Mt 24:9. Back to text.
Mt 10:23: Mt 16:27; 1 Thess 4:17. Back to text.
Mt 10:24: Lk 6:40; Jn 13:16; 15:20. Back to text.
Mt 10:25: Mt 9:34; 12:24; Mk 3:22; Lk 11:15; 2 Kings 1:2. Back to text.
Mt 10:26–33: Lk 12:2–9. Back to text.
Mt 10:26: Mk 4:22; Lk 8:17; Eph 5:13. Back to text.
Mt 10:28: Heb 10:31. Back to text.
Mt 10:31: Mt 12:12. Back to text.
Mt 10:32: Mk 8:38; Lk 9:26; Rev 3:5; 2 Tim 2:12. Back to text.
Mt 10:34–36: Lk 12:51–53; Mt 10:21; Mk 13:12; Mic 7:6. Back to text.
Mt 10:37–39: Lk 14:25–27; 17:33; 9:23–24; Mt 16:24–25; Mk 8:34–35;
Jn 12:25. Back to text.
Mt 10:40: Lk 10:16; Jn 13:20; Gal 4:14; Mk 9:37; Mt 18:5; Lk 9:48.
Back to text.
Mt 10:42: Mk 9:41; Mt 25:40. Back to text.
Mt 11:1: Mt 7:28; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1. Back to text.
Mt 11:2–19: Lk 7:18–35. Back to text.
Mt 11:3: Mk 1:7–8; Hab 2:3; Jn 11:27. Back to text.
Mt 11:5: Is 35:5–6; 61:1; Lk 4:18–19. Back to text.
Mt 11:9: Mt 14:5; 21:26; Lk 1:76. Back to text.
Mt 11:10: Mal 3:1; Mk l:2. Back to text.
Mt 11:12–13: Lk 16:16. Back to text.
Mt 11:14: Mal 4:5; Mt 17:10–13; Jn 1:21; Lk 1:17. Back to text.
Mt 11:15: Mt 13:9, 43; Mk 4:23; Rev 13:9; 2:7. Back to text.
Mt 11:16–19: Lk 7:31–35. Back to text.
Mt 11:20–24: Lk 10:13–15. Back to text.
Mt 11:24: Mt 10:15; Lk 10:12. Back to text.
Mt 11:25–27: Lk 10:21–22. Back to text.
Mt 11:25: 1 Cor 1:26–29. Back to text.
Mt 11:27: Jn 3:35; 5:20; 13:3; 7:29; 10:15; 17:25; Mt 28:18. Back to
text.
Mt 11:29: Jn 13:15; Phil 2:5; 1 Pet 2:21; Jer 6:16. Back to text.
Mt 12:1–8: Mk 2:23–28; Lk 6:1–5. Back to text.
Mt 12:1: Deut 23:25. Back to text.
Mt 12:3: 1 Sam 21:1–6; Lev 24:9. Back to text.
Mt 12:5: Num 28:9–10. Back to text.
Mt 12:6: Mt 12:41–42; Lk 11:31–32. Back to text.
Mt 12:7: Hos 6:6; Mt 9:13. Back to text.
Mt 12:8: Jn 5:1–18; 7:19–24; 9:1–41. Back to text.
Mt 12:9–14: Mk 3:1–6; Lk 6:6–11. Back to text.
Mt 12:11: Lk 14:5. Back to text.
Mt 12:12: Mt 10:31. Back to text.
Mt 12:14: Mk 14:1; Jn 7:30; 8:59; 10:39; 11:53. Back to text.
Mt 12:15–16: Mk 3:7–12; Lk 6:17–19. Back to text.
Mt 12:18–21: Is 42:1–4. Back to text.
Mt 12:22–29: Mk 3:22–27; Lk 11:14–22. Back to text.
Mt 12:22: Mt 9:32–33. Back to text.
Mt 12:24: Mt 9:34; 10:25; Jn 7:20; 8:52; 10:20. Back to text.
Mt 12:30: Lk 11:23; Mk 9:40. Back to text.
Mt 12:31–32: Mk 3:28–30; Lk 12:10. Back to text.
Mt 12:33–35: Lk 6:43–45; Mt 7:16–20; Jas 3:11–12; Mt 15:18. Back to
text.
Mt 12:38–42: Lk 11:16, 29–32; Mk 8:11–12; Mt 16:1–4; Jn 2:18; 6:30; 1
Cor 1:22.
Mt 12:40: Jon 1:17. Back to text.
Mt 12:41: Jon 3:5. Back to text.
Mt 12:42: 1 Kings 10:1–10; 2 Chron 9:1–12. Back to text.
Mt 12:43–45: Lk 11:24–26; 2 Pet 2:20. Back to text.
Mt 12:46–50: Mk 3:31–35; Lk 8:19–21. Back to text.
Mt 12:46: Jn 2:1–12; 19:25–27; 7:1–10; Mk 6:3; 1 Cor 9:5. Back to text.
Mt 12:50: Jn 15:14. Back to text.
Mt 13:1–9: Mk 4:1–9; Lk 8:4–8; 5:1–3. Back to text.
Mt 13:10–13: Mk 4:10–12; Lk 8:9–10. Back to text.
Mt 13:12: Mk 4:25; Lk 8:18; Mt 25:29; Lk 19:26. Back to text.
Mt 13:14–15: Is 6:9–10; Mk 8:18; Jn 12:39–41; Acts 28:26–27. Back to
text.
Mt 13:16–17: Lk 10:23–24; Jn 8:56; Heb 11:13; 1 Pet 1:10–12. Back to
text.
Mt 13:18–23: Mk 4:13–20; Lk 8:11–15. Back to text.
Mt 13:22: Mt 19:23; 1 Tim 6:9–10, 17. Back to text.
Mt 13:24–30: Mk 4:26–29. Back to text.
Mt 13:31–32: Mk 4:30–32; Lk 13:18–19; Mt 17:20. Back to text.
Mt 13:33: Lk 13:20–21; Gal 5:9; Gen 18:6. Back to text.
Mt 13:34: Mk 4:33–34; Jn 10:6; 16:25. Back to text.
Mt 13:35: Ps 78:2. Back to text.
Mt 13:38: Jn 8:44; 1 Jn 3:10. Back to text.
Mt 13:41: Mt 24:31. Back to text.
Mt 13:42: Mt 13:50; 8:12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28. Back to text.
Mt 13:47–50: Mt 13:40–42. Back to text.
Mt 13:53: Mt 7:28; 11:1; 19:1; 26:1. Back to text.
Mt 13:54–58: Mk 6:1–6; Lk 4:16–30. Back to text.
Mt 14:1–2: Mk 6:14–16; Lk 9:7–9; Mk 8:28. Back to text.
Mt 14:3–4: Mk 6:17–18; Lk 3:19–20; Lev 18:16; 20:21. Back to text.
Mt 14:5–12: Mk 6:19–29. Back to text.
Mt 14:13–21: Mk 6:32–44; Lk 9:10–17; Jn 6:1–13; Mt 15:32–38. Back
to text.
Mt 14:19: Mk 14:22; Lk 24:30. Back to text.
Mt 14:22–23: Mk 6:45–46; Jn 6:15–17. Back to text.
Mt 14:24–33: Mk 6:47–52; Jn 6:16–21. Back to text.
Mt 14:26: Lk 24:37. Back to text.
Mt 14:29: Jn 21:7. Back to text.
Mt 14:31: Mt 6:30; 8:26; 16:8. Back to text.
Mt 14:33: Mt 28:9, 17. Back to text.
Mt 14:34–36: Mk 6:53–56; Jn 6:22–26. Back to text.
Mt 14:36: Mk 3:10; Num 15:38; Mt 9:20. Back to text.
Mt 15:1–20: Mk 7:1–23. Back to text.
Mt 15:4: Ex 20:12; Deut 5:16; Ex 21:17; Lev 20:9. Back to text.
Mt 15:8–9: Is 29:13. Back to text.
Mt 15:11: Acts 10:14–15; 1 Tim 4:3. Back to text.
Mt 15:13: Is 60:21; Jn 15:2. Back to text.
Mt 15:14: Lk 6:39; Mt 23:16, 24; Rom 2:19. Back to text.
Mt 15:19: Gal 5:19–21; 1 Cor 6:9–10; Rom 14:14. Back to text.
Mt 15:21–28: Mk 7:24–30. Back to text.
Mt 15:24: Mt 10:6, 23. Back to text.
Mt 15:25: Mt 8:2; 18:26; 20:20; Jn 9:38. Back to text.
Mt 15:28: Mt 9:22, 28; Mk 10:52; Lk 7:50; 17:19. Back to text.
Mt 15:29–31: Mk 7:31–37. Back to text.
Mt 15:32–39: Mk 8:1–10; Mt 14:13–21. Back to text.
Mt 15:32: Mt 9:36. Back to text.
Mt 16:1–4: Mk 8:11–12; Lk 11:16, 29; 12:54–56; Mt 12:38–39; Jn 2:18;
6:30. Back to text.
Mt 16:4: Jon 3:4–5. Back to text.
Mt 16:5–12: Mk 8:13–21. Back to text.
Mt 16:6: Lk 12:1. Back to text.
Mt 16:8: Mt 6:30; 8:26; 14:31. Back to text.
Mt 16:9: Mt 14:17–21. Back to text.
Mt 16:10: Mt 15:34–38. Back to text.
Mt 16:13–16: Mk 8:27–30; Lk 9:18–21. Back to text.
Mt 16:14: Mt 14:2; Mk 6:15; Lk 9:7–8; Jn 1:21. Back to text.
Mt 16:16: Mt 1:16; Jn 11:27; 1:49. Back to text.
Mt 16:17: 1 Cor 15:50; Gal 1:16; Eph 6:12; Heb 2:14. Back to text.
Mt 16:18: Jn 1:40–42; 21:15–17; 1 Cor 15:5. Back to text.
Mt 16:19: Is 22:22; Rev 1:18; Mt 18:18; Jn 20:23. Back to text.
Mt 16:20: Mt 8:4; Mk 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 9:9. Back to text.
Mt 16:21–28: Mk 8:31—9:1; Lk 9:22–27. Back to text.
Mt 16:21: Mt 17:22–23; 20:17–19; Lk 17:25; Mt 17:12; 26:2. Back to
text.
Mt 16:23: Mt 4:10. Back to text.
Mt 16:24–26: Mt 10:38–39; Lk 14:27; 17:33; Jn 12:25. Back to text.
Mt 16:27: Mt 10:33; Lk 12:9; 1 Jn 2:28; Rom 2:6; Rev 22:12. Back to
text.
Mt 16:28: Mt 10:23; 1 Cor 16:22; 1 Thess 4:15–18; Rev 1:7; Jas 5:7.
Mt 17:1–9: Mk 9:2–10; Lk 9:28–36; 2 Pet 1:17–18. Back to text.
Mt 17:1: Mt 26:37; Mk 5:37; 13:3. Back to text.
Mt 17:5: Mt 3:17; Is 42:1; Ps 2:7; Jn 12:28. Back to text.
Mt 17:9: Mt 8:4; 16:20; Mk 3:12; 5:43; 7:36. Back to text.
Mt 17:10–13: Mk 9:11–13; Mt 11:14; Mal 4:5. Back to text.
Mt 17:12: Mt 16:21; 17:22; 20:17; 26:2; Lk 17:25. Back to text.
Mt 17:14–18: Mk 9:14–27; Lk 9:37–43. Back to text.
Mt 17:19–21: Mk 9:28–29. Back to text.
Mt 17:20: Lk 17:6; Mt 21:21.; Mk 11:22–23; 1 Cor 13:2; Mk 9:23. Back
to text.
Mt 17:22–23: Mk 9:30–32; Lk 9:43–45; Mt 16:21; 20:17–19; 26:2. Back
to text.
Mt 17:24: Ex 30:13; 38:26. Back to text.
Mt 17:25: Rom 13:7; Mt 22:17–21. Back to text.
Mt 17:27: Mt 5:29; 18:6–9; Jn 6:61; 1 Cor 8:13. Back to text.
Mt 18:1–5: Mk 9:33–37; Lk 9:46–48. Back to text.
Mt 18:3: Mk 10:15; Lk 18:17; 1 Pet 2:2. Back to text.
Mt 18:5: Mt 10:40; Lk 10:16; Jn 13:20. Back to text.
Mt 18:6–9: Mk 9:42–48; Lk 17:1–2. Back to text.
Mt 18:8–9: Mt 5:29–30; 17:27. Back to text.
Mt 18:10: Acts 12:11. Back to text.
Mt 18:11: Lk 19:10. Back to text.
Mt 18:12–14: Lk 15:3–7. Back to text.
Mt 18:15–17: Lk 17:3; 1 Cor 6:1–6; Gal 6:1; Jas 5:19–20; Lev 19:17;
Deut 19:15. Back to text.
Mt 18:18: Mt 16:19; Jn 20:23. Back to text.
Mt 18:19–20: Mt 7:7; 21:22; Jas 1:5–7; 1 Jn 5:14; Jn 14:13. Back to text.
Mt 18:21–22: Lk 17:4; Gen 4:24. Back to text.
Mt 18:23: Mt 25:19. Back to text.
Mt 18:25: Lk 7:42. Back to text.
Mt 18:26: Mt 8:2. Back to text.
Mt 18:35: Mt 6:14. Back to text.
Mt 19:1: Mt 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 26:1. Back to text.
Mt 19:1–9: Mk 10:1–12. Back to text.
Mt 19:5: Gen 1:27; 2:24; Eph 5:31; 1 Cor 6:16. Back to text.
Mt 19:7: Deut 24:1–4. Back to text.
Mt 19:9: Mt 5:32; Lk 16:18; 1 Cor 7:10–13. Back to text.
Mt 19:11: 1 Cor 7:7–9. Back to text.
Mt 19:13–15: Mk 10:13–16; Lk 18:15–17; Mt 18:2–3; 1 Cor 14:20.
Back to text.
Mt 19:16–22: Mk 10:17–22; Lk 18:18–23. Back to text.
Mt 19:16: Lk 10:25; Lev 18:5. Back to text.
Mt 19:18: Ex 20:12–16; Deut 5:16–20; Rom 13:9; Jas 2:11. Back to text.
Mt 19:19: Lev 19:18; Mt 22:39. Back to text.
Mt 19:21: Lk 12:33; Acts 2:45; 4:34; Mt 6:20. Back to text.
Mt 19:23–26: Mk 10:23–27; Lk 18:24–27. Back to text.
Mt 19:26: Gen 18:14; Job 42:2. Back to text.
Mt 19:27–30: Mk 10:28–31; Lk 18:28–30; Mt 4:18–22. Back to text.
Mt 19:28: Lk 22:30; Mt 20:21; Rev 3:21. Back to text.
Mt 19:30: Mt 20:16; Lk 13:30. Back to text.
Mt 20:1: Mt 21:28, 33. Back to text.
Mt 20:8: Lev 19:13; Deut 24:15. Back to text.
Mt 20:13: Mt 22:12; 26:50. Back to text.
Mt 20:15: Mt 6:23; Mk 7:22; Deut 15:9. Back to text.
Mt 20:16: Lk 13:30; Mt 19:30; Mk 10:31. Back to text.
Mt 20:17–19: Mk 10:32–34; Lk 18:31–34; Mt 16:21; 17:12, 22–23;
26:2. Back to text.
Mt 20:20–24: Mk 10:35–41. Back to text.
Mt 20:20: Mt 8:2; 9:18; 15:25; 18:26; Jn 9:38. Back to text.
Mt 20:21: Mt 19:28. Back to text.
Mt 20:22: Mt 26:39; Jn 18:11. Back to text.
Mt 20:23: Acts 12:2; Rev 1:9; Mt 13:11. Back to text.
Mt 20:25–28: Mk 10:42–45; Lk 22:25–27. Back to text.
Mt 20:26: Mt 23:11; Mk 9:35; Lk 9:48. Back to text.
Mt 20:28: Mt 26:28; 1 Tim 2:5–6; Jn 13:15–16; Tit 2:14; 1 Pet 1:18.
Back to text.
Mt 20:29–34: Mk 10:46–52; Lk 18:35–43; Mt 9:27–31. Back to text.
Mt 21:1–9: Mk 11:1–10; Lk 19:29–38; Jn 12:12–18. Back to text.
Mt 21:5: Is 62:11; Zech 9:9. Back to text.
Mt 21:8: 2 Kings 9:13. Back to text.
Mt 21:9: Ps 118:26; Lk 2:14; Mt 21:15; 23:39. Back to text.
Mt 21:11: Jn 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22; Mk 6:15; Lk 13:33. Back to text.
Mt 21:12–13: Mk 11:15–17; Lk 19:45–46; Jn 2:13–17; Ex 30:13; Lev
1:14. Back to text.
Mt 21:13: Is 56:7; Jer 7:11. Back to text.
Mt 21:15: Lk 19:39; Mt 21:9. Back to text.
Mt 21:16: Ps 8:2. Back to text.
Mt 21:17–19: Mk 11:11–14; Lk 13:6–9. Back to text.
Mt 21:20–22: Mk 11:20–24. Back to text.
Mt 21:21: Mt 17:20; Lk 17:6; 1 Cor 13:2; Jas 1:6. Back to text.
Mt 21:22: Jn 14:13–14; 16:23. Back to text.
Mt 21:23–27: Mk 11:27–33; Lk 20:1–8; Jn 2:18–22. Back to text.
Mt 21:26: Mt 11:9; 14:5; Lk 1:76. Back to text.
Mt 21:28: Mt 20:1; 21:33. Back to text.
Mt 21:32: Lk 7:29–30. Back to text.
Mt 21:33–46: Mk 12:1–12; Lk 20:9–19; Is 5:1–7. Back to text.
Mt 21:34: Mt 22:3. Back to text.
Mt 21:41: Mt 8:11; Acts 13:46; 18:6; 28:28. Back to text.
Mt 21:42: Ps 118:22–23; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:7. Back to text.
Mt 22:1–10: Lk l4:16–24. Back to text.
Mt 22:3: Mt 21:34. Back to text.
Mt 22:10: Mt 13:47. Back to text.
Mt 22:12: Mt 20:13; 26:50. Back to text.
Mt 22:13: Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28. Back to text.
Mt 22:15–22: Mk 12:13–17; Lk 20:20–26. Back to text.
Mt 22:15: Mk 3:6; 8:15. Back to text.
Mt 22:21: Rom 13:7. Back to text.
Mt 22:23–33: Mk 12:18–27; Lk 20:27–38. Back to text.
Mt 22:23: Acts 4:1–2; 23:6–10. Back to text.
Mt 22:24: Deut 25:5. Back to text.
Mt 22:32: Ex 3:6. Back to text.
Mt 22:33: Mt 7:28. Back to text.
Mt 22:34–40: Mk 12:28–34; Lk 20:39–40; 10:25–28. Back to text.
Mt 22:35: Lk 7:30; 11:45; 14:3. Back to text.
Mt 22:37: Deut 6:5. Back to text.
Mt 22:39: Lev 19:18; Mt 19:19; Gal 5:14; Rom 13:9; Jas 2:8. Back to
text.
Mt 22:41–46: Mk 12:35–37; Lk 20:41–44. Back to text.
Mt 22:44: Ps 110:1; Acts 2:34–35; Heb 1:13; 10:13. Back to text.
Mt 22:46: Mk 12:34, Lk 20:40. Back to text.
Mt 23:4: Lk 11:46; Acts 15:10. Back to text.
Mt 23:5: Mt 6:1, 5, 16; Ex 13:9; Deut 6:8; Mt 9:20. Back to text.
Mt 23:6–7: Mk 12:38–39; Lk 20:46; 14:7–11; 11:43. Back to text.
Mt 23:8: Jas 3:1. Back to text.
Mt 23:11: Mt 20:26; Mk 9:35; 10:43; Lk 9:48; 22:26. Back to text.
Mt 23:12: Lk 14:11; 18:14; Mt 18:4; 1 Pet 5:6. Back to text.
Mt 23:13: Lk 11:52. Back to text.
Mt 23:15: Acts 2:10; 6:5; 13:43. Back to text.
Mt 23:16–22: Mt 5:33–37; 15:14. Back to text.
Mt 23:17: Ex 30:29. Back to text.
Mt 23:21: 1 Kings 8:13; Ps 26:8. Back to text.
Mt 23:23–24: Lk 11:42; Lev 27:30; Mic 6:8. Back to text.
Mt 23:25–26: Lk 11:39–41; Mk 7:4. Back to text.
Mt 23:27–28: Lk 11:44; Acts 23:3; Ps 5:9. Back to text.
Mt 23:29–32: Lk 11:47–48; Acts 7:51–53. Back to text.
Mt 23:33: Mt 3:7; Lk 3:7. Back to text.
Mt 23:34–36: Lk 11:49–51; 2 Chron 36:15–16. Back to text.
Mt 23:34: Mt 10:17, 23. Back to text.
Mt 23:35: Gen 4:8; Heb 11:4; Zech 1:1; 2 Chron 24:21. Back to text.
Mt 23:36: Mt 10:23; 16:28; 24:34. Back to text.
Mt 23:37–39: Lk 13:34–35. Back to text.
Mt 23:38: 1 Kings 9:7; Jer 22:5. Back to text.
Mt 23:39: Mt 21:9; Ps 118:26. Back to text.
Mt 24:1–35: Mk 13:1–31; Lk 21:1–33. Back to text.
Mt 24:2: Mt 26:61; 27:39–40; Lk 19:44; Jn 2:19. Back to text.
Mt 24:3: Lk 17:20; Mt 13:39, 40, 49; 28:20; 16:27. Back to text.
Mt 24:5: Mt 24:11, 23–24; 1 Jn 2:18. Back to text.
Mt 24:6–7: Rev 6:3–8, 12–17; Is 19:2. Back to text.
Mt 24:9: Mt 10:17–18, 22; Jn 15:18; 15.18. Back to text.
Mt 24:13: Mt 10:22; Rev 2:7. Back to text.
Mt 24:14: Mt 28:19; Rom 10:18. Back to text.
Mt 24:15: Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. Back to text.
Mt 24:17–18: Lk 17:31. Back to text.
Mt 24:19: Lk 23:29. Back to text.
Mt 24:21: Dan 12:1; Joel 2:2. Back to text.
Mt 24:26–27: Lk 17:22–24; Rev 1:7. Back to text.
Mt 24:28: Lk 17:37; Job 39:30. Back to text.
Mt 24:29: Rev 8:12; Is 13:10; Ezek 32:7; Joel 2:10–11; Zeph 1:15. Back
to text.
Mt 24:30: Mt 16:27; Dan 7:13; Rev 1:7. Back to text.
Mt 24:31: 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16; Is 27:13; Zech 9:14. Back to text.
Mt 24:34: Mt 16:28. Back to text.
Mt 24:35: Mt 5:18; Lk 16:17. Back to text.
Mt 24:36: Acts 1:6–7. Back to text.
Mt 24:37–39: Lk 17:26–27; Gen 6:5–8; 7:6–24. Back to text.
Mt 24:40–41: Lk 17:34–35. Back to text.
Mt 24:42: Mk 13:35; Lk 12:40; Mt 25:13. Back to text.
Mt 24:43–51: Lk 12:39–46. Back to text.
Mt 24:43: 1 Thess 5:2; Rev 3:3; 16:15; 2 Pet 3:10. Back to text.
Mt 24:45: Mt 25:21, 23. Back to text.
Mt 24:49: Lk 21:34. Back to text.
Mt 24:51: Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 25:30; Lk 13:28. Back to text.
Mt 25:1: Lk 12:35–38; Mk 13:34. Back to text.
Mt 25:2: Mt 7:24–27. Back to text.
Mt 25:10: Rev 19:9. Back to text.
Mt 25:11–12: Lk 13:25; Mt 7:21–23. Back to text.
Mt 25:13: Mt 24:42; Mk 13:35; Lk 12:40. Back to text.
Mt 25:14–30: Lk 19:12–28. Back to text.
Mt 25:19: Mt 18:23. Back to text.
Mt 25:21: Lk 16:10; Mt 24:45. Back to text.
Mt 25:29: Mt 13:12; Mk 4:25; Lk 8:18. Back to text.
Mt 25:30: Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; Lk 13:28. Back to text.
Mt 25:31: Mt 16:27; 19:28. Back to text.
Mt 25:32: Ezek 34:17. Back to text.
Mt 25:34: Lk 12:32; Mt 5:3; Rev 13:8; 17:8. Back to text.
Mt 25:35–36: Is 58:7; Jas 1:27; 2:15–16; Heb 13:2; 2 Tim 1:16. Back to
text.
Mt 25:40: Mt 10:42; Mk 9:41; Heb 6:10; Prov 19:17. Back to text.
Mt 25:41: Mk 9:48; Lk 16:23; Rev 20:10. Back to text.
Mt 25:46: Dan 12:2; Jn 5:29. Back to text.
Mt 26:1: Mt 7:28; 11:1; l3:53; 19.l. Back to text.
Mt 26:2–5: Mk 14:1–2; Lk 22:1–2; Jn 11:47–53. Back to text.
Mt 26:6–13: Mk 14:3–9; Jn 12:1–8; Lk 7:36–38. Back to text.
Mt 26:11: Deut 15:11. Back to text.
Mt 26:12: Jn 19:40. Back to text.
Mt 26:14–16: Mk 14:10–11; Lk 22:3–6. Back to text.
Mt 26:15: Ex 21:32; Zech 11:12. Back to text.
Mt 26:17–19: Mk 14:12–16; Lk 22:7–13. Back to text.
Mt 26:18: Mt 26:45; Jn 7:6; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1. Back to text.
Mt 26:19: Mt 21:6; Deut 16:5–8. Back to text.
Mt 26:20–24: Mk 14:17–21; Lk 22.l4, 21–23; Jn 13:21–30. Back to text.
Mt 26:24: Ps 41:9; Lk 24:25; 1 Cor 15:3; Acts 17:2–3; Mt 18:7. Back to
text.
Mt 26:26–29: Mk 14:22–25; Lk 22:17–19; 1 Cor 10:16; 11:23-26; Mt
14:19; 15:36. Back to text.
Mt 26:28: Heb 9:20; Mt 20:28; Mk 1:4; Ex 24:6–8. Back to text.
Mt 26:30–35: Mk 14:26–31; Lk 22:33–34, 39; Jn 14:31; 18:1; 13:36–38.
Back to text.
Mt 26:31: Zech 13:7; Jn 16:32. Back to text.
Mt 26:32: Mt 28:7, 10, 16. Back to text.
Mt 26:36–46: Mk 14:32–42; Lk 22:40–46. Back to text.
Mt 26:38: Jn 12:27; Heb 5:7–8. Back to text.
Mt 26:39: Jn 18:11; Mt 20:22. Back to text.
Mt 26:41: Mt 6:13; Lk 11:4. Back to text.
Mt 26:42: Jn 4:34; 5:30; 6:38. Back to text.
Mt 26:45: Mt 26:18; Jn 12:23; 13:1; 17:1. Back to text.
Mt 26:47–56: Mk 14:43–50; Lk 22:47–53; Jn 18:2–11. Back to text.
Mt 26:50: Mt 20:13; 22:12. Back to text.
Mt 26:52: Gen 9:6; Rev 13:10. Back to text.
Mt 26:55: Lk 19:47; Jn 18:19–21. Back to text.
Mt 26:57–75: Mk 14:53–72; Lk 22:54–71; Jn 18:12–27. Back to text.
Mt 26:61: Mt 24:2; 27:40; Acts 6:14; Jn 2:19. Back to text.
Mt 26:63: Mt 27:11; Jn 18:33. Back to text.
Mt 26:64: Mt 16:28; Dan 7:13; Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Mt 26:65: Num 14:6; Acts 14:14; Lev 24:16. Back to text.
Mt 26:75: Mt 26:34. Back to text.
Mt 27:1–2: Mk 15:1; Lk 23:1; Jn 18:28. Back to text.
Mt 27:3–10: Acts 1:16–20. Back to text.
Mt 27:3: Mt 26:15; Ex 21:32. Back to text.
Mt 27:6: Deut 23:18. Back to text.
Mt 27:9: Zech 11:12–13; Jer 32:6–15; 18:2–3. Back to text.
Mt 27:11–26: Mk 15:2–15; Lk 23:3, 18–25; Jn 18:29–19:16. Back to
text.
Mt 27:14: Lk 23:9; Mt 26:62; Mk 14:60; 1 Tim 6:13. Back to text.
Mt 27:19: Lk 23:4. Back to text.
Mt 27:21: Acts 3:13–14. Back to text.
Mt 27:24: Deut 21:6–9; Ps 26:6. Back to text.
Mt 27:25: Acts 5:28; Josh 2:19. Back to text.
Mt 27:27–31: Mk 15:16–20; Lk 23:11; Jn 19:2–3. Back to text.
Mt 27:32: Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26; Jn 19:17; Heb 13:12. Back to text.
Mt 27:33–44: Mk 15:22–32; Lk 23:33–39; Jn 19:17–24. Back to text.
Mt 27:35: Ps 22:18. Back to text.
Mt 27:39: Ps 22:7–8; 109:25. Back to text.
Mt 27:40: Mt 26:61; Acts 6:14; Jn 2:19. Back to text.
Mt 27:45–56: Mk 15:33–41; Lk 23:44–54; Jn 19:28–30. Back to text.
Mt 27:46: Ps 22:1. Back to text.
Mt 27:48: Ps 69:21. Back to text.
Mt 27:51: Heb 9:8; 10:19; Ex 26:31–35; Mt 28:2. Back to text.
Mt 27:54: Mt 3:17; 17:5. Back to text.
Mt 27:56: Lk 24:10. Back to text.
Mt 27:57–61: Mk 15:42–47; Lk 23:50–56; Jn 19:38–42; Acts 13:29.
Back to text.
Mt 27:63: Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19. Back to text.
Mt 27:66: Mt 27:60; 28:11–15. Back to text.
Mt 28:1–8: Mk 16:1–8; Lk 24:1–9; Jn 20:1–2. Back to text.
Mt 28:1: Lk 8:2; Mt 27:56. Back to text.
Mt 28:2: Mt 27:51, 60. Back to text.
Mt 28:4: Mt 27:62–66. Back to text.
Mt 28:7: Mt 26:32; 28:16; Jn 21:1–23. Back to text.
Mt 28:9: Jn 20:14–18. Back to text.
Mt 28:11: Mt 27:62–66. Back to text.
Mt 28:16–17: 1 Cor 15:5; Jn 21:1–23. Back to text.
Mt 28:18: Mt 11:27; Lk 10:22; Phil 2:9; Eph 1:20–22. Back to text.
Mt 28:19: Lk 24:47; Acts 1:8. Back to text.
Mt 28:20: Mt 13:39, 49; 24:3; 18:20; Acts 18:10. Back to text.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK
Mk 1:2–8: Mt 3:1–12; Lk 3:2–16; Jn 1:6, 15, 19–28. Back to text.
Mk 1:2: Mal 3:1; Mt 11:10; Lk 7:27. Back to text.
Mk 1:3: Is 40:3. Back to text.
Mk 1:4: Acts 13:24. Back to text.
Mk 1:9–11: Mt 3:13–17; Lk 3:21–22; Jn 1:29–34. Back to text.
Mk 1:11: Ps 2:7; Is 42:1. Back to text.
Mk 1:12–13: Mt 4:1–11; Lk 4:1–13. Back to text.
Mk 1:14–15: Mt 4:12–17; Lk 4:14–15. Back to text.
Mk 1:16–20: Mt 4:18–22; Lk 5:1–11; Jn 1:40–42. Back to text.
Mk 1:21–22: Mt 7:28–29; Lk 4:31–32. Back to text.
Mk 1:23–28: Lk 4:33–37. Back to text.
Mk 1:24: Jn 6:69. Back to text.
Mk 1:29–31: Mt 8:14–15; Lk 4:38–39. Back to text.
Mk 1:32–34: Mt 8:16–17; Lk 4:40–41. Back to text.
Mk 1:35–38: Lk 4:42–43. Back to text.
Mk 1:39: Mt 4:23–25; Lk 4:44. Back to text.
Mk 1:40–45: Mt 8:2–4; Lk 5:12–16. Back to text.
Mk 1:44: Lev 13:49; 14:2–32. Back to text.
Mk 2:3–12: Mt 9:2–8; Lk 5:18–26. Back to text.
Mk 2:12: Mt 9:33. Back to text.
Mk 2:14–17: Mt 9:9–13; Lk 5:27–32. Back to text.
Mk 2:16: Acts 23:9. Back to text.
Mk 2:18–22: Mt 9:14–17; Lk 5:33–38. Back to text.
Mk 2:20: Lk 17:22. Back to text.
Mk 2:23–28: Mt 12:1–8; Lk 6:1–5. Back to text.
Mk 2:23: Deut 23:25. Back to text.
Mk 2:26: 1 Sam 21:1–6; 2 Sam 8:17. Back to text.
Mk 2:27: Ex 23:12; Deut 5:14. Back to text.
Mk 3:1–6: Mt 12:9–14; Lk 6:6–11. Back to text.
Mk 3:2: Lk 11:54. Back to text.
Mk 3:6: Mk 12:13. Back to text.
Mk 3:7–12: Mt 4:24–25; 12:15–16; Lk 6:17–19. Back to text.
Mk 3:8: Mt 11:21. Back to text.
Mk 3:10: Mk 5:29, 34; 6:56. Back to text.
Mk 3:12: Mk 1:45. Back to text.
Mk 3:13: Mt 5:1; Lk 6:12. Back to text.
Mk 3:14–15: Mt 10:1. Back to text.
Mk 3:16–19: Mt 10:2–4; Lk 6:14–16; Acts 1:13. Back to text.
Mk 3:19: Mk 2:1; 7:17. Back to text.
Mk 3:20: Mk 6:31. Back to text.
Mk 3:21: Mk 3:31–35; Jn 10:20. Back to text.
Mk 3:22–27: Mt 12:24–29; Lk 11:15–22. Back to text.
Mk 3:22: Mt 9:34; 10:25. Back to text.
Mk 3:27: Is 49:24–25. Back to text.
Mk 3:28–30: Mt 12:31–32; Lk 12:10. Back to text.
Mk 3:31–35: Mt 12:46–50; Lk 8:19–21. Back to text.
Mk 4:1–9: Mt 13:1–9; Lk 8:4–8. Back to text.
Mk 4:10–12: Mt 13:10–15; Lk 8:9–10. Back to text.
Mk 4:11: 1 Cor 5:12–13; Col 4:5; 1 Thess 4:12; 1 Tim 3:7. Back to text.
Mk 4:12: Is 6:9–10. Back to text.
Mk 4:13–20: Mt 13:18–23; Lk 8:11–15. Back to text.
Mk 4:21: Mt 5:15; Lk 8:16; 11:33. Back to text.
Mk 4:22: Mt 10:26; Lk 8:17; 12:2. Back to text.
Mk 4:23: Mt 11:15; Mk 4:9. Back to text.
Mk 4:24: Mt 7:2; Lk 6:38. Back to text.
Mk 4:25: Mt 13:12; 25:29; Lk 8:18; 19:26. Back to text.
Mk 4:26–29: Mt 13:24–30. Back to text.
Mk 4:30–32: Mt 13:31–32; Lk 13:18–19. Back to text.
Mk 4:34: Mt 13:34; Jn 16:25. Back to text.
Mk 4:35–41: Mt 8:18, 23–27; Lk 8:22–25. Back to text.
Mk 5:1–20: Mt 8:28–34; Lk 8:26–39. Back to text.
Mk 5:7: Acts 16:17; Heb 7:1; Mk 1:24. Back to text.
Mk 5:20: Mk 7:31. Back to text.
Mk 5:21–43: Mt 9:18–26; Lk 8:40–56. Back to text.
Mk 5:22: Lk 13:14; Acts 13:15; 18:8, 17. Back to text.
Mk 5:23: Mk 6:5; 7:32; 8:23; Acts 9:17; 28:8. Back to text.
Mk 5:30: Lk 5:17. Back to text.
Mk 5:34: Lk 7:50; Mk 10:52. Back to text.
Mk 5:37: Mk 9:2; 13:3. Back to text.
Mk 5:41: Lk 7:14; Acts 9:40. Back to text.
Mk 5:43: Mk 1:43–44; 7:36. Back to text.
Mk 6:1–6: Mt 13:53–58; Lk 4:16–30. Back to text.
Mk 6:2: Mk 1:21; Mt 7:28. Back to text.
Mk 6:3: Mt 11:6. Back to text.
Mk 6:5: Mk 5:23; 7:32; 8:23. Back to text.
Mk 6:6: Mt 9:35. Back to text.
Mk 6:7–11: Mt 10:1, 5, 7–11; Lk 9:1–5. Back to text.
Mk 6:7: Lk 10:1. Back to text.
Mk 6:11: Mt 10:14. Back to text.
Mk 6:12–13: Mt 11:1; Lk 9:6. Back to text.
Mk 6:13: Jas 5:14. Back to text.
Mk 6:14–16: Mt 14:1–2; Lk 9:7–9; 9:19; Mt 21:11. Back to text.
Mk 6:17–18: Mt 14:3–4; Lk 3:19–20. Back to text.
Mk 6:19–29: Mt 14:5–12. Back to text.
Mk 6:20: Mt 21:26. Back to text.
Mk 6:23: Esther 5:3, 6. Back to text.
Mk 6:30–31: Lk 9:10; Mk 3:20. Back to text.
6:32–44: Mt 14:13–21; Lk 9:11–17; Jn 6:5–13; Mk 8:1–10; Mt 15:32–
39.
Mk 6:34: Mt 9:36. Back to text.
Mk 6:37: 2 Kings 4:42–44. Back to text.
Mk 6:41: Mk 14:22; Lk 24:30–31. Back to text.
Mk 6:45–52: Mt 14:22–33; Jn 6:15–21. Back to text.
Mk 6:48: Mk 13:35. Back to text.
Mk 6:50: Mt 9:2. Back to text.
Mk 6:52: Mk 8:17. Back to text.
Mk 6:53–56: Mt 14:34–36. Back to text.
Mk 6:56: Mk 3:10; Mt 9:20. Back to text.
Mk 7:1–15: Mt 15:1–11; Lk 11:38. Back to text.
Mk 7:4: Mt 23:25; Lk 11:39. Back to text.
Mk 7:5: Gal 1:14. Back to text.
Mk 7:6–7: Is 29:13. Back to text.
Mk 7:10: Ex 20:12; Deut 5:16; Ex 21:17; Lev 20:9. Back to text.
Mk 7:17–23: Mt 15:15–20; Mk 4:10. Back to text.
Mk 7:18–19: 1 Cor 10:25–27; Rom 14:14; Tit 1:15; Acts 10:15.
Mk 7:20–23: Rom 1:28–31; Gal 5:19–21. Back to text.
Mk 7:22: Mt 6:23; 20:15. Back to text.
Mk 7:24–30: Mt 15:21–28. Back to text.
Mk 7:31–37: Mt 15:29–31. Back to text.
Mk 7:32: Mk 5:23. Back to text.
Mk 7:33: Mk 8:23. Back to text.
Mk 7:36: Mk 1:44; 5:43. Back to text.
Mk 8:1–10: Mt 15:32–39; Mk 6:32–44; Mt 14:13–21; Lk 9:11–17; Jn
6:5–13. Back to text.
Mk 8:11–12: Mt 16:1–4; 12:38–39; Lk 11:29. Back to text.
Mk 8:13–21: Mt 16:4–12. Back to text.
Mk 8:15: Lk 12:1; Mk 6:14; 12:13. Back to text.
Mk 8:17: Mk 6:52; Jer 5:21; Is 6:9–10; Mt 13:10–15. Back to text.
Mk 8:19: Mk 6:41–44. Back to text.
Mk 8:20: Mk 8:1–10. Back to text.
Mk 8:22–26: Mk 10:46–52; Jn 9:1–7. Back to text.
Mk 8:22: Mk 6:45; Lk 9:10. Back to text.
Mk 8:23: Mk 7:33; 5:23. Back to text.
Mk 8:27–30: Mt 16:13–20; Lk 9:18–21; Jn 6:66–69. Back to text.
Mk 8:28: Mk 6:14. Back to text.
Mk 8:30: Mk 9:9; 1:34. Back to text.
Mk 8:31—9:1: Mt 16:21–28; Lk 9:22–27. Back to text.
Mk 8:33: Mt 4:10. Back to text.
Mk 8:34: Mt 10:38; Lk 14:27. Back to text.
Mk 8:35: Mt 10:39; Lk 17:33; Jn 12:25. Back to text.
Mk 8:38: Mt 10:33; Lk 12:9. Back to text.
Mk 9:1: Mk 13:30; Mt 10:23; Lk 22:18. Back to text.
Mk 9:2–8: Mt 17:1–8; Lk 9:28–36. Back to text.
Mk 9:2: Mk 5:37; 13:3. Back to text.
Mk 9:3: Mt 28:3. Back to text.
Mk 9:7: 2 Pet 1:17–18; Mt 3:17; Jn 12:28–29. Back to text.
Mk 9:9–13: Mt 17:9–13; Lk 9:36. Back to text.
Mk 9:9: Mk 8:30; 5:43; 7:36. Back to text.
Mk 9:11: Mt 11:14. Back to text.
Mk 9:12: Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:33. Back to text.
Mk 9:14–27: Mt 17:14–18; Lk 9:37–43. Back to text.
Mk 9:23: Mt 17:20; Lk 17:6; Mk 11:22–24. Back to text.
Mk 9:30–32: Mt 17:22–23; Lk 9:43–45. Back to text.
Mk 9:31: Mk 8:31; 10:33. Back to text.
Mk 9:32: Jn 12:16. Back to text.
Mk 9:33–37: Mt 18:1–5; Lk 9:46–48. Back to text.
Mk 9:34: Lk 22:24. Back to text.
Mk 9:35: Mk 10:43–44; Mt 20:26–27; 23:11; Lk 22:26. Back to text.
Mk 9:36: Mk 10:16. Back to text.
Mk 9:37: Mt 10:40; Lk 10:16; Jn 12:44; 13:20. Back to text.
Mk 9:38–40: Lk 9:49–50; 11:23; Mt 12:30; Num 11:27–29. Back to text.
Mk 9:41: Mt 10:42. Back to text.
Mk 9:42–48: Mt 18:6–9; 5:29–30; Lk 17:1–2. Back to text.
Mk 9:48: Is 66:24. Back to text.
Mk 9:49–50: Mt 5:13; Lk 14:34–35. Back to text.
Mk 9:50: Col 4:6; 1 Thess 5:13. Back to text.
Mk 10:1–12: Mt 19:1–9. Back to text.
Mk 10:1: Lk 9:51; Jn 10:40; 11:7. Back to text.
Mk 10:4: Deut 24:1–4. Back to text.
Mk 10:6: Gen 1:27; 5:2. Back to text.
Mk 10:7–8: Gen 2:24. Back to text.
Mk 10:11: Mt 5:32; Lk 16:18; 1 Cor 7:10–11; Rom 7:2–3. Back to text.
Mk 10:13–16: Mt 19:13–15; 18:3; Lk 18:15–17. Back to text.
Mk 10:16: Mk 9:36. Back to text.
Mk 10:17–31: Mt 19:16–30; Lk 18:18–30. Back to text.
Mk 10:17: Lk 10:25; Mk 1:40. Back to text.
Mk 10:19: Ex 20:12–16; Deut 5:16–20. Back to text.
Mk 10:21: Mt 6:20; Lk 12:33; Acts 2:45; 4:34–35. Back to text.
Mk 10:28: Mk 1:16–20. Back to text.
Mk 10:30: Mt 6:33. Back to text.
Mk 10:31: Mt 20:16; Lk 13:30. Back to text.
Mk 10:32–34: Mt 20:17–19; Lk 18:31–34. Back to text.
Mk 10:33: Mk 8:31; 9:12; 9:33. Back to text.
Mk 10:34: Mk 14:65; 15:19, 26–32. Back to text.
Mk 10:35–45: Mt 20:20–28. Back to text.
Mk 10:37: Mt 19:28; Lk 22:30. Back to text.
Mk 10:38: Lk 12:50; Jn 18:11. Back to text.
Mk 10:39: Acts 12:2; Rev 1:9. Back to text.
Mk 10:42–45: Lk 22:25–27. Back to text.
Mk 10:43: Mk 9:35. Back to text.
Mk 10:45: 1 Tim 2:5–6. Back to text.
Mk 10:46–52: Mt 20:29–34; Lk 18:35–43; Mk 8:22–26. Back to text.
Mk 10:47: Mt 9:27. Back to text.
Mk 10:52: Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34; Lk 7:50; 8:48; 17:19. Back to text.
Mk 11:1–10: Mt 21:1–9; Lk 19:29–38. Back to text.
Mk 11:4: Mk 14:16. Back to text.
Mk 11:7–10: Jn 12:12–15. Back to text.
Mk 11:9: Ps 118:26; Mt 21:15; 23:39. Back to text.
Mk 11:11: Mt 21:10–11, 17. Back to text.
Mk 11:12–14: Mt 21:18–19; Lk 13:6–9. Back to text.
Mk 11:15–18: Mt 21:12–16; Lk 19:45–48; Jn 2:13–16. Back to text.
Mk 11:17: Is 56:7; Jer 7:11. Back to text.
Mk 11:19: Lk 21:37. Back to text.
Mk 11:20–25: Mt 21:20–22; Mt 17:20; Lk 17:6. Back to text.
Mk 11:24: Jn 14:13–14; 16:23; Mt 7:7–11. Back to text.
Mk 11:25: Mt 6:14–15; 18:35. Back to text.
Mk 11:27–33: Mt 21:23–27; Lk 20:1–8; Jn 2:18. Back to text.
Mk 12:1–12: Mt 21:33–46; Lk 20:9–19; Is 5:1–7. Back to text.
Mk 12:10–11: Ps 118:22–23; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:7. Back to text.
Mk 12:12: Mk 11:18. Back to text.
Mk 12:13–17: Mt 22:15–22; Lk 20:20–26. Back to text.
Mk 12:13: Mk 3:6; Lk 11:54. Back to text.
Mk 12:17: Rom 13:7. Back to text.
Mk 12:18–27: Mt 22:23–33; Lk 20:27–38. Back to text.
Mk 12:19: Deut 25:5. Back to text.
Mk 12:26: Ex 3:6. Back to text.
Mk 12:28–34: Mt 22:34–40; Lk 20:39–40; 10:25–28. Back to text.
Mk 12:29: Deut 6:4. Back to text.
Mk 12:31: Lev 19:18; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14; Jas 2:8. Back to text.
Mk 12:33: 1 Sam 15:22; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6–8; Mt 9:13. Back to text.
Mk 12:35–37: Mt 22:41–46; Lk 20:41–44. Back to text.
Mk 12:36: Ps 110:1; Acts 2:34–35; Heb 1:13. Back to text.
Mk 12:38–40: Mt 23:5–7; Lk 20:46–47; Lk 11:43. Back to text.
Mk 12:41–44: Lk 21:1–4; Jn 8:20. Back to text.
Mk 13:1–37: Mt 24; Lk 21:5–36. Back to text.
Mk 13:2: Lk 19:43–44; Mk 14:58; 15:29; Jn 2:19; Acts 6:14. Back to
text.
Mk 13:3: Mk 5:37; 9:2. Back to text.
Mk 13:4: Lk 17:20. Back to text.
Mk 13:6: Jn 8:24; 1 Jn 2:18. Back to text.
Mk 13:9–13: Mt 10:17–22. Back to text.
Mk 13:11: Jn 14:26; 16:7–11; Lk 12:11–12. Back to text.
Mk 13:13: Jn 15:21 Back to text.
Mk 13:14: Dan 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. Back to text.
Mk 13:17: Lk 23:29. Back to text.
Mk 13:22: Mt 7:15; Jn 4:48. Back to text.
Mk 13:26: Mk 8:38; Mt 10:23; Dan 7:13. Back to text.
Mk 13:30: Mk 9:1. Back to text.
Mk 13:31: Mt 5:18; Lk 16:17. Back to text.
Mk 13:32: Acts 1:7. Back to text.
Mk 13:33: Eph 6:18; Col 4:2. Back to text.
Mk 13:34: Mt 25:14. Back to text.
Mk 13:35: Lk 12:35–40. Back to text.
Mk 14:1–2: Mt 26:1–5; Lk 22:1–2; Jn 11:47–53. Back to text.
Mk 14:3–9: Mt 26:6–13; Lk 7:36–38; Jn 12:1–8. Back to text.
Mk 14:7: Deut 15:11. Back to text.
Mk 14:8: Jn 19:40. Back to text.
Mk 14:10–11: Mt 26:14–16; Lk 22:3–6. Back to text.
Mk 14:12–16: Mt 26:17–19; Lk 22:7–13. Back to text.
14:17–21: Mt 26:20–25; Lk 22:14, 21–23; Jn 13:21–30; Ps 41:9.
Mk 14:22–25: Mt 26:26–29; Lk 22:17–19; 1 Cor 11:23–26. Back to text.
Mk 14:22: Mk 6:41; 8:6; Lk 24:30. Back to text.
Mk 14:23: 1 Cor 10:16. Back to text.
Mk 14:24: Ex 24:8; Heb 9:20 Back to text.
Mk 14:26–31: Mt 26:30–35; Lk 22:39, 33–34. Back to text.
Mk 14:27: Zech 13:7; Jn 16:32. Back to text.
Mk 14:28: Mk 16:7. Back to text.
Mk 14:30: Mk 14:66–72; Jn 13:36–38; 18:17–18, 25–27. Back to text.
Mk 14:32–42: Mt 26:36–46; Lk 22:40–46; Heb 5:7–8. Back to text.
Mk 14:34: Jn 12:27. Back to text.
Mk 14:36: Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6; Mk 10:38; Jn 18:11. Back to text.
Mk 14:38: Mt 6:13; Lk 11:4. Back to text.
Mk 14:43–50: Mt 26:47–56; Lk 22:47–53; Jn 18:2–11. Back to text.
Mk 14:49: Lk 19:47; Jn 18:19–21. Back to text.
Mk 14:53–65: Mt 26:57–68; Lk 22:54–55, 63–71; Jn 18:12–24. Back to
text.
Mk 14:58: Mk 13:2; 15:29; Acts 6:14; Jn 2:19. Back to text.
Mk 14:62: Dan 7:13; Mk 9:1; 13:26. Back to text.
Mk 14:63: Acts 14:14; Num 14:6. Back to text.
Mk 14:64: Lev 24:16. Back to text.
Mk 14:66–72: Mt 26:69–75; Lk 22:56–62; Jn 18:16–18, 25–27; Mk
14:30.
Mk 15:1: Mt 27:1–2; Lk 23:1; Jn 18:28. Back to text.
Mk 15:2–15: Mt 27:11–26; Lk 23:2–3, 18–25; Jn 18:29—19:16. Back to
text.
Mk 15:11: Acts 3:14. Back to text.
Mk 15:16–20: Mt 27:27–31; Lk 23:11; Jn 19:2–3. Back to text.
Mk 15:21: Mt 27:32; Lk 23:26; Rom 16:13. Back to text.
Mk 15:22–32: Mt 27:33–44; Lk 23:33–39; Jn 19:17–24. Back to text.
Mk 15:24: Ps 22:18. Back to text.
Mk 15:29: Mk 13:2; 14:58; Jn 2:19. Back to text.
Mk 15:31: Ps 22:7–8. Back to text.
Mk 15:33–41: Mt 27:45–56; Lk 23:44–49; Jn 19:28–30. Back to text.
Mk 15:34: Ps 22:1. Back to text.
Mk 15:36: Ps 69:21. Back to text.
Mk 15:38: Heb 10:19–20. Back to text.
Mk 15:39: Mk 1:11; 9:7. Back to text.
Mk 15:40: Jn 19:25. Back to text.
Mk 15:41: Lk 8:1–3. Back to text.
Mk 15:42–47: Mt 27:57–61; Lk 23:50–56; Jn 19:38–42; Acts 13:29.
Mk 15:42: Deut 21:22–23. Back to text.
Mk 16:1–8: Mt 28:1–8; Lk 24:1–10; Jn 20:1–2. Back to text.
Mk 16:1: Lk 23:56; Jn 19:39. Back to text.
Mk 16:7: Mk 14:28; Jn 21:1–23; Mt 28:7. Back to text.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE
Lk 1:2: 1 Jn 1:1; Acts 1:21; Heb 2:3. Back to text.
Lk 1:3: Acts 1:1. Back to text.
Lk 1:4: Jn 20:31. Back to text.
Lk 1:5: Mt 2:1; 1 Chron 24:10; 2 Chron 31:2. Back to text.
Lk 1:9: Ex 30:7. Back to text.
Lk 1:11: Lk 2:9; Acts 5:19. Back to text.
Lk 1:13: Lk 1:30, 60. Back to text.
Lk 1:15: Num 6:3; Lk 7:33. Back to text.
Lk 1:17: Mt 11:14; 17:13; Mal 4:5. Back to text.
Lk 1:18: Lk 1:34. Back to text.
Lk 1:19: Dan 8:16; 9:21; Mt 18:10. Back to text.
Lk 1:25: Gen 30:23; Is 4:1. Back to text.
Lk 1:30: Lk 1:13. Back to text.
Lk 1:31: Lk 2:21; Mt 1:21. Back to text.
Lk 1:33: Mt 28:18; Dan 2:44. Back to text.
Lk 1:34: Lk 1:18. Back to text.
Lk 1:35: Mt 1:20. Back to text.
Lk 1:37: Gen 18:14. Back to text.
Lk 1:42: Lk 11:27–28. Back to text.
Lk 1:46–55: 1 Sam 2:1–10. Back to text.
Lk 1:47: 1 Tim 2:3; Tit 2:10; Jude 25. Back to text.
Lk 1:55: Mic 7:20; Gen 17:7; 18:18; 22:17. Back to text.
Lk 1:59: Lev 12:3; Gen 17:12. Back to text.
Lk 1:63: Lk 1:13. Back to text.
Lk 1:76: Lk 7:26; Mal 4:5. Back to text.
Lk 1:77: Mk 1:4. Back to text.
Lk 1:78: Mal 4:2; Eph 5:14. Back to text.
Lk 1:79: Is 9:2; Mt 4:16. Back to text.
Lk 1:80: Lk 2:40; 2:52. Back to text.
Lk 2:1: Lk 3:1. Back to text.
Lk 2:4: Lk 1:27. Back to text.
Lk 2:9: Lk 1:11; Acts 5:19. Back to text.
Lk 2:11: Jn 4:42; Acts 5:31; Mt 16:16; Acts 2:36. Back to text.
Lk 2:12: 1 Sam 2:34; 2 Kings 19:29; Is 7:14. Back to text.
Lk 2:14: Lk 19:38; 3:22. Back to text.
Lk 2:19: Lk 2:51. Back to text.
Lk 2:21: Lk 1:59, 31; Mt 1:25. Back to text.
Lk 2:22–24: Lev 12:2–8. Back to text.
Lk 2:23: Ex 13:2, 12. Back to text.
Lk 2:25: Lk 2:38; 23:51. Back to text.
Lk 2:30: Is 52:10; Lk 3:6. Back to text.
Lk 2:32: Is 42:6; 49:6; Acts 13:47; 26:23. Back to text.
Lk 2:36: Acts 21:9; Josh 19:24; 1 Tim 5:9. Back to text.
Lk 2:40: Judg 13:24; 1 Sam 2:26. Back to text.
Lk 2:41: Deut 16:1–8; Ex 23:15. Back to text.
Lk 2:48: Mk 3:31–35. Back to text.
Lk 2:51: Lk 2:19. Back to text.
Lk 2:52: Lk 1:80; 2:40. Back to text.
Lk 3:1: Lk 23:1; 9:7; 13:31; 23:7. Back to text.
Lk 3:2: Jn 18:13; Acts 4:6; Mt 26:3; Jn 11:49. Back to text.
Lk 3:3–9: Mt 3:1–10; Mk 1:1–5; Jn 1:6, 23. Back to text.
Lk 3:4–6: Is 40:3–5. Back to text.
Lk 3:6: Lk 2:30. Back to text.
Lk 3:7: Mt 12:34; 23:33. Back to text.
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Lk 3:8: Jn 8:33, 39. Back to text.
Lk 3:9: Mt 7:19; Heb 6:7–8. Back to text.
Lk 3:11: Lk 6:29. Back to text.
Lk 3:15: Acts 13:25; Jn 1:19–22. Back to text.
Lk 3:16–18: Mt 3:11–12; Mk 1:7–8; Jn 1:26–27, 33; Acts 1:5; 11:16;
19:4. Back to text.
Lk 3:19–20: Mt 14:3–4; Mk 6:17–18. Back to text.
Lk 3:21–22: Mt 3:13–17; Mk 1:9–11; Jn 1:29–34. Back to text.
Lk 3:21: Lk 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 9:28; 11:1; Mk 1:35. Back to text.
Lk 3:22: Ps 2:7; Is 42:1; Lk 9:35; Acts 10:38; 2 Pet 1:17. Back to text.
Lk 3:23–38: Mt 1:1–17; Gen 5:3–32; 11:10–26; Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chron
1:1–4, 24–28; 2:1–15. Back to text.
Lk 3:23: Jn 8:57; Lk 1:27. Back to text.
Lk 4:1–13: Mt 4:1–11; Mk 1:12–13. Back to text.
Lk 4:2: Deut 9:9; 1 Kings 19:8. Back to text.
Lk 4:4: Deut 8:3. Back to text.
Lk 4:6: 1 Jn 5:19. Back to text.
Lk 4:8: Deut 6:13. Back to text.
Lk 4:10–11: Ps 91:11–12. Back to text.
Lk 4:12: Deut 6:16. Back to text.
Lk 4:13: Lk 22:28. Back to text.
Lk 4:14: Mt 4:12; Mk 1:14; Mt 9:26; Lk 4:37. Back to text.
Lk 4:15: Mt 4:23; 9:35; 11:1. Back to text.
Lk 4:16–30: Mt 13:53–58; Mk 6:1–6; Acts 13:14–16. Back to text.
Lk 4:18–19: Is 61:1–2. Back to text.
Lk 4:22: Jn 6:42; 7:15. Back to text.
Lk 4:23: Mk 1:21; 2:1; Jn 4:46. Back to text.
Lk 4:24: Jn 4:44. Back to text.
Lk 4:25: 1 Kings 17:1, 8–16; 18:1; Jas 5:17–18. Back to text.
Lk 4:27: 2 Kings 5:1–14. Back to text.
Lk 4:29: Acts 7:58; Num 15:35. Back to text.
Lk 4:30: Jn 8:59; 10:39. Back to text.
Lk 4:31–37: Mk 1:21–28. Back to text.
Lk 4:32: Mt 7:28; 13:54; 22:33; Mk 11:18; Jn 7:46. Back to text.
Lk 4:37: Lk 4:14; 5:15; Mt 9:26. Back to text.
Lk 4:38–41: Mt 8:14–17; Mk 1:29–34. Back to text.
Lk 4:42–43: Mk 1:35–38. Back to text.
Lk 4:44: Mt 4:23; Mk 1:39; Mt 9:35. Back to text.
Lk 5:1–11: Mt 4:18–22; Mk 1:16–20; Jn 1:40–42; 21:1–19. Back to text.
Lk 5:3: Mt 13:1–2; Mk 4:1. Back to text.
Lk 5:5: Lk 8:24, 45; 9:33, 49; 17:13. Back to text.
Lk 5:12–16: Mt 8:1–4; Mk 1:40–45; Lk 17:11–19. Back to text.
Lk 5:14: Lev 13:49; 14:2–32. Back to text.
Lk 5:15: Lk 4:14, 37; Mt 9:26. Back to text.
Lk 5:16: Lk 3:21; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1. Back to text.
Lk 5:17–26: Mt 9:1–8; Mk 2:1–12; Jn 5:1–9. Back to text.
Lk 5:17: Mt 15:1; Mk 5:30; Lk 6:19. Back to text.
Lk 5:20: Lk 7:48–49. Back to text.
Lk 5:27–32: Mt 9:9–13; Mk 2:13–17. Back to text.
Lk 5:30: Lk 15:1–2. Back to text.
Lk 5:32: 1 Tim 1:15. Back to text.
Lk 5:33–38: Mt 9:14–17; Mk 2:18–22. Back to text.
Lk 5:33: Lk 7:18; 11:1; Jn 3:25–26. Back to text.
Lk 5:35: Lk 9:22; 17:22. Back to text.
Lk 6:1–5: Mt 12:1–8; Mk 2:23–28. Back to text.
Lk 6:1: Deut 23:25. Back to text.
Lk 6:2: Ex 20:10; 23:12; Deut 5:14. Back to text.
Lk 6:3: 1 Sam 21:1–6. Back to text.
Lk 6:4: Lev 24:9. Back to text.
Lk 6:6–11: Mt 12:9–14; Mk 3:1–6. Back to text.
Lk 6:12–16: Mk 3:13–19; Mt 10:2–4; Acts 1:13. Back to text.
Lk 6:12: Lk 3:21; 5:16; 9:18, 28; 11:1. Back to text.
Lk 6:17–19: Mt 5:1–2; 4:24–25; Mk 3:7–12. Back to text.
Lk 6:19: Mk 3:10; Mt 9:21; 14:36; Lk 5:17. Back to text.
Lk 6:20–23: Mt 5:3–12. Back to text.
Lk 6:22: 1 Pet 4:14; Jn 9:22; 16:2. Back to text.
Lk 6:24–26: Lk 10:13–15; 11:38–52; 17:1; 21:23; 22:22. Back to text.
Lk 6:24: Lk 16:25; Jas 5:1–5; Mt 6:2. Back to text.
Lk 6:27–30: Mt 5:39–44; Rom 12:17; 1 Cor 6:7. Back to text.
Lk 6:31: Mt 7:12. Back to text.
Lk 6:32–36: Mt 5:44–48. Back to text.
Lk 6:35: Mt 5:9. Back to text.
Lk 6:37–38: Mt 7:1–2; Rom 2:1. Back to text.
Lk 6:38: Mk 4:24; Acts 20:35. Back to text.
Lk 6:39: Mt 15:14. Back to text.
Lk 6:40: Mt 10:24–25; Jn 13:16; 15:20. Back to text.
Lk 6:41–42: Mt 7:3–5. Back to text.
Lk 6:43–45: Mt 7:18–19; 12:33–35; Jas 3:11–12. Back to text.
Lk 6:45: Mk 7:20. Back to text.
Lk 6:46: Mt 7:21. Back to text.
Lk 6:47–49: Mt 7:24–27; Jas 1:22–25. Back to text.
Lk 7:1–10: Mt 8:5–10, 13; Jn 4:46–53. Back to text.
Lk 7:5: Acts 10:2. Back to text.
Lk 7:11–17: Mk 5:21–24, 35–43; Jn 11:1–44; 1 Kings 17:17–24; 2 Kings
4:32–37. Back to text.
Lk 7:13: Lk 7:19; 10:1; 11:39; 12:42; 13:15; 17:5–6; 18:6; 19:8; 22:61;
24:3. Back to text.
Lk 7:16: Lk 7:39; 24:19; Mt 21:11; Jn 6:14. Back to text.
Lk 7:18–35: Mt 11:2–19. Back to text.
Lk 7:21: Mt 4:23; Mk 3:10. Back to text.
Lk 7:22: Is 29:18–19; 35:5–6; 61:1; Lk 4:18–19. Back to text.
Lk 7:27: Mal 3:1; Mk 1:2. Back to text.
Lk 7:29–30: Mt 21:32; Lk 3:12. Back to text.
Lk 7:33: Lk 1:15. Back to text.
Lk 7:34: Lk 5:29; 15:1–2; 7:36–50. Back to text.
Lk 7:36–50: Mt 26:6–13; Mk 14:3–9; Jn 12:1–8. Back to text.
Lk 7:36: Lk 11:37; 14:1. Back to text.
Lk 7:39: Lk 7:16; 24:19; Mt 21:11; Jn 6:14. Back to text.
Lk 7:42: Mt 18:25. Back to text.
Lk 7:43: Lk 10:28. Back to text.
Lk 7:48: Mt 9:2; Mk 2:5; Lk 5:20. Back to text.
Lk 7:50: Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34; Lk 8:48. Back to text.
Lk 8:1–3: Lk 4:15; Mk 15:40–41; Mt 27:55–56; Lk 23:49. Back to text.
Lk 8:4–8: Mt 13:1–9; Mk 4:1–9. Back to text.
Lk 8:8: Mt 11:15. Back to text.
Lk 8:9–10: Mt 13:10–13; Mk 4:10–12; Is 6:9–10; Jer 5:21; Ezek 12:2.
Back to text.
Lk 8:11–15: Mt 13:18–23; Mk 4:13–20. Back to text.
Lk 8:11: 1 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:23. Back to text.
Lk 8:16: Mk 4:21; Mt 5:15; Lk 11:33. Back to text.
Lk 8:17: Mk 4:22–23; Mt 10:26–27; Lk 12:2–3; Eph 5:13. Back to text.
Lk 8:18: Mk 4:24–25; Mt 13:12; 25:29; Lk 19:26. Back to text.
Lk 8:19–21: Mt 12:46–50; Mk 3:31–35. Back to text.
Lk 8:21: Lk 11:28; Jn 15:14. Back to text.
Lk 8:22–25: Mt 8:23–27; Mk 4:35–41; 6:47–52; Jn 6:16–21. Back to
text.
Lk 8:24: Lk 5:5; 8:45; 9:33, 49; 17:13. Back to text.
Lk 8:26–39: Mt 8:28–34; Mk 5:1–20. Back to text.
Lk 8:28: Mk 1:24; Jn 2:4. Back to text.
Lk 8:40–56: Mt 9:18–26; Mk 5:21–43. Back to text.
Lk 8:45: Lk 8:24. Back to text.
Lk 8:46: Lk 5:17; 6:19. Back to text.
Lk 8:48: Mt 9:22; Lk 7:50; 17:19; 18:42. Back to text.
Lk 8:56: Mt 8:4; Mk 3:12; 7:36; Lk 9:21. Back to text.
Lk 9:1–6: Mt 10:1, 5, 7–11, 14; Mk 6:7–12; Lk 10:4–11. Back to text.
Lk 9:5: Acts 13:51. Back to text.
Lk 9:7–9: Mt 14:1–2; Mk 6:14–16; Lk 9:19. Back to text.
Lk 9:9: Lk 23:8. Back to text.
Lk 9:10: Mk 6:30–31; Lk 10:17; Jn 1:44. Back to text.
Lk 9:11–17: Mt 14:13–21; Mk 6:32–44; Jn 6:1–14; Mk 8:4–10. Back to
text.
Lk 9:13: 2 Kings 4:42–44. Back to text.
Lk 9:16: Lk 22:19; 24:30–31; Acts 2:42; 20:11; 27:35. Back to text.
Lk 9:18–21: Mt 16:13–20; Mk 8:27–30; Jn 1:49; 11:27; 6:66–69. Back
to text.
Lk 9:18: Lk 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:28; 11:1. Back to text.
Lk 9:19: Lk 9:9; Mk 9:11–13. Back to text.
Lk 9:22: Mt 16:21; Mk 8:31; Lk 9:43–45; 18:31–34; 17:25. Back to text.
Lk 9:23–27: Mt 16:24–28; Mk 8:34–9:1. Back to text.
Lk 9:24–25: Mt 10:38–39; Lk 14:27; 17:33; Jn 12:25. Back to text.
Lk 9:26: Mt 10:33; Lk 12:9; 1 Jn 2:28. Back to text.
Lk 9:27: Lk 22:18; Mt 10:23; 1 Thess 4:15–18; Jn 21:22. Back to text.
Lk 9:28–36: Mt 17:1–8; Mk 9:2–8; 2 Pet 1:17–18. Back to text.
Lk 9:28: Lk 8:51; 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18; 11:1. Back to text.
Lk 9:30: Acts 1:9–11. Back to text.
Lk 9:32: Jn 1:14. Back to text.
Lk 9:33: Lk 5:5; 8:24, 45; 9:49; 17:13. Back to text.
9:35: Lk 3:22; Jn 12:28–30.
Lk 9:36: Mt 17:9; Mk 9:9–10. Back to text.
Lk 9:37–43: Mt 17:14–18; Mk 9:14–27. Back to text.
Lk 9:43–45: Mt 17:22–23; Mk 9:30–32; Lk 9:22; 18:31–34; 17:25. Back
to text.
Lk 9:46–48: Mt 18:1–5; Mk 9:33–37. Back to text.
Lk 9:48: Lk 10:16; Mt 10:40. Back to text.
Lk 9:49–50: Mk 9:38–40; Lk 11:23. Back to text.
Lk 9:49: Lk 5:5; 8:24, 45; 9:33; 17:13. Back to text.
Lk 9:51–56: Mk 10:1; Lk 17:11; Jn 4:40–42. Back to text.
Lk 9:52: Mt 10:5; Jn 4:4. Back to text.
Lk 9:54: Mk 3:17; 2 Kings 1:9–16. Back to text.
Lk 9:57–60: Mt 8:19–22. Back to text.
Lk 9:61: 1 Kings 19:20; Phil 3:13. Back to text.
Lk 10:1: Lk 9:1–2, 51–52; 7:13. Back to text.
Lk 10:2: Mt 9:37–38; Jn 4:35. Back to text.
Lk 10:3–12: Mt 10:7–16; Mk 6:8–11; Lk 9:2–5; 22:35–36. Back to text.
Lk 10:5: 1 Sam 25:6. Back to text.
Lk 10:7: 1 Cor 10:27; 9:14; 1 Tim 5:18; Deut 24:15. Back to text.
Lk 10:11: Acts 13:51. Back to text.
Lk 10:12: Mt 11:24; Gen 19:24–28; Jude 7. Back to text.
Lk 10:13–15: Mt 11:21–23; Lk 6:24–26. Back to text.
Lk 10:16: Mt 10:40; 18:5; Mk 9:37; Lk 9:48; Jn 13:20; 12:48. Back to
text.
Lk 10:18: Rev 12:9; Jn 12:31. Back to text.
Lk 10:20: Ex 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1; Phil 4:3; Heb 12:23; Rev 3:5;
13:8; 21:27. Back to text.
Lk 10:21–22: Mt 11:25–27. Back to text.
Lk 10:21 1 Cor 1:26–29. Back to text.
Lk 10:22: Mt 28:18; Jn 3:35; 13:3; 10:15; 17:25. Back to text.
Lk 10:23–24: Mt 13:16–17; Jn 8:56; Heb 11:13; 1 Pet 1:10–12. Back to
text.
Lk 10:25–28: Mt 22:34–39; Mk 12:28–31. Back to text.
Lk 10:25: Mk 10:17; Mt 19:16; Lk 18:18. Back to text.
Lk 10:27: Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14; Jas 2:8. Back to
text.
Lk 10:28: Lk 20:39; Lev 18:5. Back to text.
Lk 10:33: Lk 9:51–56; 17:11–19; Jn 4:4–42. Back to text.
Lk 10:38–42: Jn 12:1–3; 11:1–45. Back to text.
Lk 10:41: Lk 7:13. Back to text.
Lk 11:1: Mk 1:35; Lk 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 5:33; 7:18. Back to text.
Lk 11:2–4: Mt 6:9–13. Back to text.
Lk 11:4: Mk 11:25; Mt 18:35. Back to text.
Lk 11:5–8: Lk 18:1–8. Back to text.
Lk 11:9–13: Mt 7:7–11. Back to text.
Lk 11:9: Mt 18:19; 21:22; Mk 11:24; Jas 1:5–8; 1 Jn 5:14–15; Jn 15:7;
16:23–24. Back to text.
Lk 11:14–23: Mt 12:22–30; 10:25; Mk 3:23–27. Back to text.
Lk 11:14–15: Mt 9:32–34. Back to text.
Lk 11:16: Mt 12:38; 16:1; Mk 8:11; Jn 2:18; 6:30. Back to text.
Lk 11:23: Lk 9:50. Back to text.
Lk 11:24–26: Mt 12:43–45. Back to text.
Lk 11:27: Lk 1:42; 23:29. Back to text.
Lk 11:28: Lk 8:21; Jn 15:14. Back to text.
Lk 11:29–32: Mt 12:39–42. Back to text.
Lk 11:29: Mt 16:4; Mk 8:12; Lk 11:16; Jon 3:4–5. Back to text.
Lk 11:31: 1 Kings 10:1–10; 2 Chron 9:1–12. Back to text.
Lk 11:32: Mt 12:6. Back to text.
Lk 11:33: Mt 5:15; Mk 4:21; Lk 8:16. Back to text.
Lk 11:34–35: Mt 6:22–23. Back to text.
Lk 11:37: Lk 7:36; 14:1. Back to text.
Lk 11:38: Mk 7:1–5. Back to text.
Lk 11:39–41: Mt 23:25–26. Back to text.
Lk 11:39: Lk 7:13. Back to text.
Lk 11:41: Tit 1:15; Mk 7:19. Back to text.
Lk 11:42: Mt 23:23–24; Lev 27:30; Mic 6:8. Back to text.
Lk 11:43: Mt 23:6–7; Mk 12:38–39; Lk 20:46. Back to text.
Lk 11:44: Mt 23:27. Back to text.
Lk 11:46: Mt 23:4. Back to text.
Lk 11:47–48: Mt 23:29–32; Acts 7:51–53. Back to text.
Lk 11:49–51: Mt 23:34–36. Back to text.
Lk 11:49: 1 Cor 1:24; Col 2:3. Back to text.
Lk 11:51: Gen 4:8; 2 Chron 24:20–21; Zech 1:1. Back to text.
Lk 11:52: Mt 23:13. Back to text.
Lk 11:53–54: Mk 12:13. Back to text.
Lk 12:1: Mt 16:6; Mk 8:15. Back to text.
Lk 12:2–3: Mt 10:26–27; Mk 4:22; Lk 8:17; Eph 5:13. Back to text.
Lk 12:4: Jn 15:14–15. Back to text.
Lk 12:4–9: Mt 10:28–33. Back to text.
Lk 12:5: Heb 10:31. Back to text.
Lk 12:7: Lk 21:18; Acts 27:34; Mt 12:12. Back to text.
Lk 12:9: Mk 8:38; Lk 9:26; 2 Tim 2:12. Back to text.
Lk 12:10: Mt 12.31–32; Mk 3:28–29. Back to text.
Lk 12:11–12: Mt 10:19–20; Mk 13:11; Lk 2l:14–15. Back to text.
Lk 12:15: 1 Tim 6:6–10. Back to text.
Lk 12:20: Jer 17:11; Job 27:8; Ps 39:6; Lk 12:33–34. Back to text.
Lk 12:22–31: Mt 6:25–33. Back to text.
12:24: Lk 12:6–7. Back to text.
Lk 12:27: 1 Kings 10:1–10. Back to text.
Lk 12:30: Mt 6:8. Back to text.
Lk 12:32: Jn 21:15–17. Back to text.
Lk 12:33–34: Mt 6:19–21; Lk 18:22. Back to text.
Lk 12:35: Eph 6:14; Mt 25:1–13; Mk 13:33–37. Back to text.
Lk 12:37: Jn 13:3–5; Mt 24:42; Lk 21:36. Back to text.
Lk 12:39–40: Mt 24:43–44; 1 Thess 5:2; Rev 3:3; 16:15; 2 Pet 3:10.
Back to text.
Lk 12:42–46: Mt 24:45–51. Back to text.
Lk 12:42: Lk 7:13. Back to text.
Lk 12:47–48: Deut 25:2–3; Num 15:29–30; Lk 8:18; 19:26. Back to text.
Lk 12:49: Lk 22:15. Back to text.
Lk 12:50: Mk 10:38–39; Jn 12:27. Back to text.
Lk 12:51–53: Mt 10:34–36; Lk 21:16; Mic 7:6. Back to text.
Lk 12:54–56: Mt 16:2–3. Back to text.
Lk 12:57–59: Mt 5:25–26. Back to text.
Lk 13:2: Jn 9:1–3. Back to text.
Lk 13:6–9: Mt 21:18–20; Mk 11:12–14, 20–21. Back to text.
Lk 13:7: Mt 3:10; 7:19; Lk 3:9. Back to text.
Lk 13:14: Ex 20:9–10; Lk 6:6–11; 14:1–6; Jn 5:1–18. Back to text.
Lk 13:15: Lk 7:13; 14:5; Mt 12:11. Back to text.
Lk 13:16: Lk 19:9. Back to text.
Lk 13:18–19: Mt 13:31–32; Mk 4:30–32. Back to text.
Lk 13:20–21: Mt 13:33. Back to text.
Lk 13:22: Lk 9:51; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11. Back to text.
Lk 13:23–24: Mt 7:13–14; Jn 10:7. Back to text.
Lk 13:25: Mt 25:10–12. Back to text.
Lk 13:26–27: Mt 7:21–23; 25:41; Lk 6:46. Back to text.
Lk 13:28–29: Mt 8:11–12. Back to text.
Lk 13:30: Mt 19:30; Mk 10:31. Back to text.
Lk 13:32: Heb 2:10; 7:28. Back to text.
Lk 13:34–35: Mt 23:37–39; Lk 19:41. Back to text.
Lk 13:35: Jer 22:5; Ps 118:26; Lk 19:38. Back to text.
Lk 14:1: Lk 7:36; 11:37; Mk 3:2. Back to text.
Lk 14:3: Mt 12:10; Mk 3:4; Lk 6:9. Back to text.
14:5: Mt 12:11; Lk 13:15. Back to text.
Lk 14:8: Prov 25:6–7; Lk 11:43; 20:46. Back to text.
Lk 14:11: Mt 23:12; Lk 18.14; Mt 18:4; 1 Pet 5:6. Back to text.
Lk 14:12: Jas 2:2–4. Back to text.
Lk 14:13: Lk 14:21. Back to text.
Lk 14:15: Rev 19:9. Back to text.
Lk 14:16–24: Mt 22:1–10. Back to text.
Lk 14:20: Deut 24:5; 1 Cor 7:33. Back to text.
Lk 14:21: Lk 14:13. Back to text.
Lk 14:26–27: Mt 10:37–38. Back to text.
Lk 14:27: Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23. Back to text.
Lk 14:33: Lk 18:29–30; Phil 3:7. Back to text.
Lk 14:34–35: Mt 5:13; Mk 9:49–50; Mt 11:15. Back to text.
Lk 15:1–2: Lk 5:29–30; 19:7. Back to text.
Lk 15:4–7: Mt 18:10–14. Back to text.
Lk 15:7: Jas 5:20; Lk 19:10; 15:10. Back to text.
Lk 15:11: Mt 21:28. Back to text.
Lk 15:12: Deut 21:15–17. Back to text.
Lk 15:22: Gen 41:42; Zech 3:4. Back to text.
Lk 15:24: 1 Tim 5:6; Eph 2:1; Lk 9:60. Back to text.
Lk 16:8: 1 Thess 5:5; Eph 5:8; Lk 20:34; Jn 12:36. Back to text.
Lk 16:9: Lk 12:33; 18:22. Back to text.
Lk 16:10: Mt 25:21; Lk 19:17. Back to text.
Lk 16:13: Mt 6:24. Back to text.
Lk 16:15: 1 Sam 16:7; Prov 21:2; Acts 1:24; Lk 10:29. Back to text.
Lk 16:16: Mt 11:12–13. Back to text.
Lk 16:17: Mt 5:17–18; Lk 21:33. Back to text.
Lk 16:18: Mt 5:31–32; 19:9; Mk 10:11–12; 1 Cor 7:10–11. Back to text.
Lk 16:20: Jn 11:1–44; 12:1, 9. Back to text.
Lk 16:22: Jn 13:23. Back to text.
Lk 16:25: Lk 6:24. Back to text.
Lk 16:29: Jn 5:45–47; Acts 15:21; Lk 4:17. Back to text.
Lk 16:30: Lk 3:8; 19:9. Back to text.
Lk 17:1–2: Mt 18:6–7; Mk 9:42; 1 Cor 8:12. Back to text.
Lk 17:3–4: Mt 18:15, 21–22. Back to text.
Lk 17:5–6: Mt 17:20, 21:21; Mk 11:22–23. Back to text.
Lk 17:5: Lk 7:13. Back to text.
Lk 17:8: Lk 12:37; Jn 13:3–5. Back to text.
Lk 17:11: Lk 9:51; 13:22; 19:11. Back to text.
Lk 17:12: Lev 13:45–46. Back to text.
Lk 17:13: Lk 5:5; 8:24, 45; 9:33, 49. Back to text.
Lk 17:14: Lk 5:14; Mt 8:4; Mk 1:44; Lev 14:2–32. Back to text.
Lk 17:19: Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34; Lk 8:48; 18:42. Back to text.
Lk 17:20: Lk 19:11; 21:7; Acts 1:6. Back to text.
Lk 17:22: Mt 9:15; Mk 2:20; Lk 5:35. Back to text.
Lk 17:23: Mt 24:23; Mk 13:21. Back to text.
Lk 17:24: Mt 24:27; Rev 1:7. Back to text.
Lk 17:25: Lk 9:22. Back to text.
Lk 17:26–27: Mt 24:37–39; Gen 6:5–8; 7:6–24. Back to text.
Lk 17:28–30: Gen 18:20–33; 19:24–25. Back to text.
Lk 17:31: Mt 24:17–18; Mk 13:15–16; Lk 21:21. Back to text.
Lk 17:32: Gen 19:26. Back to text.
Lk 17:33: Mt 10:39; 16:25; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; Jn 12:25. Back to text.
Lk 17:34–35: Mt 24:40–41. Back to text.
Lk 17:37: Mt 24:28. Back to text.
Lk 18:1–8: Lk 11:5–8. Back to text.
Lk 18:6: Lk 7:13. Back to text.
Lk 18:7: Rev 6:10; Mt 24:22; Rom 8:33; Col 3:12; 2 Tim 2:10. Back to
text.
Lk 18:11: Mt 6:5; Mk 11:25. Back to text.
Lk 18:12: Lk 5:33; 11:42. Back to text.
Lk 18:14: Mt 18:4; 23:12; Lk 14:11; 1 Pet 5:6. Back to text.
Lk 18:15–17: Mt 19:13–15; 18:3; Mk 10:13–16. Back to text.
Lk 18:18–23: Mt 19:16–22; Mk 10:17–22. Back to text.
Lk 18:18: Lk 10:25. Back to text.
Lk 18:20: Ex 20:12–16; Deut 5:16–20; Rom 13:9; Jas 2:11. Back to text.
Lk 18:22: Lk 12:33; Acts 2:45; 4:32. Back to text.
Lk 18:24–27: Mt 19:23–26; Mk 10:23–27. Back to text.
Lk 18:27: Gen 18:14; Job 42:2; Jer 32:17; Lk 1:37. Back to text.
Lk 18:28–30: Mt 19:27–30; Mk 10:28–31; Lk 5:1–11. Back to text.
Lk 18:31–34: Mt 20:17–19; Mk 10:32–34; Lk 9:22, 44–45; 17:25. Back
to text.
Lk 18:35–43: Mt 20:29–34; Mk 10:46–52; Mt 9:27–31; Mk 8:22; Jn
9:1–7. Back to text.
Lk 18:42: Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34; 10:52; Lk 7:50; 8:48; 17:19. Back to text.
Lk 19:1: Mk 10:46. Back to text.
Lk 19:7: Lk 5:29–30; 15:1–2. Back to text.
Lk 19:8: Lk 7:13; 3:14; Ex 22:1; Lev 6:5; Num 5:6–7. Back to text.
Lk 19:9: Lk 3:8; 13:16; Rom 4:16. Back to text.
Lk 19:11: Lk 9:51; 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 9:27. Back to text.
Lk 19:12–28: Mt 25:14–30. Back to text.
Lk 19:12: Mk 13:34. Back to text.
Lk 19:17: Lk 16:10. Back to text.
Lk 19:26: Mt 13:12; Mk 4:25; Lk 8:18. Back to text.
Lk 19:28: Mk 10:32. Back to text.
Lk 19:29–38: Mt 21:1–9; Mk 11:1–10; Jn 12:12–18. Back to text.
Lk 19:32: Lk 22:13. Back to text.
19:34: Lk 7:13.
Lk 19:36: 2 Kings 9:13. Back to text.
Lk 19:38: Ps 118:26; Lk 13:35; 2:14. Back to text.
Lk 19:39–40: Mt 21:15–16; Hab 2:11. Back to text.
Lk 19:41: Lk 13:33–34. Back to text.
Lk 19:43: Lk 21:21–24; 21:6; Is 29:3; Jer 6:6; Ezek 4:2. Back to text.
Lk 19:44: 1 Pet 2:12. Back to text.
Lk 19:45–46: Mt 21:12–13; Mk 11:15–17; Jn 2:13–17. Back to text.
Lk 19:47–48: Mk 11:18; Lk 21:37; 22:53. Back to text.
Lk 20:1–8: Mt 21:23–27; Mk 11:27–33. Back to text.
Lk 20:2: Jn 2:18. Back to text.
Lk 20:6: Mt 14:5; Lk 7:29. Back to text.
Lk 20:9–19: Mt 21:33–46; Mk 12:1–12. Back to text.
Lk 20:9: Is 5:1–7; Mt 25:14. Back to text.
Lk 20:16: Acts 13:46; 18:6; 28:28. Back to text.
Lk 20:17: Ps 118:22–23; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:6–7. Back to text.
Lk 20:18: Is 8:14–15. Back to text.
Lk 20:19: Lk 19:47. Back to text.
Lk 20:20–26: Mt 22:15–22; Mk 12:13–17. Back to text.
Lk 20:21: Jn 3:2. Back to text.
Lk 20:25: Rom 13:7; Lk 23:2. Back to text.
Lk 20:27–38: Mt 22:23–33; Mk 12:18–27. Back to text.
Lk 20:27: Acts 4:1–2; 23:6–10. Back to text.
Lk 20:28: Deut 25:5. Back to text.
Lk 20:37: Ex 3:6. Back to text.
Lk 20:39: Mk 12:28. Back to text.
Lk 20:40: Mk 12:34; Mt 22:46. Back to text.
Lk 20:41–44: Mt 22:41–45; Mk 12:35–37; Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Lk 20:45–47: Mk 12:38–40; Mt 23:6–7; Lk 11:43; 14:7–11. Back to text.
Lk 21:1–4: Mk 12:41–44. Back to text.
Lk 21:5–23: Mt 24:1–19; Mk 13:1–17. Back to text.
Lk 21:6: Lk 19:43–44; Mk 14:58; 15:29; Acts 6:14. Back to text.
Lk 21:7: Lk 17:20; Acts 1:6. Back to text.
Lk 21:8: Lk 17:23; Mk 13:21; 1 Jn 2:18. Back to text.
Lk 21:10: 2 Chron 15:6; Is 19:2. Back to text.
Lk 21:12–17: Mt 10:17–21. Back to text.
Lk 21:12: Acts 25:24; Jn 16:2. Back to text.
Lk 21:13: Phil 1:12. Back to text.
Lk 21:14–15: Lk 12:11–12. Back to text.
Lk 21:16: Lk 12:52–53. Back to text.
Lk 21:17: Mt 10:22; Jn 15:18–25. Back to text.
Lk 21:18: Lk 12:7; Mt 10:30; Acts 27:34; 1 Sam 14:45. Back to text.
Lk 21:19: Mt 10:22; Rev 2:7. Back to text.
Lk 21:20–22: Lk 19:41–44; 23:28–31; 17:31. Back to text.
Lk 21:23: Lk 23:29. Back to text.
Lk 21:24: Rom 11:25; Is 63:18; Dan 8:13; Rev 11:2. Back to text.
Lk 21:25–27: Mt 24:29–30; Mk 13:24–26. Back to text.
Lk 21:25: Rev 6:12–13; Is 13:10; Joel 2:10; Zeph 1:15. Back to text.
Lk 21:27: Lk 9:27; Dan 7:13–14. Back to text.
Lk 21:28: Lk 18:7–8. Back to text.
Lk 21:29–33: Mt 24:32–35; Mk 13:28–31. Back to text.
Lk 21:32: Lk 9:27. Back to text.
Lk 21:33: Lk 16:17. Back to text.
Lk 21:34: Lk 12:45; Mk 4:19; 1 Thess 5:6–7. Back to text.
Lk 21:36: Mk 13:33. Back to text.
Lk 21:37: Lk 19:47; Mk 11:19. Back to text.
Lk 22:1–2: Mt 26:2–5; Mk 14:1–2; Jn 11:47–53. Back to text.
Lk 22:3–6: Mt 26:14–16; Mk 14:10–11; Jn 13:2. Back to text.
Lk 22:7–13: Mt 26:17–19; Mk 14:12–16. Back to text.
Lk 22:7: Ex 12:18–20; Deut 16:5–8. Back to text.
Lk 22:8: Acts 3:1; Lk 19:29. Back to text.
Lk 22:14: Mt 26:20; Mk 14:17; Jn 13:17. Back to text.
Lk 22:15: Lk 12:49–50. Back to text.
Lk 22:16: Lk 14:15. Back to text.
Lk 22:17: Mt 26:27; Mk 14:23; 1 Cor 10:16. Back to text.
Lk 22:18: Mt 26:29; Mk 14:25. Back to text.
Lk 22:19: Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22; 1 Cor 10:16; 11:23–2;Lk 9:16. Back to
text.
Lk 22:21–23: Mt 26:21–24; Mk 14:18–21; Ps 41:9; Jn 13:21–30. Back
to text.
Lk 22:24: Lk 9:46; Mk 9:34. Back to text.
Lk 22:25–27: Mt 20:25–28; Mk 10:42–45; Jn 13:3–16. Back to text.
Lk 22:26: Lk 9:48. Back to text.
Lk 22:28–30: Mt 19:28. Back to text.
Lk 22:28: Lk 4:13; Heb 2:18; 4:15. Back to text.
Lk 22:29: Mk 14:24; Heb 9:20. Back to text.
Lk 22:30: Mk 10:37; Rev 3:21; 20:4. Back to text.
Lk 22:31: Job 1:6–12; Amos 9:9. Back to text.
Lk 22:32: Jn 17:15; 21:15–17. Back to text.
Lk 22:33–34: Mt 26:33–35; Mk 14:29–31; Jn 13:37–38. Back to text.
Lk 22:35: Lk 10:4; Mt 10:9. Back to text.
Lk 22:36: Lk 22:49–50. Back to text.
Lk 22:37: Is 53:12. Back to text.
Lk 22:39: Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26; Jn 18:1. Back to text.
Lk 22:40–46: Mt 26:36–46; Mk 14:32–42; Heb 5:7–8. Back to text.
Lk 22:40: Lk 11:4. Back to text.
Lk 22:42: Mk 10:38; Jn 18:11; 5:30. Back to text.
Lk 22:47–53: Mt 26:47–56; Mk 14:43–49; Jn 18:3–11. Back to text.
Lk 22:49: Lk 22:38. Back to text.
Lk 22:53: Lk 19:47. Back to text.
Lk 22:54–55: Mt 26:57–58; Mk 14:53–54; Jn 18:12–16. Back to text.
Lk 22:56–62: Mt 26:69–75; Mk 14:66–72; Jn 18:16–18, 25–27. Back to
text.
Lk 22:61: Lk 7:13; 22:34. Back to text.
Lk 22:63–65: Mt 26:67–68; Mk 14:65; Jn 18:22–24. Back to text.
Lk 22:66: Mt 26:57; Mk 14:53; Lk 22:54. Back to text.
Lk 22:67–71: Mt 26:63–66; Mk 14:61–64; Jn 18:19–21. Back to text.
Lk 22:70: Lk 23:3; Mt 27:11. Back to text.
Lk 23:1: Mt 27:1–2; Mk 15:1; Jn 18:28. Back to text.
Lk 23:2: Lk 20:25. Back to text.
Lk 23:3: Mt 27:11–12; Mk 15:2–3; Jn 18:29–38; Lk 22:70. Back to text.
Lk 23:4: Lk 23:14, 22, 41; Mt 27:24; Jn 19:4, 6; Acts 13:28. Back to
text.
Lk 23:8: Lk 9:9; Acts 4:27–28. Back to text.
Lk 23:9: Mk 15:5. Back to text.
Lk 23:11: Mk 15:17–19; Jn 19:2–3. Back to text.
Lk 23:14: Lk 23:4, 22, 41. Back to text.
Lk 23:16: Lk 23:22; Jn 19:12–14. Back to text.
Lk 23:18–23: Mt 27:20–23; Mk 15:11–14; Acts 3:13–14; Jn 18:38–40;
19:14–15. Back to text.
Lk 23:23–25: Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15. Back to text.
Lk 23:26: Mt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Jn 19:17. Back to text.
Lk 23:28–31: Lk 21:23–24; 19:41–44. Back to text.
Lk 23:33–39: Mt 27:33–44; Mk 15:22–32; Jn 19:17–24. Back to text.
Lk 23:34: Acts 7:60; Ps 22:18. Back to text.
Lk 23:35: Lk 4:23. Back to text.
Lk 23:36: Mk 15:23; Ps 69:21. Back to text.
Lk 23:41: Lk 23:4, 14, 22. Back to text.
Lk 23:43: 2 Cor 12:3; Rev 2:7. Back to text.
Lk 23:44–49: Mt 27:45–56; Mk 15:33–41; Jn 19:25–30. Back to text.
Lk 23:45: Ex 26:31–35; Heb 9:8; 10:19. Back to text.
Lk 23:46: Ps 31:5. Back to text.
Lk 23:49: Lk 8:1–3; 23:55–56; 24:10. Back to text.
Lk 23:50–56: Mt 27:57–61; Mk 15:42–47; Jn 19:38–42; Acts 13:29.
Back to text.
Lk 23:56: Mk 16:1; Ex 12:16; 20:10. Back to text.
Lk 24:1–9: Mt 28:1–8; Mk 16:1–7; Jn 20:1, 11–13. Back to text.
Lk 24:6: Lk 9:22; 13:32–33. Back to text.
Lk 24:10: Mk 16:1; Lk 8:1–3; Jn 20:2. Back to text.
Lk 24:16: Jn 20:14; 21:4. Back to text.
Lk 24:19: Mt 21:11; Lk 7:16; 13:33; Acts 3:22. Back to text.
Lk 24:24: Jn 20:3–10. Back to text.
Lk 24:27: Lk 24:44–45; Acts 28:23; 1 Pet 1:11. Back to text.
Lk 24:28: Mk 6:48. Back to text.
Lk 24:30: Lk 9:16; 22:19. Back to text.
Lk 24:34: 1 Cor 15:5. Back to text.
Lk 24:36–43: Jn 20:19–20, 27; Jn 21:5, 9–13; 1 Cor 15:5; Acts 10:40–
41. Back to text.
Lk 24:39: 1 Jn 1:1. Back to text.
Lk 24:44: Lk 24:26–27; Acts 28:23. Back to text.
Lk 24:46: Hos 6:2; 1 Cor 15:3–4. Back to text.
Lk 24:47: Acts 1:4–8; Mt 28:19. Back to text.
Lk 24:49: Acts 2:1–4; Jn 14:26; 20:21–23. Back to text.
Lk 24:51: Acts 1:9–11. Back to text.
Lk 24:52–53: Acts 1:12–14. Back to text.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN
Jn 1:1: Gen 1:1; 1 Jn 1:1; Rev 19:13; Jn 17:5. Back to text.
Jn 1:3: Col 1:16; 1 Cor 8:6; Heb 1:2. Back to text.
Jn 1:4: Jn 5:26; 11:25; 14:6. Back to text.
Jn 1:5: Jn 9:5; 12:46. Back to text.
Jn 1:6: Mk 1:4; Mt 3:1; Lk 3:8; Jn 1:19–23. Back to text.
Jn 1:9: 1 Jn 2:8. Back to text.
Jn 1:12: Gal 3:26; Jn 3:18; 1 Jn 5:13. Back to text.
Jn 1:13: Jn 3:5; 1 Pet 1:23; Jas 1:18; 1 Jn 3:9. Back to text.
Jn 1:14: Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4; Phil 2:7; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 2:14; 1 Jn 4:2.
Back to text.
Jn 1:15: Jn 1:30. Back to text.
Jn 1:16: Col 1:19; 2:9; Eph 1:23; Rom 5:21. Back to text.
Jn 1:17: Jn 7:19. Back to text.
Jn 1:18: Ex 33:20; Jn 6:26; 1 Jn 4:12; Jn 3:11. Back to text.
Jn 1:19: Jn 1:6. Back to text.
Jn 1:20: Jn 3:28. Back to text.
Jn 1:21: Mt 11:14; 16:14; Mk 9:13; Mt 17:13; Deut 18:15, 18. Back to
text.
Jn 1:23: Is 40:3; Mk 1:3; Mt 3:3; Lk 3:4. Back to text.
Jn 1:26–27: Mk 1:7–8; Mt 3:11; Lk 3:16. Back to text.
Jn 1:28: Jn 3:26; 10:40. Back to text.
Jn 1:29: Jn 1:36; Is 53:7; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet 1:19; Rev 5:6; 1 Jn 3:5. Back
to text.
Jn 1:30: Jn 1:15. Back to text.
Jn 1:32: Mk 1:10; Mt 3:16; Lk 3:22. Back to text.
Jn 1:35: Lk 7:18. Back to text.
Jn 1:40–42: Mt 4:18–22; Mk 1:16–20; Lk 5:2–11. Back to text.
Jn 1:41: Dan 9:25; Jn 4:25. Back to text.
Jn 1:42: Jn 21:15–17; 1 Cor 15:5; Mt 16:18. Back to text.
Jn 1:43: Mt 10:3; Jn 6:5; 12:21; 14:8. Back to text.
Jn 1:45: Lk 24:27. Back to text.
Jn 1:46: Jn 7:41; Mk 6:2. Back to text.
Jn 1:49: Ps 2:7; Mk 15:32; Jn 12:13. Back to text.
Jn 1:51: Lk 3:21; Gen 28:12. Back to text.
Jn 2:1: Jn 4:46; 21:2. Back to text.
Jn 2:3: Jn 19:26; Mk 3:31. Back to text.
Jn 2:4: Mk 1:24; 5:7; Jn 7:6, 30; 8:20. Back to text.
Jn 2:6: Mk 7:3; Jn 3:25. Back to text.
Jn 2:11: Jn 2:23; 3:2; 4:54; 6:2. Back to text.
Jn 2:12: Mt 4:13; Jn 7:3; Mk 3:31. Back to text.
Jn 2:13: Jn 6:4; 11:55; Deut 16:1–6; Lk 2:41. Back to text.
Jn 2:14–16: Mt 21:12–13; Mk 11:15–17; Lk 19:45–46. Back to text.
Jn 2:16: Lk 2:49. Back to text.
Jn 2:17: Ps 69:9. Back to text.
Jn 2:18: Mk 11:28; Mt 21:23; Lk 20:2. Back to text.
Jn 2:19: Mk 14:58; Acts 6:14. Back to text.
Jn 2:21: 1 Cor 6:19; Jn 8:57. Back to text.
Jn 2:22: Jn 12:16; 14:26. Back to text.
Jn 2:25: Jn 1:47; 6:61; 13:11; Mk 2:8. Back to text.
Jn 3:1: Jn 7:50; 19:39; Lk 23:13; Jn 7:26. Back to text.
Jn 3:2: Jn 2:11; 7:31; 9:16; Acts 10:38. Back to text.
Jn 3:3: Jn 1:13; 1 Pet 1:23; Jas 1:18; 1 Jn 3:9. Back to text.
Jn 3:5: Ezek 36:25–27; Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5. Back to text.
Jn 3:6: 1 Cor 15:50. Back to text.
Jn 3:8: Ezek 37:9. Back to text.
Jn 3:11: Jn 8:26; 1:18; 3:32. Back to text.
Jn 3:13: Rom 10:6; Eph 4:9. Back to text.
Jn 3:14: Num 21:9; Jn 8:28; 12:34. Back to text.
Jn 3:16: Rom 5:8; 8:32; Eph 2:4; 1 Jn 4:9–10. Back to text.
Jn 3:17: Jn 8:15; 12:47; Lk 19:10; 1 Jn 4:14. Back to text.
Jn 3:19: Jn 1:4; 8:12; Eph 5:11, 13. Back to text.
Jn 3:21: 1 Jn 1:6. Back to text.
Jn 3:22: Jn 4:2. Back to text.
Jn 3:24: Mk 1:14; 6:17–18. Back to text.
Jn 3:26: Jn 1:7, 28. Back to text.
Jn 3:27: 1 Cor 4:7. Back to text.
Jn 3:28: Jn 1:20, 23. Back to text.
Jn 3:29: Mk 2:19–20; Mt 25:1; Jn 15:11. Back to text.
Jn 3:31: Jn 3:13; 8:23; 1 Jn 4:5. Back to text.
Jn 3:32: Jn 3:11. Back to text.
Jn 3:36: Jn 3:16; 5:24. Back to text.
Jn 4:1: Jn 3:22. Back to text.
Jn 4:4: Lk 9:52; 17:11. Back to text.
Jn 4:5: Gen 33:19; 48:22; Josh 24:32. Back to text.
Jn 4:9: Mt 10:5; Jn 8:48; Ezra 4:3–6. Back to text.
Jn 4:10: Jn 7:37; Rev 21:6; 22:17. Back to text.
Jn 4:14: Jn 6:35; 7:38. Back to text.
Jn 4:15: Jn 6:34. Back to text.
Jn 4:18: 2 Kings 17:24; Hos 2:7. Back to text.
Jn 4:20: Deut 11:29; Josh 8:33; Lk 9:53. Back to text.
Jn 4:21: Jn 5:25; 16:2, 32; Mal 1:11. Back to text.
Jn 4:22: 2 Kings 17:28–41; Is 2:3; Rom 9:4. Back to text.
Jn 4:24: Phil 3:3. Back to text.
Jn 4:26: Jn 8:24. Back to text.
Jn 4:29: Jn 7:26; Mt 12:23. Back to text.
Jn 4:32: Mt 4:4. Back to text.
Jn 4:34: Jn 5:30; 6:38; 17:4. Back to text.
Jn 4:35: Lk 10:2; Mt 9:37. Back to text.
Jn 4:37: Job 31:8; Mic 6:15. Back to text.
Jn 4:42: 1 Jn 4:14; 2 Tim 1:10. Back to text.
Jn 4:44: Mk 6:4; Mt 13:57. Back to text.
Jn 4:46: Jn 2:1–11; Mt 8:5–10; Lk 7:2–10. Back to text.
Jn 4:48: Dan 4:2; Mk 13:22; Acts 2:19; 4:30; Rom 15:19; Heb 2:4. Back
to text.
Jn 4:53: Acts 11:14. Back to text.
Jn 4:54: Jn 2:11. Back to text.
Jn 5:2: Neh 3:1; 12:39. Back to text.
Jn 5:8: Mk 2:11; Mt 9:6; Lk 5:24. Back to text.
Jn 5:10: Neh 13:19; Jer 17:21; Jn:7:23; 9:16; Mk 2:24. Back to text.
Jn 5:14: Mk 2:5. Back to text.
Jn 5:17: Gen 2:3. Back to text.
Jn 5:18: Jn 7:1; 10:33. Back to text.
Jn 5:19: Jn 5:30; 8:28; 14:10. Back to text.
Jn 5:20: Jn 14:12. Back to text.
Jn 5:21: Rom 4:17; 8:11; Jn 11:25. Back to text.
Jn 5:23: Lk 10:16; 1 Jn 2:23. Back to text.
Jn 5:24: Jn 3:18. Back to text.
Jn 5:25: Jn 4:21; 16:2, 32. Back to text.
Jn 5:29: Dan 12:2; Acts 24:15; Jn 11:24; Mt 25:46; 1 Cor 15:52. Back to
text.
Jn 5:30: Jn 5:19; 8:16; 6:38. Back to text.
Jn 5:31–37: Jn 8:14–18. Back to text.
Jn 5:33: Jn 1:7, 19. Back to text.
Jn 5:34: 1 Jn 5:9. Back to text.
Jn 5:36: Jn 10:25; 14:11; 15:24; Mt 11:4. Back to text.
Jn 5:39: Lk 24:27; Acts 13:27. Back to text.
Jn 5:43: Mt 24:5. Back to text.
Jn 5:45: Jn 9:28; Rom 2:17. Back to text.
Jn 5:47: Lk 16:29, 31. Back to text.
Jn 6:1–13: Mt 14:13–21; Mk 6:32–44; Lk 9:10–17. Back to text.
Jn 6:5: Jn 1:43; 12:21. Back to text.
Jn 6:8: Jn 1:40; 12:22. Back to text.
Jn 6:9: Jn 21:9–13. Back to text.
Jn 6:14: Mt 21:11. Back to text.
Jn 6:15: Jn 6:3; 18:36. Back to text.
Jn 6:16–21: Mt 14:22–27; Mk 6:45–51. Back to text.
Jn 6:27: Is 55:2. Back to text.
Jn 6:29: 1 Thess 1:3; 1 Jn 3:23. Back to text.
Jn 6:30: Mt 12:38; Mk 8:11. Back to text.
Jn 6:31: Ex 16:4, 15; Num 11:8; Neh 9:15; Ps 78:24; 105:40. Back to
text.
Jn 6:34: Jn 4:15; Mt 6:11. Back to text.
6:35: Jn 6:48–50; 4:14.
Jn 6:37: Jn 17:2. Back to text.
Jn 6:38: Jn 4:34; 5:30. Back to text.
Jn 6:39: Jn 17:12; 18:9. Back to text.
Jn 6:40: Jn 5:29; 11:24; 6:54. Back to text.
Jn 6:42: Lk 4:22; Jn 7:27. Back to text.
Jn 6:44: Jer 31:3; Hos 11:4; Jn 12:32; 6:65. Back to text.
Jn 6:45: 1 Thess 4:9; 1 Jn 2:27; Is 54:13. Back to text.
Jn 6:46: Jn 1:18. Back to text.
Jn 6:52: Jn 3:4; 4:9. Back to text.
Jn 6:56: Jn 15:4; 1 Jn 3:24; 4:15. Back to text.
Jn 6:58: Jn 6:41, 51. Back to text.
Jn 6:59: Jn 6:25. Back to text.
Jn 6:61: Mt 11:6. Back to text.
Jn 6:62: Jn 3:13; 17:5. Back to text.
Jn 6:63: 2 Cor 3:6; Jn 6:68. Back to text.
Jn 6:64: Jn 2:25. Back to text.
Jn 6:65: Jn 6:44; 3:27. Back to text.
Jn 6:68–69: Mk 8:27–30. Back to text.
Jn 6:70: Jn 15:16, 19. Back to text.
Jn 6:71: Jn 13:2, 27; 17:12. Back to text.
Jn 7:2: Lev 23:34; Deut 16:16. Back to text.
Jn 7:3: Mk 3:21, 31; Mt 12:46. Back to text.
Jn 7:6: Mt 26:18; Jn 2:4; 7:30. Back to text.
Jn 7:7: Jn 15:18–21. Back to text.
Jn 7:12: Jn 7:40–43. Back to text.
Jn 7:13: Jn 19:38; 20:19. Back to text.
Jn 7:19: Jn 1:17. Back to text.
Jn 7:20: Jn 8:48; 10:20; Mt 11:18; Mk 3:22. Back to text.
Jn 7:21: Jn 5:2–9. Back to text.
Jn 7:22: Lev 12:3; Gen 17:10; 21:4. Back to text.
Jn 7:23: Mk 3:5; Lk 13:12; 14:4. Back to text.
Jn 7:24: Jn 8:15; Is 11:3; Zech 7:9. Back to text.
Jn 7:27: Jn 6:42; 7:41; 9:29. Back to text.
Jn 7:28: Jn 8:42. Back to text.
Jn 7:29: Jn 8:55; 17:25; Mt 11:27. Back to text.
Jn 7:30: Jn 7:44; 10:39; Mk 12:12; Jn 8:20. Back to text.
Jn 7:31: Jn 8:30; 10:42; 11:45. Back to text.
Jn 7:33: Jn 8:21; 12:35; 13:33; 14:19; 16:16–19. Back to text.
Jn 7:35: Jas 1:1; 1 Pet 1:1; Jn 12:20; Acts 11:20. Back to text.
Jn 7:37: Lev 23:36; Jn 4:10, 14. Back to text.
Jn 7:38: Is 44:3; 55:1; 58:11. Back to text.
Jn 7:39: Jn 20:22; 12:23. Back to text.
Jn 7:40: Jn 1:21; Mt 21:11. Back to text.
Jn 7:42: Mic 5:2; Mt 1:1; Lk 2:4. Back to text.
Jn 7:44: Jn 7:30; 10:39. Back to text.
Jn 7:46: Mt 7:28. Back to text.
Jn 7:50: Jn 3:1; 19:39. Back to text.
Jn 7:51: Deut 17:6; Ex 23:1. Back to text.
7:52: 2 Kings 14:25.
Jn 8:12: Jn 9:5; 12:35; 1:4. Back to text.
Jn 8:13–18: Jn 5:31–39. Back to text.
Jn 8:15: Jn 7:24; 3:17. Back to text.
Jn 8:16: Jn 5:30. Back to text.
Jn 8:17: Deut 19:15; Mt 18:16. Back to text.
Jn 8:19: Jn 14:7. Back to text.
Jn 8:20: Mk 12:41; Jn 7:30. Back to text.
Jn 8:21–22: Jn 7:33–36. Back to text.
Jn 8:23: Jn 3:31; 17:14; 1 Jn 4:5. Back to text.
Jn 8:24: Jn 8:28; 4:26; 13:19; Mk 13:6. Back to text.
Jn 8:28: Jn 3:14; 12:32. Back to text.
Jn 8:30: Jn 7:31; 10:42; 11:45. Back to text.
Jn 8:31: Jn 15:7; 2 Jn 9. Back to text.
Jn 8:32: 2 Cor 3:17; Gal 5:1. Back to text.
Jn 8:33: Mt 3:9; Gal 3:7. Back to text.
Jn 8:34: Rom 6:16; 2 Pet 2:19. Back to text.
Jn 8:35: Gen 21:10; Gal 4:30. Back to text.
Jn 8:41: Deut 32:6; Is 63:16; 64:8. Back to text.
Jn 8:42: Jn 13:3; 16:28. Back to text.
Jn 8:44: 1 Jn 3:8, 15; Gen 3:4; 1 Jn 2:4; Mt 12:34. Back to text.
Jn 8:46: 1 Jn 3:5; Jn 18:37. Back to text.
Jn 8:48: Jn 7:20; 10:20; 4:9. Back to text.
Jn 8:53: Jn 4:12. Back to text.
Jn 8:56: Mt 13:17; Heb 11:13. Back to text.
Jn 8:57: Jn 2:20. Back to text.
Jn 8:58: Jn 1:1; 17:5, 24. Back to text.
Jn 8:59: Jn 10:31; 11:8. Back to text.
Jn 9:2: Lk 13:2; Acts 28:4; Ezek 18:20; Ex 20:5. Back to text.
Jn 9:3: Jn 11:4. Back to text.
Jn 9:4: Jn 11:9; 12:35. Back to text.
Jn 9:5: Jn 1:4; 8:12; 12:46. Back to text.
Jn 9:6: Mk 7:33; 8:23. Back to text.
Jn 9:7: Lk 13:4. Back to text.
Jn 9:16: Mt 12:2; Jn 5:9; 7:43; 10:19. Back to text.
Jn 9:22: Jn 7:13; 12:42; Lk 6:22. Back to text.
Jn 9:28: Jn 5:45. Back to text.
Jn 9:38: Mt 28:9. Back to text.
Jn 9:39: Jn 5:27; 3:19; Mt 15:14. Back to text.
Jn 9:41: Jn 15:22. Back to text.
Jn 10:2: Mk 6:34. Back to text.
Jn 10:6: Jn 16:25. Back to text.
Jn 10:8: Jer 23:1; Ezek 34:2. Back to text.
Jn 10:11: Is 40:11; Ezek 34:11–16; Heb 13:20; 1 Pet 5:4; Rev 7:17; 1 Jn
3:16; Jn 15:13. Back to text.
Jn 10:15: Mt 11:27. Back to text.
Jn 10:16: Is 56:8; Jn 11:52; 17:20; Eph 2:13–18; 1 Pet 2:25. Back to text.
Jn 10:18: Jn 14:31; 15:10; Phil 2:8; Heb 5:8. Back to text.
Jn 10:19: Jn 7:43; 9:16. Back to text.
Jn 10:20: Jn 7:20; 8:48; Mt 11:18. Back to text.
Jn 10:21: Jn 9:32; Ex 4:11. Back to text.
Jn 10:23: Acts 3:11; 5:12. Back to text.
Jn 10:25: Jn 5:36; 10:38. Back to text.
Jn 10:26: Jn 8:47. Back to text.
Jn 10:28: Jn 17:2; 1 Jn 2:25. Back to text.
Jn 10:30: Jn 17:21. Back to text.
Jn 10:31: Jn 8:59; 11:8. Back to text.
Jn 10:33: Lev 24:16; Mk 14:64. Back to text.
Jn 10:34: Jn 8:17; Ps 82:6. Back to text.
Jn 10:39: Jn 7:30; 8:59; Lk 4:30. Back to text.
Jn 10:40: Jn 1:28. Back to text.
Jn 10:42: Jn 7:31; 11:45. Back to text.
Jn 11:1: Mk 11:1; Lk 10:38. Back to text.
Jn 11:2: Jn 12:3; Lk 7:38; Mk 14:3. Back to text.
Jn 11:4: Jn 9:3. Back to text.
Jn 11:8: Jn 8:59; 10:31. Back to text.
Jn 11:9: Jn 9:4; 12:35; Lk 13:33. Back to text.
Jn 11:11: Mk 5:39; Acts 7:60. Back to text.
Jn 11:16: Mt 10:3; Jn 20:24–28. Back to text.
Jn 11:19: Job 2:11. Back to text.
Jn 11:24: Dan 12:2; Jn 5:28; Acts 24:15. Back to text.
Jn 11:25: Jn 1:4; 5:26; Rev 1:18. Back to text.
Jn 11:26: Jn 6:47; 8:51. Back to text.
Jn 11:27: Mt 16:16. Back to text.
Jn 11:32: Jn 11:22. Back to text.
Jn 11:35: Lk 19:41. Back to text.
Jn 11:37: Jn 9:7. Back to text.
Jn 11:38: Mt 27:60; Mk 15:46; Lk 24:2; Jn 20:1. Back to text.
Jn 11:41: Jn 17:1; Mt 11:25. Back to text.
Jn 11:42: Jn 12:30. Back to text.
Jn 11:44: Jn 19:40; 20:7. Back to text.
Jn 11:49: Mt 26:3. Back to text.
Jn 11:52: Jn 10:16; 17:21. Back to text.
Jn 11:55: Mt 26:1; Mk 14:1; Lk 22:1; Jn 13:1. Back to text.
Jn 11:56: Jn 7:11. Back to text.
Jn 12:1–8: Mt 26:6–13; Mk 14:3–9; Lk 7:37–38. Back to text.
Jn 12:4: Jn 6:71; 13:26. Back to text.
Jn 12:6: Lk 8:3. Back to text.
Jn 12:7: Jn 19:40. Back to text.
Jn 12:10: Mk 14:1. Back to text.
Jn 12:12–15: Mt 21:4–9; Mk 11:7–10; Lk 19:35–38. Back to text.
Jn 12:13: Ps 118:25; Jn 1:49. Back to text.
Jn 12:15: Zech 9:9. Back to text.
Jn 12:16: Mk 9:32; Jn 2:22. Back to text.
Jn 12:20: Jn 7:35; Acts 11:20. Back to text.
Jn 12:21: Jn 1:44; 6:5. Back to text.
Jn 12:23: Jn 13:1; 17:1; Mk 14:35, 41. Back to text.
Jn 12:24: 1 Cor 15:36. Back to text.
Jn 12:25: Mt 10:39; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; 14:26. Back to text.
Jn 12:27: Jn 11:33; Mt 26:38; Mk 14:34. Back to text.
Jn 12:28: Mk 1:11; 9:7. Back to text.
Jn 12:31: Jn 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2. Back to text.
Jn 12:32: Jn 3:14; 8:28. Back to text.
Jn 12:34: Ps 110:4; Is 9:7; Ezek 37:25; Dan 7:14. Back to text.
Jn 12:35: Jn 7:33; 9:4; Eph 5:8; 1 Jn 2:11. Back to text.
Jn 12:36: Lk 16:8; Jn 8:59. Back to text.
Jn 12:38: Is 53:1; Rom 10:16. Back to text.
Jn 12:40: Is 6:10; Mt 13:14. Back to text.
Jn 12:41: Is 6:1; Lk 24:27. Back to text.
Jn 12:42: Jn 9:22; Lk 6:22. Back to text.
Jn 12:44: Mt 10:40; Jn 5:24. Back to text.
Jn 12:45: Jn 14:9. Back to text.
Jn 12:46: Jn 1:4; 8:12; 9:5. Back to text.
Jn 12:47: Jn 3:17. Back to text.
Jn 12:48: Mt 10:14–15. Back to text.
Jn 13:1: Jn 11:55; 12:23; 16:28. Back to text.
Jn 13:2: Jn 6:71; Mk 14:10. Back to text.
Jn 13:5: Lk 7:44; 22:27. Back to text.
Jn 13:8: Deut 12:12; Jn 3:5; 9:7. Back to text.
Jn 13:11: Jn 13:2. Back to text.
Jn 13:15: 1 Pet 2:21. Back to text.
Jn 13:16: Mt 10:24; Lk 6:40. Back to text.
Jn 13:17: Lk 11:28; Jas 1:25. Back to text.
Jn 13:18: Ps 41:9. Back to text.
Jn 13:19: Jn 14:29; 8:28. Back to text.
Jn 13:20: Mt 10:40; Lk 10:16. Back to text.
Jn 13:21–26: Mt 26:21–25; Mk 14:18–21; Lk 22:21–23. Back to text.
Jn 13:23: Jn 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20. Back to text.
Jn 13:26: Jn 6:71. Back to text.
Jn 13:29: Jn 12:6. Back to text.
Jn 13:30: Lk 22:53. Back to text.
Jn 13:31–32: Jn 17:1. Back to text.
Jn 13:33: 1 Jn 2:1; Jn 7:33. Back to text.
Jn 13:34: Jn 15:12, 17; 1 Jn 3:23; 2 Jn 5; Lev 19:18; 1 Thess 4:9; 1 Pet
1:22; Heb 13:1; Eph 5:2; 1 Jn 4:10. Back to text.
Jn 13:36: Jn 21:18; 2 Pet 1:14. Back to text.
Jn 13:37–38: Mt 26:33–35; Mk 14:29–31; Lk 22:33–34. Back to text.
Jn 14:2: Jn 13:33. Back to text.
Jn 14:5: Jn 11:16. Back to text.
Jn 14:6: Jn 10:9; 1:4, 14. Back to text.
Jn 14:9: Jn 12:45. Back to text.
Jn 14:11: Jn 10:38. Back to text.
Jn 14:13: Mt 7:7; Jn 15:7, 16; 16:23; Jas 1:5. Back to text.
Jn 14:15: Jn 15:10; 1 Jn 5:3; 2 Jn 6. Back to text.
Jn 14:16: Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:7; 1 Jn 2:1. Back to text.
Jn 14:19: Jn 7:33. Back to text.
Jn 14:22: Acts 1:13; 10:40–41. Back to text.
Jn 14:23: 1 Jn 2:24; Rev 21:3. Back to text.
Jn 14:27: Jn 16:33; Phil 4:7; Col 3:15; Jn 20:19. Back to text.
Jn 14:29: Jn 13:19. Back to text.
Jn 14:30: Jn 12:31. Back to text.
Jn 14:31: Mk 14:42; Jn 18:1. Back to text.
Jn 15:1: Is 5:1–7; Ezek 19:10; Mk 12:1–9; Mt 15:13; Rom 11:17. Back
to text.
Jn 15:3: Jn 13:10. Back to text.
Jn 15:4: Jn 6:56; 1 Jn 2:6. Back to text.
Jn 15:7: Jn 14:13; 16:23; Mt 7:7; Jas 1:5. Back to text.
Jn 15:8: Mt 5:16. Back to text.
Jn 15:10: Jn 14:15; 1 Jn 5:3. Back to text.
Jn 15:12: Jn 13:34. Back to text.
Jn 15:13: Rom 5:7; Jn 10:11. Back to text.
Jn 15:14: Lk 12:4. Back to text.
Jn 15:16: Jn 6:70; 13:18; 14:13; 16:23. Back to text.
Jn 15:18: Jn 7:7; 1 Jn 3:13; Mt 10:22; 24:9. Back to text.
Jn 15:20: Jn 13:16; Mt 10:24; 1 Cor 4:12; Acts 4:17; 1 Pet 4:14; Rev
2:3. Back to text.
Jn 15:22: Jn 9:41. Back to text.
Jn 15:25: Ps 35:19; 69:4. Back to text.
Jn 15:26: Jn 14:16, 26; 16:7; 1 Jn 2:1; 5:7. Back to text.
Jn 15:27: Jn 19:35; 21:24; 1 Jn 4:14. Back to text.
Jn 16:2: Jn 9:22; Acts 26:9–11; Is 66:5. Back to text.
Jn 16:5: Jn 7:33; 14:5. Back to text.
Jn 16:7: Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26. Back to text.
Jn 16:9: Jn 15:22. Back to text.
Jn 16:10: Acts 3:14; 7:52; 1 Pet 3:18. Back to text.
Jn 16:11: Jn 12:31. Back to text.
Jn 16:14: Jn 7:39. Back to text.
Jn 16:16–24: Jn 14:18–24. Back to text.
Jn 16:20: Jn 20:20. Back to text.
Jn 16:21: Is 13:8; Hos 13:13; Mic 4:9; 1 Thess 5:3. Back to text.
Jn 16:24: Jn 14:14; 15:11. Back to text.
Jn 16:25: Jn 10:6; Mt 13:34. Back to text.
Jn 16:32: Jn 4:23; Mk 14:27; Zech 13:7. Back to text.
Jn 16:33: Jn 14:27; 15:18; Rom 8:37; 2 Cor 2:14; Rev 3:21. Back to text.
Jn 17:1: Jn 11:41; 13:31. Back to text.
Jn 17:5: Jn 1:1; 8:58; Phil 2:6. Back to text.
Jn 17:9: Lk 22:32; Jn 14:16. Back to text.
Jn 17:11: Phil 2:9; Rev 19:12; Rom 12:5; Gal 3:28; Jn 17:21. Back to
text.
Jn 17:12: Ps 41:9; Jn 6:70; 18:9. Back to text.
Jn 17:14: Jn 15:19; 8:23. Back to text.
Jn 17:21: Jn 10:38; 17:11. Back to text.
Jn 17:24: Jn 1:14; 17:5; Mt 25:34. Back to text.
Jn 18:1: Mt 26:30, 36; Mk 14:26, 32; Lk 22:39; 2 Sam 15:23. Back to
text.
Jn 18:3–11: Mt 26:47–56; Mk 14:43–50; Lk 22:47–53. Back to text.
Jn 18:4: Jn 6:64; 13:1. Back to text.
Jn 18:9: Jn 17:12; 6:39. Back to text.
Jn 18:11: Mk 10:38; 14:36. Back to text.
Jn 18:12–13: Mt 26:57; Mk 14:53; Lk 22:54; 3:2. Back to text.
Jn 18:14: Jn 11:49–51. Back to text.
Jn 18:15–16: Mt 26:58; Mk 14:54; Lk 22:54. Back to text.
Jn 18:17–18: Mt 26:69–72; Mk 14:66–69; Lk 22:56–58. Back to text.
Jn 18:19–23: Mt 26:59–66; Mk 14:55–64; Lk 22:67–71. Back to text.
Jn 18:23: Mt 5:39; Acts 23:2–5. Back to text.
Jn 18:24: Jn 18:13; Lk 3:2. Back to text.
Jn 18:25–27: Mt 26:73–75; Mk 14:70–72; Lk 22:59–62. Back to text.
Jn 18:28: Jn 11:55; Mt 27:1–2; Mk 15:1; Lk 23:1. Back to text.
Jn 18:29–38: Mt 27:11–14; Mk 15:2–5; Lk 23:2–3. Back to text.
Jn 18:32: Jn 3:14; 12:32. Back to text.
Jn 18:36: Jn 6:15; Mt 26:53. Back to text.
Jn 18:37: Jn 3:32; 8:14, 47; 1 Jn 4:6. Back to text.
Jn 18:38–40: Mt 27:15–26; Mk 15:6–15; Lk 23:18–19; Acts 3:14. Back
to text.
Jn 19:2–3: Mt 27:27–31; Mk 15:16–20; Lk 22:63–65; 23:11. Back to
text.
Jn 19:4: Jn 18:38; 19:6; Lk 23:4. Back to text.
Jn 19:7: Lev 24:16; Mk 14:61–64; Jn 5:18; 10:33. Back to text.
Jn 19:11: Rom 13:1; Jn 18:28. Back to text.
Jn 19:12: Lk 23:2. Back to text.
Jn 19:14: Mk 15:42; Jn 19:31, 42; Mk 15:25, 33. Back to text.
Jn 19:17–24: Mt 27:33–44; Mk 15:22–32; Lk 23:33–43. Back to text.
Jn 19:24: Ex 28:32; Ps 22:18. Back to text.
Jn 19:25: Mt 27:55–56; Mk 15:40–41; Lk 23:49; Jn 2:3; Mk 3:31; Lk
24:18; Jn 20:1, 18. Back to text.
Jn 19:26: Jn 13:23; 20:2; 21:20. Back to text.
Jn 19:28–30: Ps 69:21; Mt 27:45–50; Mk 15:33–37; Lk 23:44–46; Jn
17:4. Back to text.
Jn 19:31: Deut 21:23; Ex 12:16. Back to text.
Jn 19:34: 1 Jn 5:6–8. Back to text.
Jn 19:35: Jn 15:27; 21:24. Back to text.
Jn 19:36: Ex 12:46; Num 9:12; Ps 34:20. Back to text.
Jn 19:37: Zech 12:10. Back to text.
Jn 19:38–42: Mt 27:57–61; Mk 15:42–47; Lk 23:50–56. Back to text.
Jn 19:39: Jn 3:1; 7:50. Back to text.
Jn 19:40: Mk 16:1; 14:8. Back to text.
Jn 20:1–10: Mt 28:1–8; Mk 16:1–8; Lk 24:1–10. Back to text.
Jn 20:3–10: Lk 24:11–12. Back to text.
Jn 20:9: Lk 24:26, 46. Back to text.
Jn 20:12: Lk 24:4; Mt 28:5; Mk 16:5. Back to text.
Jn 20:13: Jn 20:2. Back to text.
Jn 20:14: Mt 28:9; Jn 21:4. Back to text.
Jn 20:17: Jn 20:27; Mt 28:10; Jn 7:33. Back to text.
Jn 20:18: Lk 24:10, 23. Back to text.
Jn 20:19–20: Lk 24:36–39. Back to text.
Jn 20:21: Jn 17:18; Mt 28:19. Back to text.
Jn 20:22: Acts 2:4, 33. Back to text.
Jn 20:23: Mt 16:19; 18:18. Back to text.
Jn 20:24: Jn 11:16. Back to text.
Jn 20:27: Lk 24:40. Back to text.
Jn 20:29: 1 Pet 1:8. Back to text.
Jn 20:30: Jn 21:25. Back to text.
Jn 20:31: Jn 3:15. Back to text.
Jn 21:2: Jn 11:16; 1:45; Lk 5:10. Back to text.
Jn 21:3–6: Lk 5:3–7. Back to text.
Jn 21:4: Jn 20:14; Lk 24:16. Back to text.
Jn 21:5: Lk 24:41. Back to text.
Jn 21:7: Jn 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:20. Back to text.
Jn 21:14: Jn 20:19, 26. Back to text.
Jn 21:15: Jn 1:42; 13:37; Mk 14:29–31; Lk 12:32. Back to text.
Jn 21:16: Mt 2:6; Acts 20:28, 1 Pet 5:2; Rev 7:17. Back to text.
Jn 21:19: 2 Pet 1:14; Mk 1:17. Back to text.
Jn 21:20: Jn 13:25. Back to text.
Jn 21:22: 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7; Rev 2:25; Mt 16:28. Back to text.
Jn 21:24: Jn 15:27; 19:35. Back to text.
Jn 21:25: Jn 20:30. Back to text.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
Acts 1:1: Lk 1:1–4. Back to text.
Acts 1:4: Lk 24:49. Back to text.
Acts 1:8: Lk 24:48–49. Back to text.
Acts 1:9–12: Lk 24:50–53. Back to text.
Acts 1:13: Mt 10:2–4; Mk 3:16–19; Lk 6:14–16. Back to text.
Acts 1:16–19: Mt 27:3–10. Back to text.
Acts 1:20: Ps 69:25; 109:8. Back to text.
Acts 2:17–21: Joel 2:28–32. Back to text.
Acts 2:25–28: Ps 16:8–11. Back to text.
Acts 2:30: Ps 132:11. Back to text.
Acts 2:31: Ps 16:10. Back to text.
Acts 2:34–35: Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Acts 2:39: Is 57:19; Joel 2:32. Back to text.
Acts 2:44–45: Acts 4:32–35. Back to text.
Acts 3:13: Ex 3:6; Is 52:13. Back to text.
Acts 3:22: Deut 18:15–16. Back to text.
Acts 3:23: Deut 18:19; Lev 23:29. Back to text.
Acts 3:25: Gen 22:18. Back to text.
Acts 4:11: Ps 118:22. Back to text.
Acts 4:24: Ex 20:11; Ps 146:6. Back to text.
Acts 4:25–26: Ps 2:1–2. Back to text.
Acts 4:27: Ps 2:2; 2:1. Back to text.
Acts 4:32–35: Acts 2:44–45. Back to text.
Acts 7:2: Ps 29:3; Gen 11:31; 15:7. Back to text.
Acts 7:3: Gen 12:1. Back to text.
Acts 7:4: Gen 11:31; 15:7; 12:5. Back to text.
Acts 7:5: Deut 2:5; Gen 12:7; 17:8. Back to text.
Acts 7:6–7: Gen 15:13–14. Back to text.
Acts 7:7: Ex 3:12. Back to text.
Acts 7:8: Gen 17:10–14; 21:2–4; 25:26; 29:31–35; 30:1–24; 35:16–18;
35:23–26. Back to text.
Acts 7:9: Gen 37:11, 28; 45:4. Back to text.
Acts 7:9–10: Gen 39:2–3, 21. Back to text.
Acts 7:10: Gen 41:40–46; Ps 105:21. Back to text.
Acts 7:11: Gen 41:54–55; 42:5. Back to text.
Acts 7:12: Gen 42:2. Back to text.
Acts 7:13: Gen 45:1–4. Back to text.
Acts 7:14: Gen 45:9–10. Back to text.
Acts 7:14–15: Deut 10:22. Back to text.
Acts 7:16: Josh 24:32; Gen 50:13. Back to text.
Acts 7:17–18: Ex 1:7–8. Back to text.
Acts 7:19: Ex 1:10–11, 15–22. Back to text.
Acts 7:20: Ex 2:2. Back to text.
Acts 7:21: Ex 2:5–6, 10. Back to text.
Acts 7:23–29: Ex 2:11–15. Back to text.
Acts 7:29: Ex 2:22; 18:3-4. Back to text.
Acts 7:30–34: Ex 3:1–10. Back to text.
Acts 7:35: Ex 2:14. Back to text.
Acts 7:36: Ex 7:3; 14:21; Num 14:33. Back to text.
Acts 7:37: Deut 18:15, 18. Back to text.
Acts 7:38: Ex 19. Back to text.
Acts 7:39: Num 14:3–4. Back to text.
Acts 7:40: Ex 32:1, 23. Back to text.
Acts 7:41: Ex 32:4, 6. Back to text.
Acts 7:42: Jer 19:13. Back to text.
Acts 7:42–43: Amos 5:25–27. Back to text.
Acts 7:44: Ex 25:9, 40. Back to text.
Acts 7:45: Josh 3:14–17; Deut 32:49. Back to text.
Acts 7:46: 2 Sam 7:8–16; Ps 132:1–5. Back to text.
Acts 7:47: 1 Kings 6. Back to text.
Acts 7:49–50: Is 66:1–2. Back to text.
Acts 7:51: Ex 33:3, 5; Jer 9:26; 6:10; Num 27:14; Is 63:10. Back to text.
Acts 8:1: Acts 11:19. Back to text.
Acts 8:21: Ps 78:37. Back to text.
Acts 8:23: Is 58:6. Back to text.
Acts 8:32–33: Is 53:7–8. Back to text.
Acts 9:1–19: Acts 22:4–16; 26:9–18. Back to text.
Acts 9:24–25: 2 Cor 11:32–33. Back to text.
Acts 10:1–48: Acts 11:4–17. Back to text.
Acts 11:4–17: Acts 10:1–48. Back to text.
Acts 11:16: Acts 1:5. Back to text.
Acts 11:19: Acts 8:4. Back to text.
Acts 13:10: Hos 14:9. Back to text.
Acts 13:17: Ex 6:1, 6. Back to text.
Acts 13:18: Deut 1:31. Back to text.
Acts 13:19: Deut 7:1; Josh 14:1. Back to text.
Acts 13:22: Ps 89:20; 1 Sam 13:14; Is 44:28. Back to text.
Acts 13:24: Mk 1:1–4. Back to text.
Acts 13:25: Jn 1:20; Mt 3:11; Mk 1:7; Lk 3:16. Back to text.
Acts 13:26: Ps 107:20. Back to text.
Acts 13:33: Ps 2:7. Back to text.
Acts 13:34: Is 55:3. Back to text.
Acts 13:35: Ps 16:10. Back to text.
Acts 13:41: Hab 1:5. Back to text.
Acts 13:47: Is 49:6. Back to text.
Acts 14:15: Ex 20:11; Ps 146:6. Back to text.
Acts 14:19: 2 Cor 11:25.
Acts 15:1–30: Gal 2:1–10. Back to text.
Acts 15:16–18: Amos 9:11–12; Jer 12:15; Is 45:21. Back to text.
Acts 16:22–23: 2 Cor 11:25. Back to text.
Acts 17:24–25: Is 42:5. Back to text.
Acts 17:28: Epimenides; Aratus, Phaenomena, 5. Back to text.
Acts 17:31: Ps 9:8; 96:13; 98:9. Back to text.
Acts 18:9–10: Is 43:5; Jer 1:8. Back to text.
Acts 22:4–16: Acts 9:1–19; 26:9–18; Gal 1:14. Back to text.
Acts 23:5: Ex 22:28. Back to text.
Acts 26:9–18: Acts 9:1–8; 22:4–16. Back to text.
Acts 26:16–17: Ezek 2:1, 3. Back to text.
Acts 26:18: Is 42:7, 16. Back to text.
Acts 28:26–27: Is 6:9–10. Back to text.
Acts 28:28: Ps 67:2. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS
Rom 1:1: Acts 9:15; 13:2; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:15. Back to text.
Rom 1:5: Acts 26:16–18; Rom 15:18; Gal 2:7, 9. Back to text.
Rom 1:7: 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1
Thess 1:2; 2 Thess 1:2; 1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2; Tit 1:4; Philem 3; 2 Jn 3.
Back to text.
Rom 1:8: Rom 16:19. Back to text.
Rom 1:10: Rom 15:23, 32; Acts 19:21. Back to text.
Rom 1:13: Rom 15:22. Back to text.
Rom 1:14: 1 Cor 9:16. Back to text.
Rom 1:16: 1 Cor 1:18, 24. Back to text.
Rom 1:17: Rom 3:21; Gal 3:11; Phil 3:9; Heb 10:38; Hab 2:4. Back to
text.
Rom 1:18: Eph 5:6; Col 3:6. Back to text.
Rom 1:20: Ps 19:1–4. Back to text.
Rom 1:21: Eph 4:17–18. Back to text.
Rom 1:23: Acts 17:29. Back to text.
Rom 2:1: Rom 14:22. Back to text.
Rom 2:4: Eph 1:7; 2:7; Phil 4:19; Col 1:27. Back to text.
Rom 2:6: Mt 16:27; 1 Cor 3:8; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 22:12. Back to text.
Rom 2:11: Deut 10:17; 2 Chron 19:7; Gal 2:6; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; 1 Pet
1:17. Back to text.
Rom 2:12: Rom 3:19; 1 Cor 9:21. Back to text.
Rom 2:13: Jas 1:22–23, 25. Back to text.
Rom 2:16: Eccles 12:14; Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 4:5. Back to text.
Rom 2:18: Phil 1:10. Back to text.
Rom 2:20: Rom 6:17; 2 Tim 1:13. Back to text.
Rom 2:21: Mt 23:3–4. Back to text.
Rom 2:24: Is 52:5. Back to text.
Rom 2:25: Jer 9:25. Back to text.
Rom 2:26: 1 Cor 7:19; Acts 10:35. Back to text.
Rom 2:27: Mt 12:41. Back to text.
Rom 2:28: Mt 3:9; Jn 8:39; Rom 9:6–7; Gal 6:15. Back to text.
Rom 2:29: 2 Cor 3:6; Phil 3:3; Col 2:11; 1 Pet 3:4. Back to text.
Rom 3:2: Ps 147:19; Rom 9:4. Back to text.
Rom 3:4: Ps 51:4. Back to text.
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Rom 3:5: Rom 5:9; 6:19; 1 Cor 9:8; Gal 3:15. Back to text.
Rom 3:8: Rom 6:1, 15. Back to text.
Rom 3:9: Rom 1:18–32; 2:1–29; 11:32; 3:23. Back to text.
Rom 3:10–12: Ps 14:1–3; 53:1–3. Back to text.
Rom 3:13: Ps 5:9; 140:3. Back to text.
Rom 3:14: Ps 10:7. Back to text.
Rom 3:15–17: Is 59:7–8. Back to text.
Rom 3:18: Ps 36:1. Back to text.
Rom 3:19: Rom 2:12. Back to text.
Rom 3:20: Ps 143:2; Acts 13:39; Gal 2:16; 3:11; Rom 7:7. Back to text.
Rom 3:21: Rom 1:17; Phil 3:9; 2 Pet 1:1. Back to text.
Rom 3:22: Rom 4:5; 9:30; 10:12; Gal 2:16. Back to text.
Rom 3:23: Rom 3:9. Back to text.
Rom 3:24: Rom 4:16; 5:9; Eph 2:8; Tit 3:7; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Heb 9:15.
Back to text.
Rom 3:26: 1 Jn 2:2; Col 1:20. Back to text.
Rom 3:28: Acts 13:39; Rom 5:1; Eph 2:9. Back to text.
Rom 3:29: Rom 9:24; Acts 10:34–35. Back to text.
Rom 3:30: Rom 4:11–12, 16. Back to text.
Rom 3:31: Rom 8:4; Mt 5:17. Back to text.
Rom 4:2: 1 Cor 1:31. Back to text.
Rom 4:3: Gen 15:6; Rom 4:9, 22; Gal 3:6; Jas 2:23. Back to text.
Rom 4:4: Rom 11:6. Back to text.
Rom 4:5: Rom 3:22. Back to text.
Rom 4:7: Ps 32:1–2. Back to text.
Rom 4:11: Gen 17:10; Rom 3:22, 30. Back to text.
Rom 4:13: Gen 17:4–6; 22:17–18; Gal 3:29. Back to text.
Rom 4:14: Gal 3:18. Back to text.
Rom 4:15: Gal 3:10. Back to text.
Rom 4:17: Gen 17:5; Jn 5:21. Back to text.
Rom 4:18: Gen 15:5. Back to text.
Rom 4:19: Heb 11:12; Gen 17:17; 18:11. Back to text.
Rom 4:22: Rom 4:3. Back to text.
Rom 4:23–24: Rom 15:4; 1 Cor 9:10; 10:11. Back to text.
Rom 4:25: Rom 8:32. Back to text.
Rom 5:1: Rom 3:28. Back to text.
Rom 5:2: Eph 2:18; 3:12; Heb 10:19–20. Back to text.
Rom 5:3: Rom 5:11; 2 Cor 12:10; Jas 1:3. Back to text.
Rom 5:5: Ps 119:116; Acts 2:33; Phil 1:20. Back to text.
Rom 5:8: Jn 15:13; Rom 8:32; 1 Pet 3:18; 1 Jn 3:16; 4:10. Back to text.
Rom 5:9: Rom 3:5, 24–25; Eph 1:7; 1 Thess 1:10. Back to text.
Rom 5:10: Col 1:21. Back to text.
Rom 5:11: Rom 5:3. Back to text.
Rom 5:12: 1 Cor 15:21–22; Rom 6:23; Jas 1:15. Back to text.
Rom 5:14: 1 Cor 15:22, 45. Back to text.
Rom 5:15: Acts 15:11. Back to text.
Rom 5:16: Rom 8:1. Back to text.
Rom 5:19: Phil 2:8. Back to text.
Rom 5:20: Rom 7:7–8; Gal 3:19; 1 Tim 1:14. Back to text.
Rom 5:21: Rom 6:23. Back to text.
Rom 6:1: Rom 3:8; 6:15. Back to text.
Rom 6:2: Rom 7:4, 6; Gal 2:19; 1 Pet 2:24. Back to text.
Rom 6:3: Acts 2:38; 8:16; 19:5. Back to text.
Rom 6:4: Col 2:12. Back to text.
Rom 6:5: 2 Cor 4:10; Col 2:12. Back to text.
Rom 6:6: Rom 7:24; Col 2:13. Back to text.
Rom 6:7: 1 Pet 4:1. Back to text.
Rom 6:8: 2 Tim 2:11. Back to text.
Rom 6:9: Acts 2:24; Rev 1:18. Back to text.
Rom 6:11: Rom 7:4, 6; Gal 2:19; 1 Pet 2:24. Back to text.
Rom 6:13: Rom 6:19; 7:5; 12:1. Back to text.
Rom 6:14: Rom 8:2. Back to text.
Rom 6:15: Rom 3:8; 6:1. Back to text.
Rom 6:16: Mt 6:24; Jn 8:34; Rom 12:1. Back to text.
Rom 6:18: Rom 8:2. Back to text.
Rom 6:19: Rom 3:5; 6:13; 12:1. Back to text.
Rom 6:20: Mt 6:24; Jn 8:34. Back to text.
Rom 6:21: Rom 7:5; 8:6, 13, 21. Back to text.
Rom 6:23: Rom 5:12, 21; Gal 6:7, 8. Back to text.
Rom 7:2: 1 Cor 7:39. Back to text.
Rom 7:4: Rom 6:2, 11; Gal 2:19; Col 1:22. Back to text.
Rom 7:5: Rom 6:13, 21; 8:8; Jas 1:15. Back to text.
Rom 7:7: Rom 3:20; 5:20; Ex 20:17; Deut 5:21. Back to text.
Rom 7:8: 1 Cor 15:56. Back to text.
Rom 7:10: Lev 18:5; Rom 10:5. Back to text.
Rom 7:12: 1 Tim 1:8. Back to text.
Rom 7:14: 1 Cor 3:1. Back to text.
Rom 7:15: Gal 5:17. Back to text.
Rom 7:22: Ps 1:2. Back to text.
Rom 7:23: Gal 5:17. Back to text.
Rom 7:24: Rom 6:6; Col 2:11. Back to text.
Rom 8:1: Rom 5:16. Back to text.
Rom 8:2: 1 Cor 15:45; Rom 6:14, 18. Back to text.
Rom 8:3: Acts 13:39; Heb 7:18; 10:1–2; Phil 2:7; Heb 2:14. Back to
text.
Rom 8:4: Rom 3:31; Gal 5:16, 25. Back to text.
Rom 8:5: Gal 5:19–25. Back to text.
Rom 8:6: Rom 6:21; 8:13, 27; Gal 6:8. Back to text.
Rom 8:8: Rom 7:5. Back to text.
Rom 8:9: 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16; 2 Tim 1:14. Back to text.
Rom 8:10: Gal 2:20; Eph 3:17. Back to text.
Rom 8:11: Jn 5:21. Back to text.
Rom 8:13: Rom 8:6; Col 3:5. Back to text.
Rom 8:14: Gal 5:18. Back to text.
Rom 8:15: Rom 9:4; Gal 4:5–7; Mk 14:36. Back to text.
Rom 8:16: Acts 5:32. Back to text.
Rom 8:17: Gal 3:29; 4:7; 2 Cor 1:5, 7; 2 Tim 2:12; 1 Pet 4:13. Back to
text.
Rom 8:18: 2 Cor 4:17; Col 3:4; 1 Pet 5:1. Back to text.
Rom 8:19: 1 Pet 1:7, 13; 1 Jn 3:2. Back to text.
Rom 8:20: Eccles 1:2. Back to text.
Rom 8:21: Acts 3:21; Rom 6:21; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1. Back to text.
Rom 8:22: Jer 12:4, 11. Back to text.
Rom 8:23: 2 Cor 1:22; 5:2, 4; Gal 5:5. Back to text.
Rom 8:24: 2 Cor 5:7; Heb 11:1. Back to text.
Rom 8:27: Ps 139:1–2; Lk 16:15; Rev 2:23; Rom 8:6, 34. Back to text.
Rom 8:29: Rom 9:23; 11:2; 1 Pet 1:2, 20; Eph 1:5, 11. Back to text.
Rom 8:31: Ps 118:6. Back to text.
Rom 8:32: Jn 3:16; Rom 4:25; 5:8. Back to text.
Rom 8:33: Lk 18:7; Is 50:8–9. Back to text.
Rom 8:34: Rom 8:27. Back to text.
Rom 8:36: Ps 44:22. Back to text.
Rom 8:37: 1 Cor 15:57. Back to text.
Rom 9:3: Ex 32:32. Back to text.
Rom 9:4: Rom 3:2; 8:15. Back to text.
Rom 9:6: Rom 2:28–29. Back to text.
Rom 9:7: Gen 21:12; Heb 11:18. Back to text.
Rom 9:8: Gal 3:29; 4:28. Back to text.
Rom 9:9: Gen 18:10. Back to text.
Rom 9:10: Gen 25:21. Back to text.
Rom 9:12: Gen 25:23. Back to text.
Rom 9:13: Mal 1:2–3. Back to text.
Rom 9:14: 2 Chron 19:7. Back to text.
Rom 9:15: Ex 33:19. Back to text.
Rom 9:17: Ex 9:16. Back to text.
Rom 9:18: Rom 11:7. Back to text.
Rom 9:20: Is 29:16; 45:9. Back to text.
Rom 9:21: 2 Tim 2:20. Back to text.
Rom 9:22: Prov 16:4. Back to text.
Rom 9:23: Rom 8:29. Back to text.
Rom 9:24: Rom 3:29. Back to text.
Rom 9:25: Hos 2:23; 1 Pet 2:10. Back to text.
Rom 9:26: Hos 1:10. Back to text.
Rom 9:27: Is 10:22–23; Gen 22:17; Hos 1:10; Rom 11:5; 2 Kings 19:4;
Is 11:11. Back to text.
Rom 9:29: Is 1:9. Back to text.
Rom 9:30: Rom 3:22; 10:6, 20; Gal 2:16; 3:24; Phil 3:9; Heb 11:7. Back
to text.
Rom 9:31: Is 51:1; Rom 10:2–3; 11:7. Back to text.
Rom 9:32: 1 Pet 2:8. Back to text.
Rom 9:33: Is 28:16; Rom 10:11. Back to text.
Rom 10:2–4: Rom 9:31. Back to text.
Rom 10:3: Rom 1:17. Back to text.
Rom 10:4: Gal 3:24; Rom 3:22; 7:1–4. Back to text.
Rom 10:5: Lev 18:5; Neh 9:29; Ezek 20:11, 13, 21; Rom 7:10. Back to
text.
Rom 10:6: Deut 30:12–13; Rom 9:30. Back to text.
Rom 10:8: Deut 30:14. Back to text.
Rom 10:9: Mt 10:32; Lk 12:8; Acts 16:31. Back to text.
Rom 10:11: Is 28:16; Rom 9:33. Back to text.
Rom 10:12: Rom 3:22, 29; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11; Acts 10:36. Back to text.
Rom 10:13: Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21. Back to text.
Rom 10:15: Is 52:7. Back to text.
Rom 10:16: Is 53:1; Jn 12:38. Back to text.
Rom 10:18: Ps 19:4; Col 1:6, 23. Back to text.
Rom 10:19: Deut 32:21; Rom 11:11, 14. Back to text.
Rom 10:20: Is 65:1; Rom 9:30. Back to text.
Rom 10:21: Is 65:2. Back to text.
Rom 11:1: 1 Sam 12:22; Jer 31:37; 33:24–26; 2 Cor 11:22; Phil 3:5.
Back to text.
Rom 11:2: Ps 94:14; 1 Kings 19:10. Back to text.
Rom 11:4: 1 Kings 19:18. Back to text.
Rom 11:5: 2 Kings 19:4; Is 11:11; Rom 9:27. Back to text.
Rom 11:6: Rom 4:4. Back to text.
Rom 11:7: Rom 9:18, 31; 11:25. Back to text.
Rom 11:8: Is 29:10; Deut 29:4; Mt 13:13–14. Back to text.
Rom 11:9: Ps 69:22–23. Back to text.
Rom 11:11: Rom 10:19; 11:14. Back to text.
Rom 11:13: Acts 9:15. Back to text.
Rom 11:14: Rom 10:19; 11:11; 1 Cor 9:22. Back to text.
Rom 11:15: Lk 15:24, 32. Back to text.
Rom 11:20: 2 Cor 1:24. Back to text.
Rom 11:25: 1 Cor 2:7–10; Eph 3:3–5, 9; Rom 9:18; 11:7; Lk 21:24.
Back to text.
Rom 11:26: Is 59:20–21. Back to text.
Rom 11:27: Jer 31:33; Is 27:9. Back to text.
Rom 11:32: Rom 3:9; Gal 3:22–29. Back to text.
Rom 11:33: Col 2:3. Back to text.
Rom 11:34: Is 40:13–14; 1 Cor 2:16. Back to text.
Rom 11:35: Job 35:7; 41:11. Back to text.
Rom 11:36: 1 Cor 8:6; 11:12; Col 1:16; Heb 2:10. Back to text.
Rom 12:1: Rom 6:13, 16, 19; 1 Pet 2:5. Back to text.
Rom 12:2: 1 Jn 2:15; Eph 4:23; 5:10. Back to text.
Rom 12:4: 1 Cor 12:12–14; Eph 4:4, 16. Back to text.
Rom 12:5: 1 Cor 10:17; 12:20, 27; Eph 4:25. Back to text.
Rom 12:6–8: 1 Cor 7:7; 12:4–11; 1 Pet 4:10–11. Back to text.
Rom 12:12: Acts 1:14; Rom 5:2; 1 Thess 5:17. Back to text.
Rom 12:14: Mt 5:44; Lk 6:28. Back to text.
Rom 12:16: Rom 11:25; 10.19; 1 Cor 1:10; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 2:2; 4:2;
Prov 3:7, 26:12. Back to text.
Rom 12:17: Prov 20:22; 2 Cor 8:21; 1 Thess 5:15. Back to text.
Rom 12:18: Mk 9:50; Rom 14:19. Back to text.
Rom 12:19: Lev 19:18; Deut 32:35; Heb 10:30. Back to text.
Rom 12:20: Prov 25:21–22; Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27. Back to text.
Rom 13:1: Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13–14; Prov 8:15; Jn 19:11. Back to text.
Rom 13:3: 1 Pet 2:14. Back to text.
Rom 13:4: 1 Thess 4:6. Back to text.
Rom 13:7: Mt 22:21; Mk 12:17; Lk 20:25. Back to text.
Rom 13:8: Mt 22:39–40; Rom 13:10; Gal 5:14; Col 3:14; Jas 2:8. Back
to text.
Rom 13:9: Ex 20:13–14; Deut 5:17–18; Lev 19:18; Mt 19:19. Back to
text.
Rom 13:10: Mt 22:39–40; Rom 13:8; Gal 5:14; Jas 2:8. Back to text.
Rom 13:11: Eph 5:14; 1 Thess 5:6. Back to text.
Rom 13:12: 1 Jn 2:8; Eph 5:11; 1 Thess 5:8. Back to text.
Rom 13:13: 1 Thess 4:12; Gal 5:19–21. Back to text.
Rom 13:14: Gal 3:27; 5:16. Back to text.
Rom 14:3: Col 2:16. Back to text.
Rom 14:5: Gal 4:10. Back to text.
Rom 14:7: Gal 2:20; 2 Cor 5:15. Back to text.
Rom 14:8: Phil 1:20. Back to text.
Rom 14:10: 2 Cor 5:10. Back to text.
Rom 14:11: Is 45:23; Phil 2:10–11. Back to text.
Rom 14:13: Mt 7:1; 1 Cor 8:13. Back to text.
Rom 14:15: Rom 14:20; 1 Cor 8:11. Back to text.
Rom 14:16: 1 Cor 10:30. Back to text.
Rom 14:19: Mk 9:50; Rom 12:18; 1 Thess 5:11. Back to text.
Rom 14:20: Rom 14:15; 1 Cor 8:9–12. Back to text.
Rom 14:21: 1 Cor 8:13. Back to text.
Rom 14:22: Rom 2:1. Back to text.
Rom 15:3: Ps 69:9. Back to text.
Rom 15:4: Rom 4:23–24; 1 Cor 9:10; 2 Tim 3:16. Back to text.
Rom 15:5: Rom 12:16; 1 Cor 1:10; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 2:2; 4:2. Back to
text.
Rom 15:9: Ps 18:49; 2 Sam 22:50. Back to text.
Rom 15:10: Deut 32:43. Back to text.
Rom 15:11: Ps 117:1. Back to text.
Rom 15:12: Is 11:10; Mt 12:21. Back to text.
Rom 15:16: Acts 9:15. Back to text.
Rom 15:18: Rom 1:5; Acts 15:12; 21:19. Back to text.
Rom 15:19: Acts 19:11; 2 Cor 12:12. Back to text.
Rom 15:20: 2 Cor 10:15–16. Back to text.
Rom 15:21: Is 52:15. Back to text.
Rom 15:22: Rom 1:13. Back to text.
Rom 15:23: Acts 19:21; Rom 1:10–11; 15:32. Back to text.
Rom 15:24: Rom 15:28. Back to text.
Rom 15:25: Acts 19:21; 24:17; 15:31. Back to text.
Rom 15:26: 2 Cor 8:1–5; 9:2; 1 Thess 1:7–8. Back to text.
Rom 15:27: 1 Cor 9:11. Back to text.
Rom 15:28: Rom 15:24. Back to text.
Rom 15:29: Acts 19:21. Back to text.
Rom 15:31: 2 Thess 3:2; Rom 15:25–26; 2 Cor 8:4; 9:1. Back to text.
Rom 15:32: Rom 1:10; Acts 19:21. Back to text.
Rom 15:33: 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 4:9. Back to text.
Rom 16:3: Acts 18:2. Back to text.
Rom 16:5: 1 Cor 16:19. Back to text.
Rom 16:16: 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26; 1 Pet 5:14. Back to text.
Rom 16:17: Gal 1:8–9; 2 Thess 3:6, 14; 2 Jn 10. Back to text.
Rom 16:19: Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 14:20. Back to text.
Rom 16:20: 1 Cor 16:23; 2 Cor 13:14; Gal 6:18; Phil 4:23; 1 Thess 5:28;
2 Thess 3:18; Rev 22:21. Back to text.
Rom 16:21: Acts 16:1. Back to text.
Rom 16:23: 1 Cor 1:14. Back to text.
THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
1 Cor 1:1: Rom 1:1; Acts 18:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:2: Acts 18:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:3: Rom 1:7. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:4: Rom 1:8. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:8: 1 Cor 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:9: Rom 8:28; 1 Jn 1:3. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:12: 1 Cor 3:4; Acts 18:24; 1 Cor 3:22; Jn 1:42; 1 Cor 9:5; 15:5.
Back to text.
1 Cor 1:13: Mt 28:19; Acts 2:38. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:14: Acts 18:8; Rom 16:23. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:16: 1 Cor 16:15. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:17: Jn 4:2; Acts 10:48; 1 Cor 2:1; 4:13. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:19: Is 29:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:22: Mt 12:38. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:23: 1 Cor 2:2; Gal 3:1; 5:11. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:27: Jas 2:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:28: Rom 4:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:29: Eph 2:9. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:30: 1 Cor 4:15; Rom 8:1; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Cor 6:11; 1 Thess 5:23;
Eph 1:7, 14; Col 1:14; Rom 3:24. Back to text.
1 Cor 1:31: Jer 9:24; 2 Cor 10:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:1: 1 Cor 1:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:2: Gal 6:14; 1 Cor 1:23. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:3: Acts 18:1, 6, 12; 1 Cor 4:10; 2 Cor 11:30. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:4: Rom 15:19; 1 Cor 4:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:5: 2 Cor 4:7; 6:7; 1 Cor 12:9. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:6: Eph 4:13. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:7: Rom 8:29–30. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:8: Acts 7:2; Jas 2:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:9: Is 64:4; 65:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:10: Mt 11:25; 13:11; 16:17; Eph 3:3, 5. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:12: Rom 8:15. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:13: 1 Cor 1:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:14: 1 Cor 1:18; Jas 3:15. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:15: 1 Cor 3:1; 14:37; Gal 6:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 2:16: Is 40:13; Rom 11:34. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:1: Rom 7:14; Heb 5:13. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:2: Heb 5:12–13; 1 Pet 2:2. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:4: 1 Cor 1:12. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:5: 2 Cor 6:4; Eph 3:7; Col 1:25. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:6: Acts 18:4–11, 24–27; 1 Cor 1:12. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:9: Is 61:3; Eph 2:20–22; 1 Pet 2:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:10: Rom 12:3; 1 Cor 15:10. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:11: Eph 2:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:13: 2 Thess 1:7–10. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:15: Job 23:10. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:16: 1 Cor 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:18: Is 5:21; 1 Cor 8:2; Gal 6:3. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:19: Job 5:13; 1 Cor 1:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:20: Ps 94:11. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:21: 1 Cor 4:6; Rom 8:32. Back to text.
1 Cor 3:22: 1 Cor 1:12; Rom 8:38. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:1: 1 Cor 9:17; Rom 11:25; 16:25. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:4: 2 Cor 1:12. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:5: Rom 2:16; 1 Cor 3:13; 2 Cor 10:18; Rom 2:29. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:6: 1 Cor 1:19, 31; 3:19–20; 1:12; 3:4. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:9: 1 Cor 15:31; 2 Cor 11:23; Rom 8:36; Heb 10:33. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:10: 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Cor 11:19; 1 Cor 3:18; 2 Cor 13:9; 1 Cor 2:3.
Back to text.
1 Cor 4:11: Rom 8:35; 2 Cor 11:23–27. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:12: Acts 18:3; 1 Pet 3:9. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:15: 1 Cor 1:30; Philem 10. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:17: 1 Cor 16:10; Acts 16:1; 1 Cor 7:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 4:21: 2 Cor 1:23. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:1: Deut 22:30; 27:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:3: Col 2:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:4: 2 Thess 3:6. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:5: Mt 4:10; 1 Cor 1:8. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:6: Gal 5:9. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:8: Ex 12:19; 13:7; Deut 16:3. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:9: 2 Cor 6:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:10: 1 Cor 10:27. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:11: 2 Thess 3:6; 1 Cor 10:7, 14, 20–21. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:12: Mk 4:11. Back to text.
1 Cor 5:13: Deut 17:7; 1 Cor 5:2. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:1: Mt 18:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:7: Mt 5:39–40. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:9: 1 Cor 15:50. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:11: Acts 22:16; Rom 8:30. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:12: 1 Cor 10:23. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:15: Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:27. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:16: Gen 2:24; Mt 19:5; Mk 10:8; Eph 5:31. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:17: Jn 17:21–23; Rom 8:9; Gal 2:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:19: 1 Cor 3:16; Jn 2:21. Back to text.
1 Cor 6:20: 1 Cor 7:23; Acts 20:28; Rom 12:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:5: Ex 19:15. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:7: 1 Cor 7:8; 9:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:9: 1 Tim 5:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:12: 2 Cor 11:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:16: 1 Pet 3:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:17: Rom 12:3; 1 Cor 14:33; 2 Cor 8:18; 11:28. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:18: 1 Mac 1:15; Acts 15:1–8. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:19: Gal 5:6; 6:15; Rom 2:25. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:22: Jn 8:32, 36. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:23: 1 Cor 6:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:29: Rom 13:11–12; 1 Cor 7:31. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:32: 1 Tim 5:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:39: Rom 7:2. Back to text.
1 Cor 7:40: 1 Cor 7:25. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:1: Rom 15:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:2: 1 Cor 3:18; 13:8, 9, 12. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:3: Gal 4:9; Rom 8:29. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:4: 1 Cor 10:19; Deut 6:4. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:6: Mal 2:10; Eph 4:6; Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 1:2; Eph 4:5; Jn 1:3;
Col 1:16. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:7: 1 Cor 8:4–5. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:8: Rom 14:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:9: 1 Cor 8:10–11; Rom 14:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:11: Rom 14:15, 20. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:12: Mt 18:6; Rom 14:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 8:13: Rom 14:21. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:1: 1 Cor 9:19; 2 Cor 12:12; 1 Thess 2:6; Acts 9:3, 17; 1 Cor
15:8. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:4: 1 Cor 9:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:5: 1 Cor 7:7–8; Mt 12:46; 8:14; Jn 1:42. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:6: Acts 4:36. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:9: Deut 25:4; 1 Tim 5:18. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:10: 2 Tim 2:6. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:11: Rom 15:27. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:12: 2 Cor 6:3. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:13: Deut 18:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:14: Mt 10:10; Lk 10:7–8. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:15: 2 Cor 11:10. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:17: 1 Cor 4:1; Gal 2:7. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:18: 2 Cor 11:7. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:20: Rom 11:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:21: Rom 2:12, 14. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:22: 2 Cor 11:29; Rom 15:1; 1 Cor 10:33; Rom 11:14. Back to
text.
1 Cor 9:24: Heb 12:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 9:25: 2 Tim 2:5; 4:8; Jas 1:12; 1 Pet 5:4. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:1: Rom 1:13; Ex 13:21; 14:22, 29. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:2: Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:3: Ex 16:4, 35. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:4: Ex 17:6; Num 20:11. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:5: Num 14:29–30. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:6: Num 11:4, 34. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:7: Ex 32:4, 6. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:8: Num 25:1–18. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:9: Num 21:5–6. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:10: Num 16:41, 49. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:13: 1 Cor 1:9. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:14: 1 Jn 5:21. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:16: Mt 26:27–28; Acts 2:42. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:17: Rom 12:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:18: Lev 7:6. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:20: Deut 32:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:21: 2 Cor 6:16. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:22: Deut 32:21; Eccles 6:10; Is 45:9. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:23: 1 Cor 6:12; Phil 2:21. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:26: Ps 24:1; 50:12. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:28: 1 Cor 8:7, 10–12. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:32: 1 Cor 8:13. Back to text.
1 Cor 10:33: 1 Cor 9:22; Rom 15:2; 1 Cor 13:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:1: 1 Cor 4:16. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:2: 2 Thess 2:15. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:3: Eph 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Col 1:8; 2:19. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:5: Lk 2:36; Acts 21:9; 1 Cor 14:34. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:7: Gen 1:26. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:8: Gen 2:21–23. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:9: Gen 2:18. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:12: 2 Cor 5:18; Rom 11:36. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:16: 1 Cor 7:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:18: 1 Cor 1:10. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:23: 1 Cor 15:3. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:23–25: Mt 26:26–28; Mk 14:22–24; Lk 22:17–19; 1 Cor 10:16.
Back to text.
1 Cor 11:25: 2 Cor 3:6; Lk 22:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:26: 1 Cor 4:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:32: 1 Cor 1:20. Back to text.
1 Cor 11:34: 1 Cor 4:19. Back to text.
1 Cor 12:2: Eph 2:11–12. Back to text.
1 Cor 12:3: Rom 10:9. Back to text.
1 Cor 12:10: 1 Cor 14:26. Back to text.
1 Cor 12:12: Rom 12:4. Back to text.
1 Cor 12:13: Gal 3:28; Col 3:11; Eph 2:13–18; Jn 7:37–39. Back to text.
1 Cor 12:27: Eph 1:23; 4:12; Col 1:18, 24; Eph 5:30; Rom 12:5. Back to
text.
1 Cor 12:28: Eph 4:11; 2:20; 3:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 13:1: Ps 150:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 13:2: 1 Cor 14:2; Mt 17:20; 21:21. Back to text.
1 Cor 13:5: 1 Cor 10:24. Back to text.
1 Cor 13:7: 1 Cor 9:12. Back to text.
1 Cor 14:15: Eph 5:19; Col 3:16. Back to text.
1 Cor 14:16: 1 Chron 16:36; Ps 106:48; Mt 15:36. Back to text.
1 Cor 14:20: Eph 4:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 14:21: Is 28:11–12. Back to text.
1 Cor 14:26: Eph 5:19. Back to text.
1 Cor 14:34: 1 Tim 2:11–12; 1 Pet 3:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:3: 1 Cor 11:23; 1 Pet 2:24; Is 53:5–12. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:4: Mt 16:21; Ps 16:8–9. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:5: Lk 24:34; Mt 28:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:8: 1 Cor 9:1; Gal 1:16; Acts 9:3–6. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:9: Acts 8:3. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:14: 1 Thess 4:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:18: 1 Thess 4:16. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:21: Rom 5:12. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:22: Rom 5:14–18. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:23: 1 Thess 2:19. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:25: Ps 110:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:27: Ps 8:6; Eph 1:22. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:28: Phil 3:21. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:30: 2 Esdr 7:89. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:31: Rom 8:36. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:32: 2 Cor 1:8, 9; Is 22:13. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:33: Menander, Thais. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:34: Rom 13:11. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:36: Jn 12:24. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:38: Gen 1:11. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:42: Dan 12:3. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:45: Gen 2:7. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:51–52: 1 Thess 4:15–17. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:54: Is 25:8. Back to text.
1 Cor 15:55: Hos 13:14. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:1: Acts 24:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:2: Acts 20:7; 2 Cor 9:4–5. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:3: 2 Cor 8:18–19. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:5: Rom 15:26; Acts 19:21. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:7: Acts 18:21. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:8: Acts 18:19. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:9: Acts 19:9. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:10: Acts 16:1. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:12: Acts 18:24. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:13: Ps 31:24; Eph 6:10. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:19: Acts 18:2; Rom 16:5. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:20: Rom 16:16. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:21: Col 4:18; Gal 6:11; 2 Thess 3:17. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:22: Rom 9:3. Back to text.
1 Cor 16:23: Rom 16:20. Back to text.
THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
2 Cor 1:1: Eph 1:1; Col 1:1; 2 Cor 1:19; Acts 16:1; 18:1. Back to text.
2 Cor 1:2: Rom 1:7. Back to text.
2 Cor 1:3: Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3; Rom 15:5. Back to text.
2 Cor 1:4: 2 Cor 7:6, 7, 13. Back to text.
2 Cor 1:16: Acts 19:21. Back to text.
2 Cor 1:19: 1 Thess 1:1; Acts 15:22. Back to text.
2 Cor 1:20: 1 Cor 14:16; Rev 3:14. Back to text.
2 Cor 2:12: Acts 16:8. Back to text.
2 Cor 3:1: Acts 18:27; Rom 16:1; 1 Cor 16:3. Back to text.
2 Cor 3:3: Ex 24:12; 31:18; 32:15–16; Jer 31:33. Back to text.
2 Cor 3:6: Jer 31:31. Back to text.
2 Cor 3:7: Ex 34:29–35. Back to text.
2 Cor 3:17: Is 61:1–2. Back to text.
2 Cor 4:4: Jn 12:31; Col 1:15. Back to text.
2 Cor 4:6: Gen 1:3. Back to text.
2 Cor 4:13: Ps 116:10. Back to text.
2 Cor 4:14: 1 Thess 4:14. Back to text.
2 Cor 5:10: Mt 16:27. Back to text.
2 Cor 5:12: 2 Cor 3:1. Back to text.
2 Cor 5:14: Rom 5:15; 6:6–7. Back to text.
2 Cor 5:17: Rom 16:7; Gal 6:15. Back to text.
2 Cor 5:18: 1 Cor 11:12; Col 1:20; Rom 5:10. Back to text.
2 Cor 5:20: Eph 6:20. Back to text.
2 Cor 5:21: Heb 4:15; 7:25; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 Jn 3:5; Acts 3:14. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:2: Is 49:8. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:4: 2 Cor 4:8–11; 11:23–27. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:5: Acts 16:23. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:7: 2 Cor 10:4; Rom 13:12; Eph 6:11–12. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:9: Rom 8:36. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:10: Rom 8:32; 1 Cor 3:21. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:11: Ezek 33:22; Is 60:5. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:16: 1 Cor 10:21; 3:16; Ex 25:8; 29:45; Lev 26:12; Ezek 37:27;
Jer 31:1. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:17: Is 52:11. Back to text.
2 Cor 6:18: Hos 1:10; Is 43:6. Back to text.
2 Cor 7:2: 2 Cor 6:12–13. Back to text.
2 Cor 7:3: 2 Cor 6:11–12. Back to text.
2 Cor 7:5: 2 Cor 2:13; 4:8. Back to text.
2 Cor 7:6: 2 Cor 2:13; 7:13–14. Back to text.
2 Cor 7:8: 2 Cor 2:2. Back to text.
2 Cor 7:12: 2 Cor 7:8; 2:3, 9. Back to text.
2 Cor 8:3: 1 Cor 16:2. Back to text.
2 Cor 8:4: Acts 24:17; Rom 15:31. Back to text.
2 Cor 8:6: 2 Cor 8:16, 23; 2:13. Back to text.
2 Cor 8:9: 2 Cor 6:10. Back to text.
2 Cor 8:10: 2 Cor 9:2; 1 Cor 16:2–3. Back to text.
2 Cor 8:15: Ex 16:18. Back to text.
2 Cor 8:18: 2 Cor 12:18. Back to text.
2 Cor 8:19: 1 Cor 16:3–4. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:1: 2 Cor 8:4. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:2: Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 8:10. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:3: 1 Cor 16:2. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:7: Prov 22:8 Septuagint. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:8: Eph 3:20. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:9: Ps 112:9. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:10: Is 55:10; Hos 10:12. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:13: 2 Cor 8:4; Rom 15:31. Back to text.
2 Cor 9:15: Rom 5:15–16. Back to text.
2 Cor 10:1: 2 Cor 10:10. Back to text.
2 Cor 10:2: 2 Cor 13:2, 10; 1 Cor 4:21. Back to text.
2 Cor 10:6: 2 Cor 2:9. Back to text.
2 Cor 10:7: 1 Cor 1:12. Back to text.
2 Cor 10:10: 1 Cor 2:3. Back to text.
2 Cor 10:15: Rom 15:20. Back to text.
2 Cor 10:17: Jer 9:24. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:1: 2 Cor 11:21. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:2: Hos 2:19–20; Eph 5:26–27. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:3: Gen 3:4. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:4: Gal 1:6. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:5: 2 Cor 12:11; Gal 2:6. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:6: 1 Cor 1:17. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:7: 2 Cor 12:13; 1 Cor 9:18. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:8: Phil 4:15, 18. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:10: 1 Cor 9:15. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:11: 2 Cor 12:15. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:12: 1 Cor 9:12. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:17: 1 Cor 7:12, 25. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:19: 1 Cor 4:10. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:23: Acts 16:23; 2 Cor 6:5. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:24: Deut 25:3. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:25: Acts 16:22; 14:19. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:26: Acts 9:23; 14:5. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:27: 1 Cor 4:11. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:29: 1 Cor 9:22. Back to text.
2 Cor 11:32–33: Acts 9:24–25. Back to text.
2 Cor 12:4: Lk 23:43. Back to text.
2 Cor 12:7: Job 2:6. Back to text.
2 Cor 12:10: Rom 5:3; 2 Cor 6:4–5. Back to text.
2 Cor 12:11: 2 Cor 11:5. Back to text.
2 Cor 12:13: 2 Cor 11:7. Back to text.
2 Cor 12:16: 2 Cor 11:9. Back to text.
2 Cor 12:18: 2 Cor 2:13; 8:18. Back to text.
2 Cor 12:20: 2 Cor 2:1–4; 1 Cor 1:11; 3:3. Back to text.
2 Cor 13:1: 2 Cor 12:14; Deut 19:15. Back to text.
2 Cor 13:4: Phil 2:7–8; Rom 6:8. Back to text.
2 Cor 13:10: 2 Cor 2:3. Back to text.
2 Cor 13:12: Rom 16:16. Back to text.
2 Cor 13:13: Phil 4:22. Back to text.
2 Cor 13:14: Rom 16:20. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE GALATIANS
Gal 1:3: Rom 1:7. Back to text.
Gal 1:4: Gal 2:20; 1 Tim 2:6. Back to text.
Gal 1:5: Rom 16:27. Back to text.
Gal 1:8: 2 Cor 11:4. Back to text.
Gal 1:10: 1 Thess 2:4. Back to text.
Gal 1:11: Rom 1:16–17. Back to text.
Gal 1:13: Acts 8:3. Back to text.
Gal 1:14: Acts 22:3. Back to text.
Gal 1:15: Acts 9:1–19; Is 49:1; Jer 1:5. Back to text.
Gal 1:18: Acts 9:26–30; 11:30. Back to text.
Gal 2:1: Acts 15:2. Back to text.
Gal 2:5: Acts 15:23–29. Back to text.
Gal 2:6: Deut 10:17. Back to text.
Gal 2:11: Acts 11:19–26. Back to text.
Gal 2:16: Ps 143:2; Rom 3:20. Back to text.
Gal 2:20: Gal 1:4. Back to text.
Gal 3:6: Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3. Back to text.
Gal 3:8: Gen 12:3; 18:18; Acts 3:25. Back to text.
Gal 3:9: Rom 4:16. Back to text.
Gal 3:10: Deut 27:26. Back to text.
Gal 3:11: Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Heb 10:38. Back to text.
Gal 3:12: Lev 18:5; Rom 10:5. Back to text.
Gal 3:13: Deut 21:23. Back to text.
Gal 3:16: Gen 12:7. Back to text.
Gal 3:17: Ex 12:40. Back to text.
Gal 3:18: Rom 11:6. Back to text.
Gal 3:19: Rom 5:20. Back to text.
Gal 3:21: Rom 8:2–4. Back to text.
Gal 3:22: Rom 3:9–19; 11:32. Back to text.
Gal 3:28: Rom 10:12. Back to text.
Gal 4:3: Col 2:20. Back to text.
Gal 4:6: Rom 8:15. Back to text.
Gal 4:13: Acts 16:6. Back to text.
Gal 4:19: 1 Cor 4:15. Back to text.
Gal 4:22: Gen 16:15; 21:2, 9. Back to text.
Gal 4:23: Rom 9:7–9. Back to text.
Gal 4:27: Is 54:1. Back to text.
Gal 4:29: Gen 21:9. Back to text.
Gal 4:30: Gen 21:10–12. Back to text.
Gal 5:6: 1 Cor 7:19; Gal 6:15. Back to text.
Gal 5:9: 1 Cor 5:6. Back to text.
Gal 5:14: Lev 19:18; Rom 13:8–10. Back to text.
Gal 5:17: Rom 7:15–23. Back to text.
Gal 5:19: Rom 1:28. Back to text.
Gal 6:11: 1 Cor 16:21. Back to text.
Gal 6:16: Ps 125:5. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS
Eph 1:3: 2 Cor 1:3. Back to text.
Eph 1:6: Col 1:13. Back to text.
Eph 1:7: Col 1:14. Back to text.
Eph 1:10: Gal 4.4. Back to text.
Eph 1:14: 2 Cor 1:22. Back to text.
Eph 1:15: Col 1:9. Back to text.
Eph 1:16: Col 1:3. Back to text.
Eph 1:18: Deut 33:3. Back to text.
Eph 1:20: Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Eph 1:21: Col 1:6; 2:10, 15. Back to text.
Eph 1:22: Ps 8:6; Col 1:19. Back to text.
Eph 1:23: Rom 12:5; Col 2:17. Back to text.
Eph 2:2: Col 1:13. Back to text.
Eph 2:8: Gal 2:16. Back to text.
Eph 2:12: Is 57:19. Back to text.
Eph 2:17: Is 57:19. Back to text.
Eph 3:2: Col 1:25. Back to text.
Eph 3:6: Col 1:27. Back to text.
Eph 3:9: Col 1:26. Back to text.
Eph 4:2: Col 3:12–13. Back to text.
Eph 4:8: Ps 68:18. Back to text.
Eph 4:15: Col 1:18. Back to text.
Eph 4:16: Col 2:19. Back to text.
Eph 4:25: Zech 8:16; Rom 12:5. Back to text.
Eph 5:2: Ex 29:18; Ezek 20:41. Back to text.
Eph 5:16: Col 4:5. Back to text.
Eph 5:19: Col 3:16–17. Back to text.
Eph 5:22—6:9: Col 3:18—4:1. Back to text.
Eph 5:31: Gen 2:24. Back to text.
Eph 6:2: Ex 20:12. Back to text.
Eph 6:3: Deut 5:16. Back to text.
Eph 6:14: Is 11:5; 59:17; 1 Thess 5:8. Back to text.
Eph 6:15: Is 52:7. Back to text.
Eph 6:21–22: Col 4:7–8. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS
Phil 1:1: Acts 16:1, 12–40; Rom 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:10; Col 1:1; 1
Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; Philem 1. Back to text.
Phil 1:2: Rom 1:7. Back to text.
Phil 1:6, 10: 1 Cor 1:8. Back to text.
Phil 1:7: Acts 21:33; 2 Cor 7:3; Eph 6:20. Back to text.
Phil 1:12: Lk 21:13. Back to text.
Phil 1:13: Acts 28:30; 2 Tim 2:9. Back to text.
Phil 1:19: Acts 16:7; 2 Cor 1:11. Back to text.
Phil 1:20: Rom 14:8. Back to text.
Phil 1:21: Gal 2:20. Back to text.
Phil 1:28: 2 Thess 1:5. Back to text.
Phil 1:30: Acts 16:19–40; 1 Thess 2:2. Back to text.
Phil 2:1: 2 Cor 13:14. Back to text.
Phil 2:3–4: Rom 12:10; 15:1–2. Back to text.
Phil 2:5–8: Mt 11:29; 20:28; Jn 1:1; 2 Cor 8:9; Heb 5:8. Back to text.
Phil 2:9–11: Rom 10:9; 14:9; Eph 1:20–21. Back to text.
Phil 2:13: 1 Cor 15:10. Back to text.
Phil 2:15: Mt 5:45, 48. Back to text.
Phil 3:3: Rom 2:28–29; Gal 6:14–15. Back to text.
Phil 3:4–7: Acts 8:3; 22:3–21; 23:6; 26:4–23; Rom 11:1; 2 Cor 11:18–
31. Back to text.
Phil 3:17: 1 Cor 4:15–17. Back to text.
Phil 3:21: 1 Cor 15:35–58; Col 3:4. Back to text.
Phil 4:3: Lk 10:20. Back to text.
Phil 4:6: Mt 6:25–34. Back to text.
Phil 4:9: Rom 15:33. Back to text.
Phil 4:10: 2 Cor 11:9. Back to text.
Phil 4:13: 2 Cor 12:9. Back to text.
Phil 4:16: Acts 17:1–9; 1 Thess 2:9. Back to text.
Phil 4:23: Gal 6:18; Philem 25. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS
Col 1:2: Rom 1:7. Back to text.
Col 1:3: Eph 1:16. Back to text.
Col 1:7: Col 4:12; Philem 23. Back to text.
Col 1:9: Eph 1:15–17. Back to text.
Col 1:13: Eph 1:21; 2:2. Back to text.
Col 1:15: 2 Cor 4:4. Back to text.
Col 1:17: Prov 8:22–31. Back to text.
Col 1:18: Eph 4:15. Back to text.
Col 1:25: Eph 3:2. Back to text.
Col 1:26: Eph 3:9. Back to text.
Col 2:3: Is 45:3. Back to text.
Col 2:10: Eph 1:21–22. Back to text.
Col 2:15: Eph 1:21. Back to text.
Col 2:16: Rom 14:1–12. Back to text.
Col 2:17: Eph 1:23. Back to text.
Col 2:19: Eph 1:22; 4:16. Back to text.
Col 2:20: Gal 4:3. Back to text.
Col 2:22: Is 29:13; Mk 7:7. Back to text.
Col 3:1: Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Col 3:10: Gen 1:26. Back to text.
Col 3:12–13: Eph 4:2. Back to text.
Col 3:16–17: Eph 5:19. Back to text.
Col 3:18—4:1: Eph 5:22—6:9. Back to text.
Col 3:23: Rom 12:11. Back to text.
Col 4:1: Lev 25:43, 53. Back to text.
Col 4:2: Rom 12:12. Back to text.
Col 4:5: Eph 5:16. Back to text.
Col 4:7–8: Eph 6:21–22. Back to text.
Col 4:9: Philem 10. Back to text.
Col 4:10–11: Acts 19:29; 27:2; Philem 24. Back to text.
Col 4:12: Col 1:7; Philem 23. Back to text.
Col 4:14: 2 Tim 4:10–11; Philem 24. Back to text.
Col 4:18: 1 Cor 16:21. Back to text.
THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
1 Thess 1:1: 2 Thess 1:1; 2 Cor 1:19; Acts 16:1; 17:1; Rom 1:7. Back to
text.
1 Thess 1:2: 2 Thess 1:3; 2:13; Rom 1:9. Back to text.
1 Thess 1:3: 2 Thess 1:11; 1:3; Rom 8:25; 15:4; Gal 1:4. Back to text.
1 Thess 1:4: 2 Thess 2:13; Rom 1:7; 2 Pet 1:10. Back to text.
1 Thess 1:5: 2 Thess 2:14; Rom 15:19. Back to text.
1 Thess 1:6: Col 2:2; 1 Thess 2:10; 1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; Acts 17:5–10;
13:52. Back to text.
1 Thess 1:7: Rom 15:26; Acts 18:12. Back to text.
1 Thess 1:8: 2 Thess 3:1; Rom 1:8. Back to text.
1 Thess 1:10: Mt 3:7. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:2: Acts 16:19–24; 17:1–9; Rom 1:1. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:5: Acts 20:33. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:6: 1 Cor 9:1. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:7: 1 Thess 2:11; Gal 4:19. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:8: 2 Cor 12:15; 1 Jn 3:16. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:11: 1 Cor 4:14. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:12: 1 Pet 5:10. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:13: 1 Thess 1:2. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:14: 1 Thess 1:6; 1 Cor 7:17; Gal 1:22; Acts 17:5; 2 Thess 1:4.
Back to text.
1 Thess 2:15: Lk 24:20; Acts 2:23; 7:52. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:16: Acts 9:23; 13:45, 50; 14:2, 5, 19; 17:5, 13; 18:12; 21:21,
27; 25:2, 7; 1 Cor 10:33; Gen 15:16; 1 Thess 1:10. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:17: 1 Cor 5:3. Back to text.
1 Thess 2:19: Phil 4:1; 1 Thess 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; Mt 16:27; Mk 8:38.
Back to text.
1 Thess 2:20: 2 Cor 1:14. Back to text.
1 Thess 3:1: Phil 2:19; Acts 17:15. Back to text.
1 Thess 3:2: 2 Cor 1:1; Col 1:1. Back to text.
1 Thess 3:3: Acts 14:22. Back to text.
1 Thess 3:4: 1 Thess 2:14. Back to text.
1 Thess 3:5: Mt 4:3; Phil 2:16. Back to text.
1 Thess 3:6: Acts 18:5. Back to text.
1 Thess 3:13: 1 Cor 1:8; 1 Thess 2:19; 4:17. Back to text.
1 Thess 4:3: 1 Cor 6:18. Back to text.
1 Thess 4:4: 1 Cor 7:2; 1 Pet 3:7. Back to text.
1 Thess 4:11: 2 Thess 3:12; Eph 4:28; 2 Thess 3:10–12. Back to text.
1 Thess 4:13: Eph 2:12. Back to text.
1 Thess 4:14: 2 Cor 4:14. Back to text.
1 Thess 4:16: Mt 24:31; 1 Cor 15:23; 2 Thess 2:1. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:1: Acts 1:7. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:2: 1 Cor 1:8. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:3: 2 Thess 1:9. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:4: 1 Jn 2:8; Acts 26:18. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:5: Lk 16:8. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:6: Rom 13:11; 1 Pet 1:13. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:7: Acts 2:15; 2 Pet 2:13. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:8: Eph 6:14, 23, 17; Rom 8:24. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:9: 1 Thess 1:10; 2 Thess 2:13; Rom 14:9. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:12: 1 Cor 16:18; 1 Tim 5:17; 1 Cor 16:16; Rom 16:6, 12; 1
Cor 15:10; Heb 13:17. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:13: Mk 9:50. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:14: Is 35:4; Rom 14:1; 1 Cor 8:7; 2 Thess 3:6, 7, 11. Back to
text.
1 Thess 5:15: Rom 12:17; 1 Pet 3:9. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:16: Phil 4:4. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:17: Eph 6:18. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:18: Eph 5:20. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:19: Eph 4:30. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:20: 1 Cor 14:31. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:21: 1 Cor 14:29; 1 Jn 4:1. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:23: Rom 15:33. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:26: Rom 16:16. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:27: Col 4:16. Back to text.
1 Thess 5:28: Rom 16:20; 2 Thess 3:18. Back to text.
THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
2 Thess 1:1: 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Cor 1:19; Acts 16:1. Back to text.
2 Thess 1:2: Rom 1:7. Back to text.
2 Thess 1:3: 1 Thess 1:2. Back to text.
2 Thess 1:8: Gal 4:8. Back to text.
2 Thess 1:11: 1 Thess 1:3. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:1: 1 Thess 4:15–17. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:2: 2 Thess 3:17. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:3: Eph 5:6–8; Dan 7:25; 8:25; 11:36; Rev 13:5; Jn 17:12. Back
to text.
2 Thess 2:4: Ezek 28:2. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:5: 1 Thess 3:4. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:8: Is 11:4. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:9: Mt 24:24; Jn 4:48. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:11: Rom 1:28. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:13: 2 Thess 1:3; Eph 1:4; 1 Pet 1:2. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:15: 1 Cor 16:13; 11:2. Back to text.
2 Thess 2:16: 1 Thess 3:11; 1 Pet 1:3. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:1: 1 Thess 5:25; 1:8. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:2: Rom 15:31. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:3: 1 Cor 1:9; 1 Thess 5:24. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:6: 1 Cor 5:4, 5, 11; 1 Thess 5:14. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:7: 1 Thess 1:6, 9. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:8: 1 Thess 2:9; Acts 18:3; Eph 4:28. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:9: 2 Thess 3:7. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:10: 1 Thess 4:11. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:11: 2 Thess 3:6. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:12: 1 Thess 4:1, 11. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:13: Gal 6:9. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:16: Ruth 2:4. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:17: 1 Cor 16:21. Back to text.
2 Thess 3:18: Rom 16:20; 1 Thess 5:28. Back to text.
THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY
1 Tim 2:13: Gen 2:7, 21–22. Back to text.
1 Tim 2:14: Gen 3:1–6. Back to text.
1 Tim 5:18: Deut 25:4; 1 Cor 9:9; Mt 10:10; Lk 10:7; 1 Cor 9:14. Back
to text.
1 Tim 5:19: Deut 19:15. Back to text.
1 Tim 6:13: Jn 18:37. Back to text.
THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY
2 Tim 1:5: Acts 16:1. Back to text.
2 Tim 2:19: Num 16:5; Is 26:13. Back to text.
2 Tim 3:8: Ex 7:11. Back to text.
2 Tim 3:11: Acts 13:14–52; 14:1–20; 16:1–5. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO TITUS
Tit 1:12: Epimenides. Back to text.
Tit 2:14: Ps 130:8; Ezek 37:23; Deut 14:2. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO PHILEMON
Philem 3: Rom 1:7. Back to text.
Philem 4: Rom 1:8. Back to text.
Philem 10: Col 4:9. Back to text.
Philem 23: Col 1:7; 4:12. Back to text.
Philem 24: Col 4:10, 14. Back to text.
THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS
Heb 1:5: Ps 2:7; 2 Sam 7:14. Back to text.
Heb 1:6: Deut 32:43 Septuagint; Ps 97:7. Back to text.
Heb 1:7: Ps 104:4. Back to text.
Heb 1:8–9: Ps 45:6–7. Back to text.
Heb 1:10–12: Ps 102:25–27. Back to text.
Heb 1:13: Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Heb 2:6–9: Ps 8:4–6. Back to text.
Heb 2:12: Ps 22:22. Back to text.
Heb 2:13: Is 8:17–18. Back to text.
Heb 2:16: Is 41:8–9. Back to text.
Heb 3:2: Num 12:7. Back to text.
Heb 3:5: Num 12:7. Back to text.
Heb 3:7–11: Ps 95:7–11. Back to text.
Heb 3:15: Ps 95:7–8. Back to text.
Heb 3:16–19: Num 14:1–35. Back to text.
Heb 3:17: Num 14:29. Back to text.
Heb 4:3: Ps 95:11. Back to text.
Heb 4:4: Gen 2:2. Back to text.
Heb 4:5: Ps 95:11. Back to text.
Heb 4:7: Ps 95:7–8. Back to text.
Heb 4:10: Gen 2:2. Back to text.
Heb 5:5: Ps 2:7. Back to text.
Heb 5:6: Ps 110:4. Back to text.
Heb 5:7: Mt 26:36–46; Mk 14:32–42; Lk 22:40–46. Back to text.
Heb 5:9: Is 45:17. Back to text.
Heb 5:10: Ps 110:4. Back to text.
Heb 6:8: Gen 3:17–18. Back to text.
Heb 6:13–14: Gen 22:16–17. Back to text.
Heb 6:19: Lev 16:2. Back to text.
Heb 6:20: Ps 110:4. Back to text.
Heb 7:1–10: Gen 14:17–20. Back to text.
Heb 7:11, 15, 17, 21, 28: Ps 110:4. Back to text.
Heb 8:1: Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Heb 8:5: Ex 25:40. Back to text.
Heb 8:8–12: Jer 31:31–34. Back to text.
Heb 9:1–10: Ex 25:10–40. Back to text.
Heb 9:2: Lev 24:5. Back to text.
Heb 9:3: Ex 26:31–33. Back to text.
Heb 9:4: Ex 30:1–5; 16:32–33; Num 17:8–10. Back to text.
Heb 9:7: Lev 16. Back to text.
Heb 9:13: Lev 16:6, 16; Num 19:9, 17–18. Back to text.
Heb 9:19–20: Ex 24:6–8. Back to text.
Heb 10:5–9: Ps 40:6–8. Back to text.
Heb 10:12–13: Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Heb 10:16–17: Jer 31:33–34. Back to text.
Heb 10:27: Is 26:11. Back to text.
Heb 10:28: Deut 17:2–6. Back to text.
Heb 10:29: Ex 24:8. Back to text.
Heb 10:30: Deut 32:35–36. Back to text.
Heb 10:37: Is 26:20 Septuagint. Back to text.
Heb 10:37–38: Hab 2:3–4. Back to text.
Heb 11:4: Gen 4:3–10. Back to text.
Heb 11:5: Gen 5:21–24. Back to text.
Heb 11:7: Gen 6:13–22. Back to text.
Heb 11:8–9: Gen 12:1–8. Back to text.
Heb 11:11: Gen 17:19; 18:11–14; 21:2. Back to text.
Heb 11:12: Gen 15:5–6; 22:17; 32:12. Back to text.
Heb 11:13: Ps 39:12; Gen 23:4. Back to text.
Heb 11:16: Ex 3:6, 15; 4:5. Back to text.
Heb 11:17: Gen 22:1–10. Back to text.
Heb 11:18: Gen 21:12. Back to text.
Heb 11:20: Gen 27:27–29, 39–40. Back to text.
Heb 11:21: Gen 48; 47:31 Septuagint. Back to text.
Heb 11:22: Gen 50:24–25; Ex 13:19. Back to text.
Heb 11:23: Ex 2:2; 1:22. Back to text.
Heb 11:24: Ex 2:10, 11–15. Back to text.
Heb 11:27: Ex 2:15. Back to text.
Heb 11:28: Ex 12:21–28, 29–30. Back to text.
Heb 11:29: Ex 14:21–31. Back to text.
Heb 11:30: Josh 6:12–21. Back to text.
Heb 11:31: Josh 2:1–21; 6:22–25. Back to text.
Heb 11:32: Judg 6–8; 4–5; 13–16; 11–12; 1 Sam 16–30; 2 Sam 1–24; 1
Kings 1:1—2:11; 1 Sam 1–12; 15; 16:1–13. Back to text.
Heb 11:33: Dan 6. Back to text.
Heb 11:34: Dan 3. Back to text.
Heb 11:35: 1 Kings 17:17–24; 2 Kings 4:25–37. Back to text.
Heb 12:2: Ps 110:1. Back to text.
Heb 12:5–8: Prov 3:11–12. Back to text.
Heb 12:12: Is 35:3. Back to text.
Heb 12:13: Prov 4:26 Septuagint. Back to text.
Heb 12:15: Deut 29:18 Septuagint. Back to text.
Heb 12:16: Gen 25:29–34. Back to text.
Heb 12:17: Gen 27:30–40. Back to text.
Heb 12:18–19: Ex 19:12–22; 20:18–21; Deut 4:11–12; 5:22–27. Back to
text.
Heb 12:20: Ex 19:12–13. Back to text.
Heb 12:21: Deut 9:19. Back to text.
Heb 12:24: Gen 4:10. Back to text.
Heb 12:25: Ex 20:19. Back to text.
Heb 12:26: Hag 2:6. Back to text.
Heb 12:29: Deut 4:24. Back to text.
Heb 13:2: Gen 18:1–8; 19:1–3. Back to text.
Heb 13:5: Deut 31:6, 8; Josh 1:5. Back to text.
Heb 13:6: Ps 118:6. Back to text.
Heb 13:11, 13: Lev 16:27. Back to text.
Heb 13:15: Lev 7:12; Is 57:19; Hos 14:2. Back to text.
Heb 13:20: Is 63:11; Zech 9:11; Is 55:3; Ezek 37:26. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF JAMES
Jas 1:10–11: Is 40:6–7. Back to text.
Jas 2:8: Lev 19:18. Back to text.
Jas 2:11: Ex 20:13–14; Deut 5:17–18. Back to text.
Jas 2:21: Gen 22:1–14. Back to text.
Jas 2:23: Gen 15:6; Is 41:8; 2 Chron 20:7. Back to text.
Jas 2:25: Josh 2:1–21. Back to text.
Jas 4:6: Prov 3:34. Back to text.
Jas 5:11: Job 1:21–22; 2:10; Ps 103:8; 111:4. Back to text.
Jas 5:12: Mt 5:37. Back to text.
Jas 5:17: 1 Kings 17:1; 18:1; Luke 4:25. Back to text.
Jas 5:18: 1 Kings 18:42. Back to text.
THE FIRST LETTER OF PETER
1 Pet 1:16: Lev 11:44–45. Back to text.
1 Pet 1:24–25: Is 40:6–9. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:3: Ps 34:8. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:4: Ps 118:22; Is 28:16. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:6: Is 28:16. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:7: Ps 118:22. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:8: Is 8:14–15. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:9: Ex 19:5–6. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:10: Hos 2:23. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:22: Is 53:9. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:24: Is 53:12 Septuagint. Back to text.
1 Pet 2:24–25: Is 53:5–6. Back to text.
1 Pet 3:6: Gen 18:12. Back to text.
1 Pet 3:10–12: Ps 34:12–16. Back to text.
1 Pet 3:14–15: Is 8:12–13. Back to text.
1 Pet 3:20: Gen 6–8. Back to text.
1 Pet 4:14: Is 11:2. Back to text.
1 Pet 4:18: Prov 11:31 Septuagint. Back to text.
1 Pet 5:5: Prov 3:34. Back to text.
1 Pet 5:7: Ps 55:22. Back to text.
THE SECOND LETTER OF PETER
2 Pet 1:17–18: Mt 17:1–8; Mk 9:2–8; Lk 9:28–36. Back to text.
2 Pet 2:1–18: Jude 4–16. Back to text.
2 Pet 2:5: Gen 8:18; 6:6–8. Back to text.
2 Pet 2:6: Gen 19:24. Back to text.
2 Pet 2:7: Gen 19:16, 29. Back to text.
2 Pet 2:15: Num 22:5, 7. Back to text.
2 Pet 2:16: Num 22:21, 23, 28, 30–31. Back to text.
2 Pet 2:22: Prov 26:11. Back to text.
2 Pet 3:5–6: Gen 1:6–8; 7:11. Back to text.
2 Pet 3:8: Ps 90:4. Back to text.
2 Pet 3:12: Is 34:4. Back to text.
2 Pet 3:13: Is 65:17; 66:22. Back to text.
THE FIRST LETTER OF JOHN
1 Jn 1:1–2: Lk 24:39; Jn 1:1; 4:14; 15:27; 20:20, 25; Acts 4:20; 1 Jn
2:13. Back to text.
1 Jn 1:4: Jn 15:11; 2 Jn 12. Back to text.
1 Jn 1:5: 1 Jn 3:11. Back to text.
1 Jn 1:6–8: Jn 3:21; 1 Jn 2:4, 11. Back to text.
1 Jn 1:7: Rev 1:5. Back to text.
1 Jn 1:10: 1 Jn 5:10. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:1: Jn 14:16. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:2: Jn 1:29; 3:14–16; 11:51–52; 1 Jn 4:10. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:3: Jn 15:10. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:4: 1 Jn 1:6–8; 4:20. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:5: Jn 14:21, 23; 1 Jn 5:3. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:6: Jn 13:15. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:7: Jn 13:34. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:8: Jn 8:12. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:10–11: Jn 11:9–10; 1 Jn 1:6. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:13: Jn 1:1; 1 Jn 1:1. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:18: 1 Jn 4:3. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:22: 2 Jn 7. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:23: 1 Jn 4:15; 2 Jn 9. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:27: Jn 14:26. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:28: 1 Jn 4:17. Back to text.
1 Jn 2:29: 1 Jn 3:7–10; 4:7. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:1: Jn 1:12; 16:3. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:5: Jn 1:29. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:8: Jn 8:34, 44. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:9: 1 Jn 5:18. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:11: 1 Jn 1:5. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:13: Jn 15:18–19. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:14: Jn 5:24. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:15: Jn 8:44. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:16: Jn 13:1; 15:13. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:18: Jas 1:22. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:21: 1 Jn 5:14. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:23: Jn 6:29; 13:34; 15:17. Back to text.
1 Jn 3:24: 1 Jn 4:13. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:3: 1 Jn 2:18. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:5: Jn 15:19. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:6: Jn 8:47. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:7: 1 Jn 2:29. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:9: Jn 3:16. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:10: Jn 15:12; 1 Jn 4:19; 2:2. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:12: Jn 1:18. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:13: 1 Jn 3:24. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:14: Jn 4:42; 3:17. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:17: 1 Jn 2:28. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:19: 1 Jn 4:10. Back to text.
1 Jn 4:20: 1 Jn 2:4. Back to text.
1 Jn 5:1: Jn 8:42. Back to text.
1 Jn 5:3: Jn 14:15; 1 Jn 2:5; 2 Jn 6. Back to text.
1 Jn 5:4: Jn 16:33. Back to text.
1 Jn 5:6–8: Jn 19:34; 4:23; 15:26. Back to text.
1 Jn 5:9: Jn 5:32, 36; 8:18. Back to text.
1 Jn 5:10: 1 Jn 1:10. Back to text.
THE SECOND LETTER OF JOHN
2 Jn 1: 3 Jn 1. Back to text.
2 Jn 5: Jn 13:34. Back to text.
2 Jn 6: 1 Jn 5:3. Back to text.
2 Jn 7: 1 Jn 2:22. Back to text.
2 Jn 12: 1 Jn 1:4; 3 Jn 13. Back to text.
THE THIRD LETTER OF JOHN
3 Jn 1: Acts 19:29; 2 Jn 1. Back to text.
3 Jn 12: Jn 21:24. Back to text.
3 Jn 13: 2 Jn 12. Back to text.
THE LETTER OF JUDE
Jude 4–16: 2 Pet 2:1–18. Back to text.
Jude 7: Gen 19. Back to text.
Jude 9: Zech 3:2. Back to text.
Jude 11: Gen 4:3–8; Num 22–24; 16. Back to text.
Jude 14–15: Enoch 1:9. Back to text.
Jude 23: Zech 3:3–4. Back to text.
THE REVELATION TO JOHN
Rev 1:4: Ex 3:14. Back to text.
Rev 1:5: Ps 89:27. Back to text.
Rev 1:6: Ex 19:6; Is 61:6. Back to text.
Rev 1:7: Dan 7:13; Mt 24:30; Mk 14:62; Zech 12:10. Back to text.
Rev 1:8: Ex 3:14. Back to text.
Rev 1:13: Dan 7:13; 10:5. Back to text.
Rev 1:15: Ezek 1:24. Back to text.
Rev 1:16: Ex 34:29. Back to text.
Rev 1:17: Is 44:2, 6. Back to text.
Rev 2:7: Gen 2:9. Back to text.
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Rev 2:8: Is 44:6. Back to text.
Rev 2:10: Dan 1:12. Back to text.
Rev 2:14: Num 31:16; 25:1–2. Back to text.
Rev 2:17: Ps 78:24; Is 62:2. Back to text.
Rev 2:18: Dan 10:6. Back to text.
Rev 2:20: 1 Kings 16:31; 2 Kings 9:22, 30; Num 25:1. Back to text.
Rev 2:23: Jer 17:10; Ps 62:12. Back to text.
Rev 2:26: Ps 2:8–9. Back to text.
Rev 3:5: Ex 32:32; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1; Mt 10:32. Back to text.
Rev 3:7: Is 22:22. Back to text.
Rev 3:9: Is 60:14; 49:23; 43:4. Back to text.
Rev 3:12: Is 62:2; Ezek 48:35; Rev 21:2. Back to text.
Rev 3:14: Ps 89:28; Prov 8:22; Jn 1:1–3. Back to text.
Rev 3:17: Hos 12:8. Back to text.
Rev 3:19: Prov 3:12. Back to text.
Rev 4:1: Ex 19:16, 24. Back to text.
Rev 4:2: Ezek 1:26–28. Back to text.
Rev 4:5: Ex 19:16; Zech 4:2. Back to text.
Rev 4:6: Ezek 1:5, 18. Back to text.
Rev 4:7: Ezek 1:10. Back to text.
Rev 4:8: Is 6:2–3. Back to text.
Rev 4:9: Ps 47:8. Back to text.
Rev 5:1: Ezek 2:9; Is 29:11. Back to text.
Rev 5:5: Gen 49:9. Back to text.
Rev 5:6: Is 53:7; Zech 4:10. Back to text.
Rev 5:8: Ps 141:2. Back to text.
Rev 5:9: Ps 33:3. Back to text.
Rev 5:10: Ex 19:6; Is 61:6. Back to text.
Rev 5:11: Dan 7:10. Back to text.
Rev 6:2: Zech 1:8; 6:1–3. Back to text.
Rev 6:6: 2 Kings 6:25. Back to text.
Rev 6:8: Hos 13:14; Ezek 5:12. Back to text.
Rev 6:10: Zech 1:12; Ps 79:5; Gen 4:10. Back to text.
Rev 6:12: Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20. Back to text.
Rev 6:13: Is 34:4. Back to text.
Rev 6:15: Is 2:10. Back to text.
Rev 6:16: Hos 10:8. Back to text.
Rev 6:17: Joel 2:11; Mal 3:2. Back to text.
Rev 7:1: Zech 6:5. Back to text.
Rev 7:3: Ezek 9:4. Back to text.
Rev 7:14: Dan 12:1; Gen 49:11. Back to text.
Rev 7:16: Is 49:10; Ps 121:6. Back to text.
Rev 7:17: Ezek 34:23; Ps 23:2; Is 25:8. Back to text.
Rev 8:3: Amos 9:1; Ps 141:2. Back to text.
Rev 8:5: Lev 16:12; Ezek 10:2. Back to text.
Rev 8:7: Ex 9:23–25. Back to text.
Rev 8:8: Jer 51:25. Back to text.
Rev 8:10: Is 14:12. Back to text.
Rev 9:2: Gen 19:28; Ex 19:18; Joel 2:10. Back to text.
Rev 9:3: Ex 10:12–15. Back to text.
Rev 9:4: Ezek 9:4. Back to text.
Rev 9:6: Job 3:21. Back to text.
Rev 9:7: Joel 2:4. Back to text.
Rev 9:8: Joel 1:6. Back to text.
Rev 9:9: Joel 2:5. Back to text.
Rev 9:13: Ex 30:1–3. Back to text.
Rev 9:20: Is 17:8; Ps 115:4–7; 135:15–17. Back to text.
Rev 10:5: Deut 32:40; Dan 12:7. Back to text.
Rev 10:9: Ezek 2:8; 3:1–3. Back to text.
Rev 10:11: Jer 1:10. Back to text.
Rev 11:1: Ezek 40:3. Back to text.
Rev 11:2: Zech 12:3; Is 63:18; Lk 21:24. Back to text.
Rev 11:4: Zech 4:3, 11–14. Back to text.
Rev 11:5: 2 Kings 1:10; Jer 5:14. Back to text.
Rev 11:6: 1 Kings 17:1; Ex 7:17, 19. Back to text.
Rev 11:7: Dan 7:3, 7, 21. Back to text.
Rev 11:8: Is 1:9. Back to text.
Rev 11:11: Ezek 37:5, 10. Back to text.
Rev 11:12: 2 Kings 2:11. Back to text.
Rev 11:15: Ps 22:28; Dan 7:14, 27. Back to text.
Rev 11:18: Ps 2:1. Back to text.
Rev 11:19: 1 Kings 8:1–6; 2 Mac 2:4–8. Back to text.
Rev 12:2: Mic 4:10. Back to text.
Rev 12:3: Dan 7:7. Back to text.
Rev 12:4: Dan 8:10. Back to text.
Rev 12:5: Is 66:7; Ps 2:9. Back to text.
Rev 12:7: Dan 10:13. Back to text.
Rev 12:9: Gen 3:1, 14–15; Zech 3:1. Back to text.
Rev 12:10: Job 1:9–11. Back to text.
Rev 12:12: Is 44:23; 49:13. Back to text.
Rev 12:14: Dan 7:25; 12:7. Back to text.
Rev 13:1: Dan 7:1–6. Back to text.
Rev 13:5: Dan 7:8. Back to text.
Rev 13:7: Dan 7:21. Back to text.
Rev 13:9: Mk 4:23. Back to text.
Rev 13:10: Jer 15:2. Back to text.
Rev 13:14: Deut 13:1–5. Back to text.
Rev 13:15: Dan 3:5. Back to text.
Rev 14:1: Ezek 9:4. Back to text.
Rev 14:8: Is 21:9. Back to text.
Rev 14:10: Jer 51:7; Gen 19:24. Back to text.
Rev 14:11: Is 34:10. Back to text.
Rev 14:14: Dan 7:13. Back to text.
Rev 14:15: Joel 3:13; Mt 13:30. Back to text.
Rev 14:20: Joel 3:13. Back to text.
Rev 15:1: Lev 26:21. Back to text.
Rev 15:3: Ex 15:1; Ps 145:17. Back to text.
Rev 15:4: Jer 10:7; Ps 86:9–10. Back to text.
Rev 15:5: Ex 40:34. Back to text.
Rev 15:8: 1 Kings 8:10; Is 6:4; Ezek 44:4. Back to text.
Rev 16:1: Is 66:6; Ps 69:24. Back to text.
Rev 16:2: Ex 9:10–11; Deut 28:35. Back to text.
Rev 16:3–4: Ex 7:17–21. Back to text.
Rev 16:6: Ps 79:3. Back to text.
Rev 16:7: Ps 119:137. Back to text.
Rev 16:10: Ex 10:21. Back to text.
Rev 16:12: Is 11:15–16. Back to text.
Rev 16:13: 1 Kings 22:21–23; Ex 8:3. Back to text.
Rev 16:15: 1 Thess 5:2. Back to text.
Rev 16:16: 2 Kings 9:27. Back to text.
Rev 16:17: Is 66:6. Back to text.
Rev 16:18: Ex 19:16; Dan 12:1. Back to text.
Rev 16:21: Ex 9:23. Back to text.
Rev 17:1: Jer 51:13. Back to text.
Rev 17:2: Is 23:17; Jer 25:15–16. Back to text.
Rev 17:4: Jer 51:7. Back to text.
Rev 17:8: Dan 7:3; Rev 3:5. Back to text.
Rev 17:12: Dan 7:20–24. Back to text.
Rev 17:14: Dan 2:47. Back to text.
Rev 18:2: Is 21:9; Jer 50:39. Back to text.
Rev 18:3: Jer 25:15, 27. Back to text.
Rev 18:4: Is 48:20; Jer 50:8. Back to text.
Rev 18:5: Jer 51:9. Back to text.
Rev 18:6: Ps 137:8. Back to text.
Rev 18:7: Is 47:8–9. Back to text.
Rev 18:9: Ezek 26:16–17. Back to text.
Rev 18:11: Ezek 27:36. Back to text.
Rev 18:12: Ezek 27:12–13, 22. Back to text.
Rev 18:15: Ezek 27:36, 31. Back to text.
Rev 18:17: Is 23:14; Ezek 27:26–30. Back to text.
Rev 18:19: Ezek 27:30–34. Back to text.
Rev 18:20: Is 44:23; Jer 51:48. Back to text.
Rev 18:21: Jer 51:63; Ezek 26:21. Back to text.
Rev 18:22: Is 24:8; Ezek 26:13. Back to text.
Rev 18:23: Jer 25:10. Back to text.
Rev 18:24: Jer 51:49. Back to text.
Rev 19:2: Deut 32:43. Back to text.
Rev 19:3: Is 34:10. Back to text.
Rev 19:5: Ps 115:13. Back to text.
Rev 19:7: Ps 118:24. Back to text.
Rev 19:11: Ezek 1:1. Back to text.
Rev 19:12: Dan 10:6. Back to text.
Rev 19:15: Ps 2:9. Back to text.
Rev 19:16: Deut 10:17; Dan 2:47. Back to text.
Rev 19:17: Ezek 39:4, 17–20. Back to text.
Rev 20:4: Dan 7:9, 22, 27. Back to text.
Rev 20:8: Ezek 38:2, 9, 15. Back to text.
Rev 20:9: 2 Kings 1:10–12. Back to text.
Rev 20:11–12: Dan 7:9–10. Back to text.
Rev 20:15: Rev 3:5. Back to text.
Rev 21:1: Is 66:22. Back to text.
Rev 21:2: Rev 3:12. Back to text.
Rev 21:3: Ezek 37:27. Back to text.
Rev 21:4: Is 25:8; 35:10. Back to text.
Rev 21:5: Is 43:19. Back to text.
Rev 21:6: Is 55:1. Back to text.
Rev 21:7: Ps 89:27–28. Back to text.
Rev 21:8: Is 30:33. Back to text.
Rev 21:10: Ezek 40:2. Back to text.
Rev 21:12: Ezek 48:30–35; Ex 28:21. Back to text.
Rev 21:15: Ezek 40:5. Back to text.
Rev 21:19: Is 54:11–12. Back to text.
Rev 21:23: Is 24:23; 60:1, 19. Back to text.
Rev 21:25: Is 60:11. Back to text.
Rev 21:27: Is 52:1; Rev 3:5. Back to text.
Rev 22:2: Gen 2:9. Back to text.
Rev 22:3: Zech 14:11. Back to text.
Rev 22:4: Ps 17:15. Back to text.
Rev 22:11: Dan 12:10. Back to text.
Rev 22:12: Is 40:10; Jer 17:10. Back to text.
Rev 22:13: Is 44:6; 48:12. Back to text.
Rev 22:14: Gen 2:9; 3:22. Back to text.
Rev 22:16: Is 11:1, 10. Back to text.
Rev 22:17: Is 55:1. Back to text.
Rev 22:21: 2 Thess 3:18. Back to text.
DOCTRINAL NOTES
THE BOOK OF GENESIS
* Gen 1:1—2:4a: The aim of this narrative is not to present a scientific
picture but to teach religious truth, especially the dependence of all creation
on God and its consecration to him through the homage rendered by man,
who is the climax of creation. Hence its strong liturgical character and the
concluding emphasis on the sabbath. It serves as a prologue to the whole of
the Old Testament.
* Gen 2:4b ff: This account of the state of the world at the beginning,
which introduces the story of the first sin, comes from a different and earlier
source and is composed in a very different style. There is nothing in these
early chapters that commits us to any particular scientific view of the
origins of the world or man, or that would exclude the evolution hypothesis.
* Gen 3:15, he shall bruise your head: i.e., the seed of the woman, that
is, mankind descended from Eve, will eventually gain the victory over the
powers of evil. This victory will, of course, be gained through the work of
the Messiah who is par excellence the seed of the woman.
The Latin Vulgate has the reading ipsa conteret, “she shall bruise.”
Some Old Latin manuscripts have this reading, and it occurs also in St.
Augustine, De Genesi contra Manichaeos, II, which is earlier than St.
Jerome’s translation. It could be due originally to a copyist’s mistake, which
was then seen to contain a genuine meaning—namely, that Mary, too,
would have her share in the victory, inasmuch as she was mother of the
Savior.
* Gen 4:1: The story of Cain and Abel has the purpose of showing the
effects of sin within society, the fratricide of Cain leading to the vengeance
of Lamech and so to the Flood. We are, however, no longer in the first age
of humanity, as can be seen from verses 14, 17, etc.
* Gen 4:26: Seth takes the place of the murdered Abel and is the ancestor
of Noah. In Ex 3:14 and 6:2–3 we find another account of the origins of
Yahwism.
* Gen 5:1, generations: It should be noted that these genealogies are
selective and schematic, and the numbers, as often in the Old Testament, are
symbolic.
* Gen 6:2, sons of God could mean simply “divine beings,” as elsewhere
in the Old Testament. The writer, however, may be using an old story or
myth to point out the progressive degradation of mankind before the Flood
and to warn against the evil effects of intermarriage either of the
descendants of Seth with the Kenites or, more probably, of the Israelites
with the native populations of Canaan.
* Gen 6:11: Here begins the Flood narrative formed of two almost
parallel accounts. This fact explains the existence of repetitions and
discrepancies. It is, in places, remarkably similar to other Flood stories from
the ancient Near East.
* Gen 10:1, generations: This “table of the nations” makes use of old
material to show how all the nations of the world as then known have
descended from the generation that survived the Flood. It was from this
world that Abraham was called to be the father of the chosen people.
* Gen 11:1–9: The tower of Babel ( = Babylon) is taken as a symbol of
political power, empire-building, and the civilization that opposes God’s
plan. The tower was probably a ziggurat, i.e., Babylonian temple.
* Gen 12:1–3: With Abraham’s call, sacred history in the strict sense
begins. The promise theme runs through the whole patriarchal history, e.g.,
18:18; 28:14.
* Gen 14:18, Melchizedek was later taken as a Messianic figure (Ps
110:4) and interpreted in the New Testament as foreshadowing Christ,
whose priesthood (including the offering of bread and wine) exceeds that of
the Old Testament; cf. Heb 7:1–7.
* Gen 15:1: The Vulgate has “I am thy protector, and thy reward
exceeding great.” There was, however, at this stage, no idea of a reward in a
future life.
* Gen 16:1–4: The practice suggested by Sarai, involving as it did
polygamy, was in accord with moral standards at that time and is referred to
in legal codes of the period.
* Gen 19:1: The Sodom episode, so often referred to in the Old and New
Testaments, expresses the abhorrence of the true Israelite for unnatural sin
and the violation of the sacred duty of hospitality, cf. Judg 19:11–30.
* Gen 22:1–19: The sacrifice of Isaac, while reprobating the practice of
human sacrifice then in use among the Canaanites, gives a magnificent
example of Abraham’s faith and obedience, as also does 18:1–15; cf. Rom 4
and Heb 11:8–12.
* Gen 22:6: Isaac, carrying the wood up the mountain for the sacrifice,
has often been seen as a figure of Christ carrying his cross to die on
Golgotha.
* Gen 25:19: With the birth of Esau and Jacob we enter a new narrative
cycle. Jacob, renamed Israel, is represented as the ancestor of the twelve
tribes and, therefore, of the whole people; cf. Deut 26:5.
* Gen 28:10–22: This narrative explains and justifies the use of what had
formerly been a Canaaaite sanctuary, Bethel. The ladder seems to represent
the ziggurat, which was a temple with steps leading to a platform at the top.
* Gen 32:24–32: The meaning of this, one of the oldest and most
mysterious narratives in Genesis, remains obscure. It is intended to explain
the place name Penuel, which means “face of God.”
* Gen 37:2: From this point the book of Genesis is chiefly concerned
with the Joseph story, which is full of the sense of divine providence. It has,
as might be expected, a markedly Egyptian character.
* Gen 49:1–27: In their present form these “Oracles of Jacob,” blessings
pronounced upon his sons as epitomizing the twelve tribes, date from the
period of the early monarchy.
THE BOOK OF EXODUS
* This book, made up of various traditions of different dates, deals with
two events, the deliverance from Egypt and the Sinai covenant, which,
closely linked together, form the basis of Old Testament faith. It is
dominated by the personality of Moses. Back to text.
* Ex 3:14: The translation is uncertain; it is, therefore, difficult to decide
whether this is a refusal to disclose the name or an explanation of the divine
title Yahweh revealed immediately afterward.
* Ex 7:14: Here begins the story of the ten plagues. Again, the narrative
is composite, and originally different traditions knew of different numbers
of plagues. All, however, lead up to the climax of the death of the first–
born. Some of the plagues correspond to natural phenomena that are known
to occur, or to have occurred in the past, in Egypt.
* Ex 12:1: The feast of the Passover, the regulations for which are given
here, commemorates the deliverance from Egypt. The feast of unleavened
bread would probably have been added only after the entry into Canaan.
The Passover foreshadows the sacrifice of Jesus (1 Cor 5:7).
* Ex 16:14: The mysterious manna may have been a substance secreted
by the tamarisk or perhaps by an insect that feeds on its leaves and is edible.
In the New Testament it is a type of the Eucharist; cf. Jn 6:31–35, 48–51.
* Ex 19:3: The covenant makes Israel the people of God and binds them
to the fulfilment of the commandments; it is concluded in chapter 24.
* Ex 20:1–17: The Ten Commandments, in their original form even
briefer than here, are found in a different version in Deut 5:6–21.
* Ex 40:34: the cloud and the fire, that is, the glory, are ways of
representing at the same time the presence and the transcendence of God.
THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS
* As the name suggests, this book is almost exclusively concerned with
the regulation of the religious life of Israel by the Levitical priesthood.
Although its underlying concept of Israel as a holy people contains an
element of permanent importance, the law as such, except for those parts
that Christ expressly sanctioned, is not binding on Christians. Back to text.
* Lev 11:1: These regulations concerning what is ritually pure or impure
depend, for the most part, on circumstances peculiar to that time; e.g.,
animals, such as the pig, used in pagan sacrifices. Some correspond to
ancient taboos.
* Lev 17:1: The so-called “Code of Holiness” (chapters 17–26) implies
an exalted idea of the holiness and otherness of the God of Israel.
THE BOOK OF NUMBERS
* The title of this book is explained by the census with which it opens. It
is composed of both history and legislation, and, though edited finally by
the priests after the Exile, it contains much ancient material. Back to text.
* Num 11:16–30: The account of the election of the seventy elders
emphasizes the charismatic or prophetic basis of authority in the
community.
* Num 21:4–9: The bronze serpent may have been the standard or
symbol of the tribe of Levi, to which Moses and Aaron belonged. In Jn 3:14
it becomes a type of the saving cross of Christ.
* Num 22:21–35: The story of Balaam and his donkey is of popular
origin. The oracles of this foreign seer, especially the fourth (24:15–19),
refer to the Messianic king of the future, of whom David is the type.
THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
* The title comes from the mistranslation of 17:18 in the Greek version
(the Septuagint) and really means “a second copy of the law.” The book
comprises the so-called “Deuteronomic Code of Law” (chapters 12–26),
edited within the framework of two discourses attributed to Moses
represented as prophet and lawgiver. The whole is rounded off with a third
discourse, a psalm, and an account of Moses’ death and burial. The central
theme of Deuteronomy is the election of Israel as the people of God by
means of the covenant. Back to text.
* Deut 4:32–40: This passage gives the clearest and most eloquent
expression of Israel’s consciousness of its election as the people of God.
* Deut 4:41: The beginning of the second discourse of Moses containing
the Deuteronomic version of the Ten Commandments; cf. Ex 20:1–17.
* Deut 6:4–9: The recital thrice daily of this text, plus two others, is the
principal practice of piety of the religious Jew; it is called the Shema
(“Hear”). It contains the greatest commandment of the Law, that is, the love
of the covenant-God (cf. Mt 22:37), and a clear statement of monotheism.
* Deut 12:2: This law, enforcing one single place of worship, connects
historically with the religious reform of Josiah just before the Exile in the
opinion of many scholars; cf. 2 Kings 22–23.
* Deut 18:18: The prophet like Moses mentioned here refers either to the
prophetic movement as a whole or to an individual, either Joshua (successor
of Moses) or Samuel. The New Testament sees here a reference to the
Messiah; cf. Jn 1:21; Acts 3:22; 7:37.
* Deut 24:1: Divorce was permitted in Old Testament times on account
of “hardness of heart”; Jesus, however, insists that it was not in the original
plan of God (Mt 19:7–9).
THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
* This book continues the narrative from the death of Moses (Deut 34),
through the conquest of Canaan, down to the great covenant-renewal at
Shechem. The account of the conquest is stylized and summarized: thus, not
all the tribes entered the land together as here described, the operation was
not so free of difficulties and even failures as we might assume after a
reading of this book, and the occupation of the whole country could not
have been carried out by Joshua in person. Judges 1 gives a somewhat
different and complementary version. Back to text.
* Josh 6:1: Here, as elsewhere, the history has been worked over in
accordance with certain theological ideas.
* Josh 6:17: Following the indications elsewhere in the Old Testament, it
would appear that the ban, that is, the physical destruction of the enemy in
obedience to the Deity, was practiced much less than a reading of Joshua
might suggest. Despite the high religious principles that motivated it, it
must be seen in the light of the imperfect stage of moral development
reached at that time.
* Josh 3:7–17: The crossing of the Jordan is described in such a way as to
bring out the theological parallelism with the crossing of the Red Sea (or,
Sea of Reeds); both are seen as due to the direct intervention of God.
* Josh 10:12–14: Joshua’s apostrophe to the sun occurs in a fragment
quoted from an old collection of epic material, and the quotation goes on
beyond verse 12. This would make a literal interpretation of this event
undesirable. It appears from the narrative that a great storm occurred at the
same time as the attack and powerfully helped toward the Israelite victory
(verse 11). It is this sign of divine aid that is so graphically apostrophized in
the following poetic fragment (verses 12–13).
* Josh 13–21: This section consists of topographical indications: the
possessions and boundaries of the tribes and other ethnic groups, and a list
of the cities of refuge.
* Josh 24:1: The full gathering of the tribes at Shechem for a renewal of
the covenant sealed the conquest and the final apportioning of the land. It
seems to indicate the conversion to the worship of Yahweh of those
Hebrews who did not go down to Egypt.
THE BOOK OF JUDGES
* This book, which has been edited at least twice, fills in the period from
the settlement to the monarchy. This was a period of crisis that gave rise to
“saviors” raised up by God to meet these critical situations. The deeds of
six of these are recounted at some length: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah (and
Barak), Gideon, Jephthah, Samson; there are also six “minor” judges who
are given only a short notice: Shamgar, Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon. The
book ends with two appendixes (chapters 17–21). Back to text.
* Judg 1:1: This first chapter describes the difficulties and defeats of the
conquest.
* Judg 2:11–19: This passage gives the theological scheme of the book
according to which the episodic history is presented. It comes from an
editor inspired by the ideas of Deuteronomy and resembles closely the
scheme according to which the kings, beginning with Solomon, are
assessed and judged.
* Judg 5:1: The song of Deborah gives an alternative to the prose account
of the previous chapter. Though touched up by later editors, it is very
ancient and gives a valuable picture of the state of Israel in the thirteenth
century B.C..
* Judg 8:23: It appears from the sequel that Gideon did in fact become a
king even if he refused the title; but the idea of an hereditary monarchy was
still unacceptable, as the following history of Abimelech shows.
* Judg 11:39: Human sacrifice, common in Canaan and surrounding
lands, was never permitted in Israel; cf. Lev 18:21. The few cases we find
were due to foreign influence or to an erroneous conscience; cf. 2 Sam
21:4–6; 2 Kings 23:10.
* Judg 13:1: The “Samson cycle” (chapters 13–16) is built on the theme
of the broken vow; cf. 13:4–5. This gives a religious character to what
otherwise has the appearance of profane literature.
* Judg 17–21: Extracts from tribal tradition which give a dark picture of
the times.
THE BOOK OF RUTH
* This charming tale of family life in the countryside of Bethlehem
during the period of the judges is imbued with a deeply religious spirit. It is
a story of family devotion and of piety toward one’s ancestors. The book
has significance for the ancestry of David and the Messiah. Though Jewish
in feeling, it is not narrowly so; indeed, Boaz goes beyond what is strictly
required by the law and, though the book insists that Israel’s faith must
remain uncontaminated, yet it also says it must be made available to all.
The call of the Gentiles is foreseen. There is no certainty about the date of
the book. It was probably written during the period of the kingship, though
some think it was composed after the Exile. Back to text.
THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL
* The First and Second Books of Samuel (the First and Second Books of
Kings): Samuel was traditionally supposed to have written these books—
hence the title. The Latin Vulgate, following the Greek tradition, links these
books with 1 and 2 Kings, calling them 1–4 Kings (Greek, 1–4 Kingdoms).
1 and 2 Samuel cover the early period of the monarchy and are, in fact,
composed of two main traditions; this at times makes the sequence of
events difficult to follow. The narrative makes plain the difficulty of
centralizing the government of the tribes. David’s character and
achievement are well brought out, and there is special emphasis on the
Messianic importance of both. Yet at the end the signs of possible schism
are already manifest. The books were probably written during the period of
the divided monarchy. Back to text.
* 1 Sam 1:3, Shiloh: At this time, the central sanctuary of the tribes and
the residence of the ark, the visible assurance of the presence of Yahweh,
Lord of the hosts of Israel.
* 1 Sam 2:1–10: This song, though certainly touched up at a later period
(e.g., the reference to a king in verse 10), is meant to express Hannah’s
sentiments. It has profoundly influenced the Magnificat.
* 1 Sam 2:18, ephod: The ephod was either a distinctive priestly garment
as here, or a means of divination used by the priest, possibly a container for
the sacred lots; cf. 2:28.
* 1 Sam 3:1: This account of the prophetic vocation of Samuel (cf. Is 6)
is meant to begin a new chapter in the spiritual history of Israel.
* 1 Sam 4:1: Here begins a new phase in the epic struggle against the
Philistines, which the editor has skilfully woven into the story of the ark
and of Samuel.
* 1 Sam 4:21, Ichabod: The name means “The Glory is not”; i.e., the
glory of the Lord enthroned over the ark has departed. Then followed the
years during which the sanctuary of Shiloh was desolate and of which
Jeremiah long afterward was acutely conscious; cf. Jer 7:12, 14; 26:6.
* 1 Sam 7:2: The story of the ark, which comes from a special source, is
continued in 2 Sam 6.
* 1 Sam 8:10ff: Choosing a king. Two accounts are discernible—a
monarchist and an antimonarchist. In the absence of a central sanctuary and
in an atmosphere of defeat, one section of the people demanded a king to
re-establish their fortunes; the others preferred to leave it to God to raise up
leaders when necessary, as in the days of the judges.
* 1 Sam 9:13, high place: It was customary in early Israel to worship
God on raised platforms or hilltops, as the Canaanites did their gods. Later
such practices were forbidden as leading to idolatry, and worship was
allowed only in Jerusalem; cf. Deut 12:2ff.
* 1 Sam 10:5, prophets: An inferior kind of prophet who flourished for a
time in Israel. They were quite different from the writing prophets, in that
they cultivated states of ecstasy and even used musical instruments for the
purpose.
* 1 Sam 11:8: These figures are probably a later insertion.
* 1 Sam 12:11, Jerubbaal: i.e., Gideon.
* 1 Sam 12:20–25: Samuel here summarizes the antimonarchist attitude;
cf. Josh 24.
* 1 Sam 13:1: Acts 13:21 says Saul reigned forty years; but so did David
(2 Sam 5:5). These must be round numbers, to indicate a fairly long rule.
* 1 Sam 14:38–42: This passage shows how the sacred lots were cast to
find out God’s will.
* 1 Sam 15:22–23: Samuel does not condemn sacrifices but says
obedience is better.
* 1 Sam 18:25, marriage present: The usual payment for a bride.
* 1 Sam 19:20–24: cf. 10:5.
* 1 Sam 26:19, Go, serve other gods: They did not consider the
possibility of worshiping Yahweh, the God of Israel, in a foreign land.
THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL
* 2 Sam 1:26: Vulgate adds, “As the mother loves her only son, so did I
love you.”
* 2 Sam 2:8, Ish-bosheth: “Man of shame.” The name was really Ish-
baal, “Man or servant of Baal,” but the writer could not bring himself to
pronounce so profane a name, especially as it belonged to an Israelite; cf. 1
Chron 8:33; 9:39, where the name is given as Esh-baal.
* 2 Sam 2:14, play: He meant “do battle.” The idea was to settle the
matter by a fight between two select groups of soldiers.
* 2 Sam 5:1: The two chapters 5–6 represent the climax of David’s career
with the establishment of Jerusalem as the political and religious center of
Israel.
* 2 Sam 5:6, the blind and the lame: The meaning is, that the place was
so strong that it could be defended even by the blind and the lame. But
David took it by a stratagem, his men climbing secretly up a shaft from the
spring Gihon. The place was ideal for a capital city.
* 2 Sam 7:1–29: The point of this prophecy is the establishment of
David’s dynasty. Hence God says he will build David a house (verse 11).
David thanks him suitably in a formal prayer (verses 18–29).
* 2 Sam 9:1: 2 Sam 9—1 Kings 2 (except 2 Sam 21–24) is the account of
the struggle for the succession to David’s throne. It goes back to the early
monarchy and is probably the oldest continuous prose narrative in the Old
Testament.
* 2 Sam 11:1: The story of David’s double crime shows how he, too,
unlike other contemporary monarchs, was under the divine law, not above
it, and how God draws good from evil, since it was Bathsheba’s son who
would succeed David.
* 2 Sam 11:11: It was a religious law that soldiers should remain
continent in time of war; cf. 1 Sam 21:4–5.
* 2 Sam 13:1: The first signs of dissension become visible.
* 2 Sam 16:22: Absalom’s action meant that he was supplanting his
father in the kingship; cf. 3:7; 12:8.
* 2 Sam 20:10: Thus did Joab remove his last rival and remain in power
till David’s death, in spite of the king’s dislike of him.
* 2 Sam 22:2–51: This song, probably inserted later, is very similar to
Psalm 18.
* 2 Sam 24:1: God is here said to command the census, presumably on
the general grounds of ascribing the king’s policies to him, but in verse 10
David says he has sinned thereby, and in 1 Chron 21:1 the census is
ascribed to Satan as an infringement of God’s prerogatives.
THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS
* The First and Second Books of the Kings (the Third and Fourth Books
of the Kings): the period covered in these books extends from the death of
David to after the fall of Jerusalem in the year 586 B.C. The main theme is
the steady decline of Israel dragged down by the monarchy, and her
punishment by God for the worship of false gods, introduced by Solomon
and actively promoted by many of his successors, especially in the northern
kingdom. Back to text.
* 1 Kings 1:1: The story continues from 2 Sam 20:26.
* 1 Kings 1:5: There was as yet no natural right of succession and David
had already given the right to Solomon, a younger son; cf. verse 13.
* 1 Kings 3:1: Chapters 3–11 give the history of Solomon. The Pharaoh
of 3:1 and 9:16 (?) was of the twenty-first dynasty, possibly Psusennes II.
* 1 Kings 3:5, a dream: A common means of divine communication,
especially before the age of the prophets.
* 1 Kings 4:32, proverbs: Doubtless some of those of the book of
Proverbs are to be ascribed to Solomon. The book of Wisdom however
(called in Greek The Wisdom of Solomon), is ascribed to him only because
of his reputation for wisdom. It was actually written in the first century B.C.
* 1 Kings 6:1: The temple was built on the high ground to the north of
Ophel, David’s city.
* 1 Kings 8:10, cloud: The visible sign of the presence of Yahweh taking
possession of his sanctuary; later called the shekinah by the rabbis.
* 1 Kings 8:23–53: This eloquent prayer admirably sums up the relation
of God to his people.
* 1 Kings 8:27: A reminder that Yahweh was very different from the gods
of other nations, who dwelt in their temples.
* 1 Kings 9:3–9: God’s response to Solomon’s prayer.
* 1 Kings 10:1, Sheba: A kingdom in southwestern Arabia.
* 1 Kings 10:22, ships of Tarshish: i.e., ships that could sail to Tarshish
(usually located in Spain). The word then came to be applied to ocean-
going vessels.
* 1 Kings 11:1–8: This account of Solomon’s moral decline stresses the
connection between apostasy and sexual excess—a theme often met with in
the Old Testament.
* 1 Kings 11:14: Because of Solomon’s idolatry, God raised up enemies,
to the south (Edom), to the north (Damascus), and within the kingdom
(Jeroboam).
* 1 Kings 12:1, Shechem was the old religious center of the northern
tribes. The alliance between these and Judah was never very strong, even
during the united monarchy.
* 1 Kings 12:28, Behold your gods: Jeroboam seems to have had no
intention of introducing false gods. These were to be images of Yahweh.
But in doing this he debased the whole idea of true worship and made it
more like pagan religion, to which it was bound to lead in the end; cf.
16:31. Judah, with all its advantages of temple and dynasty, was no better at
this time, but reforms were instituted at intervals.
* 1 Kings 16:24, hill of Samaria: One of the most splendid sites in the
Middle East for a capital city. But even so, the northern kingdom never
achieved stability.
* 1 Kings 17:1: With this description of the drought begins the prophetic
career of Elijah, the great opponent of the nature religion that flourished in
the northern kingdom and that Ahab and his Phoenician wife, Jezebel, were
so active in promoting.
* 1 Kings 18:19, prophets of Baal: These had been brought from
Phoenicia by Jezebel.
* 1 Kings 19:8, Horeb: i.e., Mount Sinai, where the law was given to
Moses and God made a covenant with his people.
* 1 Kings 21:10: Two witnesses were required for a legal charge
involving the death penalty; cf. Susanna and the elders; cf. Num 35:30;
Deut 19:15; Dan 13:40; Mt 18:16.
* 1 Kings 21:29: God has mercy on the repentant king, as before in the
case of David. But he does not say here that the dynasty will be preserved.
THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS
* 2 Kings 2:9, a double share: The eldest son inherited a double share of
his father’s property; cf. Deut 21:17. Elisha regarded himself as the son and
so asked for Elijah’s spirit as his inheritance.
* 2 Kings 3:4–27: The Moabite Stone, or Stele of Mesha, in the Louvre,
found in Trans-Jordan in 1868, describes the liberation of Moab from Israel,
but understandably is silent about its subjection.
* 2 Kings 5:15: A forthright monotheism that not even an Israelite could
improve on. However, Naaman realized that Yahweh had a special relation
to Israel; cf. verse 17.
* 2 Kings 9:24: So was the sin of Ahab visited upon his son, according to
the word of the Lord; cf. 1 Kings 21:29.
* 2 Kings 14:21, Azariah: Otherwise known as Uzziah; cf. 15:13; 2
Chron 26:1–23.
* 2 Kings 15:19, Pul: i.e., Tiglath-pileser III; cf. verse 29.
* 2 Kings 16:3: Human sacrifice to Moloch was practiced in Phoenicia.
* 2 Kings 17:7–18: A full explanation of how Israel had sinned and was
punished accordingly.
* 2 Kings 17:24–41: Origin of the Samaritans, written by an orthodox
Jew.
* 2 Kings 19:35: It is usually supposed that the Assyrians were struck by
a virulent disease.
* 2 Kings 22:8, book of the law: Probably Deuteronomy. In Deut 12–26
may be seen details of Josiah’s reform, especially as regards the
centralization of worship. The book must have been hidden or lost during
the reign of the wicked Manasseh.
THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES
* The First and Second Books of the Chronicles (the First and Second
Paralipomenon): These books, written after the Exile, give a second account
of the period of the kingship. Composed as they were during a time of
religious revival, they aim at giving a more religious history of the period
than is available in Samuel and Kings. The author’s interest is mainly in
Judah and in the worship in the temple. The kingdom of David is idealized
and some developments that took place later are here situated in his reign.
Back to text.
* 1 Chron 1:1: Much space is given to genealogies in Chronicles.
Postexilic Judaism was greatly interested in these in its efforts to preserve
the race.
* 21—29: In these chapters the Chronicler enlarges on the organization
of divine worship and of the clergy charged with carrying it out. He records
the erection of a (permanent) altar to Yahweh on the site of the future
temple and even describes David’s preparation for the temple construction.
* 1 Chron 24:3: There were two chief priests in the time of David,
namely, Zadok and Abiathar, descended from Eleazar and Ithamar
respectively; cf. 1 Sam 22:20; 2 Sam 15:24. Later, in the time of Solomon,
Zadok became sole high priest.
THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES
* 2 Chron 1:1: The Chronicler makes no mention of the rival claims of
Adonijah and of his being put to death by Solomon; cf. 1 Kings 2:13–25.
He concentrates on the favorable aspects of the reign and enlarges on the
wisdom Solomon received from God.
* 2 Chron 6:21, hear from heaven: This phrase recurs like a refrain
throughout this prayer, which seems to have been given a liturgical form.
* 2 Chron 7:1, fire came down: As it did for Elijah’s sacrifice; cf. 1 Kings
18:38.
* 2 Chron 9:31: One might have expected something to be said on
Solomon’s decline in morals, but it is passed over in silence. By contrast,
the similar failings of his son Rehoboam are underlined; cf. chapters 11–12.
* 2 Chron 18:12, prophets: Jeremiah says that false prophets usually
proclaim what their hearers want them to say: “every one deals falsely . . .
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (Jer 6:13–14). It will be
noticed that the Chronicler omits a large part of 2 Kings which is concerned
with the northern kingdom. Elijah, for example, is mentioned only once, in
21:12.
* 2 Chron 30:1, Passover: This Passover is not mentioned in Kings. The
celebration inspired the people to go out and destroy the illegal high places
and altars.
* 2 Chron 33:11: There is no record of this captivity of Manasseh in
Babylon or of his subsequent repentance, either in 2 Kings or in the
Assyrian records, though he is known from the latter to have been a vassal
of Assyria.
* 2 Chron 33:18, prayer: An apocryphal prayer of Manasseh is usually
printed at the end of editions of the Vulgate Bible.
THE BOOK OF EZRA
* The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (The First and Second Books of
Esdras): These two books were originally one and were written probably by
the same author as Chronicles. They deal with the century following the
return from the Exile, but it is by no means a complete history that they
give. The author’s main purpose is to describe the religious and political
reorganization after the return, and to underline the workings of God’s
providence. There is some uncertainty as to the chronology and order of the
events described. Two main sources, the memoirs of Ezra and those of
Nehemiah, are here intermingled. Back to text.
* Ezra 1:2: The Persians, unlike the Babylonians, pursued a very liberal
policy in matters of religion.
* Ezra 4:4: Understandably, the people who had occupied the land in the
absence of the exiles now resented their return and, especially, the building
of the temple.
* Ezra 5:1: Building is resumed nearly twenty years later, and the temple
is completed in four years (515 B.C.)—but it was a mere shadow of
Solomon’s temple; cf. 3:12.
* Ezra 7:1: Fifty-seven years later, i.e., about 458 B.C., according to one
view, Ezra the scribe came with other exiles from Babylonia to carry out a
much-needed reform. The total number in this group was some 6,000 or
8,000 persons. Many commentators place Ezra’s coming in the reign of Ar-
ta-xerxes II, 398 B.C., and hence after Nehemiah.
* 9–10: Mixed marriages. Experience had shown that marriage with
women of other races involved serious risk of idolatry; cf. Solomon, 1
Kings 11:1–8.
THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH
* Some years after the arrival of Ezra (cf. Ezra 7), Nehemiah had himself
appointed governor of Jerusalem by the Persian king and came to that city
to build up its walls (445 B.C.). As before, the project was opposed by the
surrounding peoples (cf. chapters 4 and 6), but this time the work was not
interrupted. Back to text.
* Neh 8–10: As it was only thirteen years since the reform of Ezra, some
scholars think that this passage belongs to the book of Ezra.
* Neh 8:8: The book was of course written in Hebrew, but the people,
since their sojourn in Babylonia, now spoke Aramaic, and it had to be
translated for them into that tongue.
THE BOOK OF TOBIT
* The Books of Tobit, Judith and Esther
These three books appear together in the Greek Bible, usually after the
historical books. The complete Aramaic original of Tobit and the Hebrew of
Judith have not survived, and neither book was included in the Jewish
canon at the end of the first century A.D. Existing as they did in the Greek
Bible, they would have been used and recognized as Scripture by the first
Christians. The Greek “Additions to Esther” were probably written two
centuries after the Hebrew text. They were composed in Egypt and they
exhibit a strictly Jewish doctrine. All three books have a literary form
somewhat strange to the Western mind. They are, in effect, religious tales
with the appearance of an historical narrative. They may have an historical
basis, but the persons, places, events and dates are woven into the narrative
in such a way as to have little resemblance to the actual historical record as
we know it from other sources. It would seem, therefore, that the writers are
intending, not to write history as we understand that term, but to use
historical material to impart a religious message.
The Book of Tobit (The Book of Tobias)
The author relates the story of a family living among a pagan people yet
trusting fully in God in spite of difficulties. Belief in one God is stressed;
marriage between Jews is likewise emphasized and angels figure
prominently in the narrative. The book has much to say, too, about the need
for good works. It was written after the Exile at some time during the
Persian period, though the story may be a good deal older than that. It
shows signs of dependence on earlier writings such as the Story of Ahikar, a
sixth-century work from Babylon. It also bears a likeness to Genesis in
certain points, e.g., to his last injunctions to the family, the important role of
angels, the son’s search for a wife, and the care given to burial of the dead.
It is interesting to note that fragments of the Hebrew and Aramaic texts
have been found at Qumran, which favor the longer text of Codex
Sinaiticus, the Old Latin and the Vulgate. Back to text.
* Tob 4:10, charity: i.e., almsgiving; cf. also verses 11 and 16.
* Tob 4:12, immorality: i.e., impurity, fornication.
* Tob 4:17, place your bread: The Greek verb means literally “pour out.”
The Latin, with its “your bread and your wine,” preserves better the original
text, cf. the Story of Ahikar: “Pour out your wine on the graves of the
righteous and drink it not with evil men.”
* Tob 12:9, charity: See note on 4:10.
THE BOOK OF JUDITH
* This is an account of the routing of an army and the freeing of the
people of God through a stratagem devised and carried out by a woman (cf.
Esther). The story is strongly nationalist in sentiment, especially the victory
song in chapter 16. The writer stresses that Judith’s strength comes from
God in response to her trust in him, and because she faithfully keeps all the
prescriptions of the law. The Greek version of the book (the basis of this
translation) was made from a Hebrew original, now lost. The Latin version
was made from an Aramaic text, almost a paraphrase, which is not now
extant and which apparently omitted about a fifth of the book. Back to text.
* Jud 8:1: The names in this genealogy differ in the various texts and
versions.
* Jud 10:4: The remainder of this verse reads in the Vulgate (verse
4): “ 4And the Lord also gave her more beauty: because all this dressing–up
did not proceed from sensuality, but from virtue: and therefore the Lord
increased this her beauty, so that she appeared to all men’s eyes
incomparably lovely.”
* Jud 13:20: Vulgate adds (verses 27–31): “ 27And Achior being called
for came, and Judith said to him: The God of Israel, to whom you gave
testimony, that he revenge himself of his enemies, he has cut off the head of
all the unbelievers this night by my hand. 28And that you may find that it is
so, behold the head of Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride
despised the God of Israel, and threatened you with death, saying: When the
people of Israel shall be taken, I will command your sides to be pierced
with a sword. 29Then Achior, seeing the head of Holofernes, being seized
with a great fear he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned
away. 30But after he had recovered his spirits, he fell down at her feet, and
reverenced her, and said: 31Blessed are you by your God in every tabernacle
of Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear your name, the God of Israel
shall be magnified on occasion of you.”
* Jud 15:9, You are the exaltation of Jerusalem: This passage is included
in the office for feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, e.g., the little chapter for
None on the Assumption, 15 August.
* Jud 16:25: Vulgate adds (verse 31): “ 31But the day of the festivity of
this victory is received by the Hebrews in the number of holy days, and is
religiously observed by the Jews from that time until this day.”
THE BOOK OF ESTHER
* Set in the Persian capital Susa, this story relates how God saved his
people from the hands of an enemy, this time in a foreign country. As in the
book of Judith, the deliverance is brought about through the instrumentality
of a woman. The book gives details for the keeping of the feast of Purim in
memory of this deliverance. Back to text.
* Esther 11:2: The disarrangement of the chapter and verse order is due
to the insertion of the deuterocanonical portions in their logical place in the
story of Esther, as narrated in the Greek version from which they are taken.
They are printed in italics to enable the reader to recognize them at once.
In the old Vulgate these portions were placed by Jerome immediately
after the Hebrew text of Esther, regardless of their logical position, because
he himself did not regard them as canonical. Hence they came to be
numbered 10:4—16:24. It has been thought best to leave the chapter and
verse numbering unchanged in the present edition.
* Esther 15:1–16: This deuterocanonical passage is a later expansion of
the Hebrew text 5:1–2, which is as follows: “On the third day Esther put on
her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, opposite
the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne inside the palace
opposite the entrance to the palace; 2and when the king saw Queen Esther
standing in the court, she found favor in his sight and he held out to Esther
the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and
touched the top of the scepter.” Greek and Hebrew rejoin at verse 3.
THE BOOK OF JOB
* This book is one of the most interesting among the texts that make up
the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament. It deals with a profound
subject: the problem of the suffering of good men; and is written almost
entirely in poetry. It is probably postexilic and its author is unknown.
The problem is clear enough. Material rewards and punishments are
promised respectively for the observance or transgression of God’s law; cf.
Lev 26; Deut 28. We see the application of this, in Judges and Kings, to the
people of Israel. This is collective responsibility; and sometimes, of course,
the good have to suffer because of the bad. But when it is a case of
individual responsibility, as in Job, why should the good man suffer?
Various solutions are proposed but none that satisfies entirely. As yet there
is no clear belief in the afterlife with its rewards and punishments; still less
is there anything approaching the revelation of the New Testament as
exemplified in Christ’s life. Job knows he is innocent though suffering. Is
God therefore unjust? He rejects the suggestion and submits himself to
God’s power and mercy without receiving a final answer. In the end he is
reinstated in his former state of affluence.
The speeches of Elihu (chapters 32–37) are a later insertion. These
chapters can be removed without causing any break in the narrative. Elihu
is not mentioned elsewhere in the book, nor does Job appear to take any
notice of what he has said. The insertion seems to have been made in order
to stress the value of suffering in bringing a man back to God. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF THE PSALMS
* The Psalter consists of 150 psalms or sacred hymns. In it we find
poetical compositions of different kinds—hymns of praise, prayers for
specific liturgical occasions, lamentations both of the individual and the
nation, among others. There are psalms that express the deepest emotions of
the human heart. They were used in, and many of them composed for, the
temple worship. Some of them date back to King David, others were
written after the Exile. Their composition thus covers a long period. They
were gradually brought together in small collections and finally edited in
one large collection arranged in five books. This became the hymnbook of
the Second Temple.
The Christian Church took over the Psalter and used it following the
example of Jesus himself. The Psalms have always been used extensively in
the liturgy and in the dally office of the priest. In the early Church lay
people became familiar with them, as St. Jerome tells us.
The numbering of the Psalms used here is that of the Hebrew Bible,
which is, of course, followed in the Revised Standard Version. It varies
somewhat from the Greek, which is followed by the Latin Vulgate and
vernacular versions based on it. This alternative numbering is given in
brackets. Psalms 9 and 10 in the Hebrew form Psalm 9 in the Vulgate.
Psalms 114 and 115 in the Hebrew are counted as Psalm 113 in the Vulgate.
Back to text.
* Ps 2:1 Together with Ps 110 a royal, Messianic psalm, often applied to
Jesus as Messiah in the New Testament.
* Ps 8:1 A magnificent hymn to the glory of God as seen in creation and
reflected in man.
* Ps 18:1 A slightly different form of this psalm is found in 2 Sam 22.
* Ps 22:1 This lamentation of the righteous man in his sufferings has
profoundly influenced the Gospel passion story. See especially Mt 27:46.
* Ps 42:1 This and the following psalm were originally one, as can be
seen from the refrain repeated three times.
* Ps 51:1 This psalm, known as the “Miserere,” is the one most used in
the Liturgy of the Hours to express repentance for sin.
* Ps 68:1 This is one of the most ancient compositions in the Psalter and
has been influenced by Canaanite motifs and representations.
* Ps 93:1 The first of several psalms which represent Yahweh as
enthroned in heaven.
* Ps 104:1 A magnificent hymn of creation, it should be compared with
Gen 1. It is remarkably similar to an Egyptian hymn to Aten, the sun god.
* Ps 110:1 See note on Ps 2.
* Ps 119:1 This great hymn of praise for the Torah, the law of God, is
typical of the best Jewish piety after the Exile.
* Ps 120:1 The first of the “Songs of Ascents,” or “Gradual Psalms,” that
is, those that were recited or sung during the journey to Jerusalem on the
occasion of the great pilgrim feasts.
* Ps 137:1 This psalm breathes the spirit of sadness and homesickness of
the Israelite in exile in Babylon.
* Ps 150:1 This exclamation of praise serves as the epilogue to the
Psalter.
* 1 Mac 4:29: Vulgate has “Judea” for Idumea and “Beth-horon” for
Beth-zur.
* 1 Mac 5:35: Vulgate reads “Maspha” (i.e., Mizpah) for Alema; cf. note
b.
* 1 Mac 5:66, 68: Vulgate has “aliens” and “strangers” for Philistines,
and “Samaria” for Marisa; cf. note c.
* 1 Mac 9:37: Vulgate reads “Madaba” (i.e., Medeba, as in verse 36) for
Nadabath.
THE SECOND BOOK OF THE MACCABEES
* 2 Mac 4:29: Vulgate reads: “And Menelaus was removed from the
priesthood, Lysimachus his brother succeeding: and Sostratus was made
governor of the Cyprians.”
* 2 Mac 4:34, put him out of the way: Vulgate has “slew him.”
* 2 Mac 4:40, Auranus: Vulgate has “Tyrannus.”
* 2 Mac 7:9, to an everlasting renewal of life: Vulgate has: “in the
resurrection of eternal life.”
* 2 Mac 12:45: Vulgate has (verses 45–46): “45And because he
considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness had great grace
laid up for them. 46It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for
the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
New Testament
Matthew
* Mt 1:1: The genealogy is given to show that Jesus had the descent
required for Messiahship, i.e., from Abraham and, in particular, from David
the King.
* Mt 1:16: Joseph’s, not Mary’s, descent is given here, as the Jews did
not usually reckon descent through the mother. Joseph was the legal and
presumed father, and it was this fact that conferred rights of inheritance, in
this case, the fulfilment of the Messianic promises.
* Mt 1:25: This means only that Joseph had nothing to do with the
conception of Jesus. It implies nothing as to what happened afterward.
* Mt 3:2: Repent implies an internal change of heart.
* Mt 3:6: Not a Christian baptism but a preparation for it.
* Mt 3:15: Though without sin, Jesus wished to be baptized by John, as
this was the final preparation for his mission as Messiah.
* Mt 5:17: Jesus came to bring the old law to its natural fulfilment in the
new, while discarding what had become obsolete; cf. Jn 4:21.
* Mt 5:29: An exaggeration to emphasize the need to avoid occasions of
sin.
* Mt 5:32, unchastity: The Greek word used here appears to refer to
marriages that were not legally marriages because they were either within
the forbidden degrees of consanguinity (Lev 18:6–16) or contracted with a
Gentile. The phrase except on the ground of unchastity does not occur in the
parallel passage in Lk 16:18. See also Mt 19:9 (Mk 10:11–12), and
especially 1 Cor 7:10–11, which shows that the prohibition is unconditional.
* Mt 6:6: This does not, of course, exclude public worship but
ostentatious prayer.
* Mt 6:24, mammon: i.e., riches.
* Mt 8:3: The miracles of Jesus were never performed to amaze people
and shock them into belief. They were worked with a view to a real
strengthening of faith in the recipient or beholder, from whom the proper
dispositions were required.
* Mt 8:29, before the time: Before the day of judgment the demons are
permitted by God to tempt men and even to possess them.
* Mt 10:5: The gospel, the Messianic salvation, had first to be preached
and offered to the chosen people, Israel. Later it would be offered to the
Gentiles.
* Mt 11:3: The Baptist expected more obvious signs of the Messiah. By
quoting the prophet Isaiah, Jesus showed that he was indeed inaugurating
the Messianic kingdom—but by doing good rather than by glorious
manifestations or sudden punishments.
* Mt 11:27: This shows a profound relationship between the Son and the
Father, far superior to adoptive sonship.
* Mt 12:14: The Pharisees regarded healing as work and so forbade it on
the sabbath.
* Mt 12:24, Beel-zebul: Name of a Canaanite god meaning “the Prince-
god.” The Jews interpreted this name as “Prince of demons,” because for
them all false gods were demons. The form “Beel-zebub” is a contemptuous
adaptation meaning “Lord of the flies.”
* Mt 12:31: To attribute to the devil the works of the Holy Spirit seems to
imply a hardness of heart that precludes repentance.
* Mt 12:46, brethren: The Greek word or its Semitic equivalent was used
for varying degrees of blood relationship; cf. Gen 14:14; 29:12; Lev 10:4.
* Mt 12:48: Jesus puts the work of salvation before family relationships.
It is not said, however, that he refused to see them.
* Mt 13:12: To those well-disposed Jews who have made good use of the
old covenant will now be given the perfection of the new. On the other
hand, from those who have rejected God’s advances will now be taken
away even that which they have, because the old covenant is passing away.
* Mt 13:52: This is Matthew’s ideal: that the learned Jew should become
the disciple of Jesus and so add the riches of the new covenant to those of
the old, which he already possesses; cf. verse 12.
* Mt 13:55: See note on Mt 12:46.
* Mt 14:33: Their realization of his Godhead was the prelude to Peter’s
confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:16).
* Mt 15:5: By dedicating his property to God, i.e., to the temple, a man
could avoid having to help his parents, without actually giving up what he
had. The scribes held such a vow to be valid without necessarily approving
it.
* Mt 15:24: See note on Mt 10:5.
* Mt 16:14: The title of prophet had a Messianic significance because the
gift of prophecy, which had been extinct since Malachi, was expected to
return at the beginning of the Messianic era, especially by an outpouring of
the Spirit as foretold by the prophet Joel and as realized in Acts 2:16.
* Mt 16:16: The context shows that Peter recognizes the sonship of Jesus
as divine and not adoptive like ours. Mark and Luke in the parallel passages
mention only the confession of the Messiahship.
* Mt 16:18: The name “Peter” comes from the Greek word for “rock.”
Jesus makes him the foundation on which the church is to be built. The
word “church” means “assembly” or “society” of believers. The Hebrew
equivalent is used in the Old Testament to indicate the chosen people. In
applying it to the church, Jesus shows it to be the Messianic community
foretold by the prophets.
* Mt 16:19, the kingdom of heaven: Peter has the key to the gates of the
city of God. This power is exercised through the church. “Binding” and
“loosing” are rabbinic terms referring to excommunication, then later to
forbidding or allowing something. Not only can Peter admit to the
kingdom; he also has power to make authoritative decisions in matters of
faith or morals.
* Mt 16:26, life (both times): A play on the word “life”—natural and
supernatural; cf. Mk 8:35–36.
* Mt 17:4: Peter thought the glorious Messianic kingdom had come. In
fact, Jesus allowed this glimpse of his glory to strengthen them for the
coming passion.
* Mt 18:9: Gehenna (see footnote b) was the name of a valley south of
Jerusalem where human sacrifice had once been practiced; cf. 2 Chron 33:6.
Later it became a cursed place and a refuse dump, and the name came to
symbolize the Christian place of punishment.
* Mt 18:18: To the other apostles is given a share in the authority given
to Peter.
* Mt 19:9: This appears to refer to the case in Mt 5:32, though the Greek
word for “except” is different.
* Mt 19:11–12: Jesus means that a life of continence is to be chosen only
by those who are called to it for the sake of the kingdom of God.
* Mt 21:9: The crowd openly recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and he
allows it for the first time.
* Mt 21:23: They object to the assumption of authority implicit in the
manner of his entry into the city and in his expulsion of the sellers from the
temple.
* Mt 21:33–44: This parable is really an allegory in which almost every
detail represents something in God’s dealings with Israel.
* Mt 22:11: The wedding garment represents the dispositions necessary
for admission to the kingdom.
* Mt 23:5, phylacteries: Little leather boxes containing, on a very small
scroll, the principal words of the law; cf. Deut 6:4–9. Taking the command
literally, they fastened these to their arms and their foreheads.
* Mt 23:9: i.e., “Do not use the title without reference to God’s universal
fatherhood.” He cannot mean that the title is never to be used by a son to his
father.
* Mt 24:1—25:46: The “Eschatological Discourse,” as it is called, deals
with the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the world. The two themes seem to
be inextricably intermingled in the Gospel as we now have it, but it is
possible that originally they were in separate discourses. However, the
fusion of the two does bring out their connection. The one prefigures the
other. Moreover, in the reverse direction, so to speak, the language used to
describe the day of the Lord in Joel and elsewhere is here applied to the fall
of Jerusalem, the details of which must therefore not be taken too literally
(24:29).
* Mt 25:29: See note on Mt 13:12.
* Mt 26:17: The passover supper was eaten this year on the Friday
evening (Jn 18:28). Jesus must have anticipated the passover meal because
he would be dead the following day and because the meal prefigured his
death.
* Mt 26:26: The details of the Eucharist are superimposed on the ritual of
the passover.
* Mt 26:51: It was Peter, as John in his later Gospel tells us (Jn 18:10),
though Matthew is reluctant to say so.
* Mt 26:59: They sought evidence against him and this was necessarily
false.
* Mt 26:64–65: For the first time Jesus speaks clearly of his own identity.
Caiaphas evidently understands him to claim divinity.
* Mt 27:46: Jesus applies Psalm 22 (Vulgate 21) to himself.
* Mt 27:66: The sealing and guarding only helped to make the
subsequent resurrection more obvious.
* Mt 28:1–20: The resurrection appearances. There are divergent
traditions in the gospels, Galilean and Judean. Paul adds his own record (1
Cor 15). The accounts do not easily fit together, but this is surely evidence
of their genuineness. There is no attempt to produce an artificial conformity.
Mark
* Mk 1:34: Throughout his ministry Jesus forbade the demons and those
he healed of their infirmities to reveal his identity as Messiah, because the
people, with their ideas of a national leader to come, were only too prone to
mistake his true mission.
* Mk 2:14, Levi: Mark does not identify him with Matthew the apostle;
cf. Mt 9:9.
* Mk 3:31, brethren: See note on Mt 12:46.
* Mk 4:12, so that . . . : One might rephrase this: “so that the Scripture
might be fulfiled”; cf. Jn 18:32; 19:24, 28. It was not God’s intention to
prevent their understanding. Matthew avoids this difficulty by writing, “I
speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see” Mt 13:13).
* Mk 5:43: Knowing their nationalistic views about the Messiah to come,
Jesus wished to avoid a tumult.
* Mk 7:3: Mark, writing for Gentiles, explains these Jewish customs.
* Mk 8:36, life: See note on Mt 16:26.
* Mk 9:13, Elijah has come: i.e., in the person of the Baptist Mt 11:14).
* Mk 10:24, amazed at his words: The Old Testament often records
God’s offers of material rewards for observance of his laws. This was
because the future life was not yet revealed. It was therefore taken for
granted, in spite of contrary evidence, that riches were a sign of God’s
favor.
* Mk 10:30: Some of the reward will be given in this life.
* Mk 14:13: It was unusual for a man to carry water; it was a woman’s
task.
* Mk 14:51–52: This young man is usually supposed to have been the
evangelist himself.
* Mk 15:1: The Jews could not execute Jesus without the Roman
governor’s permission.
* Mk 15:40, the younger, or “the Less.”
* Mk 16:1: There had been no time on the Friday to anoint him before
the sabbath rest.
* Mk 16:9–20: This passage is regarded as inspired and canonical
Scripture even if not written by Mark. As it is missing from some important
manuscripts, it is possible that Mark did not write it. On the other hand, he
would hardly have left his Gospel unfinished at verse 8. Many think that the
original ending was lost at a very early date and that this ending was
composed at the end of the apostolic period to take its place.
Luke
* Lk 1:3: Theophilus is again referred to in Acts 1:1, but nothing is
known of him.
* Lk 1:5—2:52: The “Infancy Gospel,” as it is called, is written in a
markedly Semitic style, which differs from that of the rest of the Gospel. It
appears to be based on the reminiscences of Mary.
* Lk 1:30: The words of the angel are drawn from Messianic passages in
the Old Testament.
* Lk 1:34: How can this be: alternate reading is How will this be.
* Lk 1:46–55: The Magnificat is based on the Song of Hannah (1 Sam
2:1–10), and other Old Testament passages that describe God’s favor
toward Israel and especially toward the poor and lowly.
* Lk 1:69, a horn of salvation: i.e., a mighty savior.
* Lk 2:7, first-born: The term connotes possession of certain rights,
privileges, and obligations; cf. Ex 13:1–2, 11–16. The word is used even in
modern times without necessarily implying subsequent births.
* Lk 2:34, for the fall: i.e., in the sense that by rejecting his claims many
would sin grievously.
* Lk 2:49: Jesus stresses the priority of his duty to his Father, which
involves a high degree of independence of earthly ties.
* Lk 3:2: See note on Jn 18:13.
* Lk 3:7, brood of vipers: This epithet seems to have been directed
mainly at the Pharisees; cf. Mt 3:7.
* Lk 3:23: This genealogy is more universalist than that of Matthew. Like
Matthew, however, it gives the genealogy of Joseph, though Mary may well
have been of the family of David.
* Lk 4:16–30: This account of the visit to the synagogue seems to be
composed of the details of more than one visit. Luke is trying here to
underline the contrast between Christ’s offer of salvation and the people’s
refusal of it.
* Lk 6:20–49: Luke’s discourse is shorter than that of Matthew because it
does not contain Matthew’s additional material collected from other
occasions, or his details that would interest only Jews.
* Lk 7:28: John, by virtue of his office, belonged to the old dispensation,
the time of preparation for the kingdom. In terms of spiritual status, even
the humbler members of the kingdom were superior to him.
* Lk 7:47: The preceding parable suggests that she loved much because
she had been forgiven much. Jesus now implies that her love is a sign rather
than a cause of forgiveness, thus confirming the point of the parable.
* Lk 8:19, brethren: See note on Mt 12:46.
* Lk 8:39: There was no reason for secrecy (to avoid popular
disturbance) in a non-Jewish area.
* Lk 9:51: Here begins the “Travel Narrative” of Luke, which continues
up to the passion.
* Lk 9:51: received up: i.e., into heaven; cf. 2 Kings 2:9–11; Acts 1:2, 11.
The term here includes his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension.
* Lk 9:51, 53: The Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim, while
orthodox Jews, of course, went to Jerusalem, and to Jerusalem only, for
sacrifice.
* Lk 10:18: Jesus refers to the fall of the angels (cf. Rev 12:9), while he
speaks of his conquest of the forces of evil.
* Lk 14:26: Christ’s disciples must be prepared to part from any one who
prevents them from serving him.
* Lk 16:8: The master commended his foresight without approving what
he actually did.
* Lk 17:20: At that time many persons were expecting to see the
kingdom inaugurated with striking manifestations; cf. 19:11.
* Lk 19:41–44: These moving words spoken over the city are full of
scriptural allusions. Moreover, the details given could apply as well to the
siege of 587 B.C. as to that of A.D. 70. It is not safe, therefore, to argue
from this passage that the fall of the city had already taken place when Luke
wrote his Gospel.
* Lk 20:37: As elsewhere (1 Cor 15:13–19), survival after death is linked
with the resurrection of the body.
* Lk 21:24, the times of the Gentiles: i.e., those during which the Gentiles
will take the place of the unbelieving people of Israel. Evidently, therefore,
the end of the world does not coincide with the fall of Jerusalem. St. Paul
says that the Jews will be converted before the end (Rom 11:26).
* Lk 22:52: Matthew and Mark describe the arrest first, before Christ’s
words. Luke and John both put his address to the soldiers and officials
before the arrest, doubtless to stress his command over events.
* Lk 23:2: They purposely produce political charges, as these alone
would interest Pilate.
* Lk 23:14: Luke, writing for Gentiles, makes it clear that Pilate wanted
to release Jesus.
* Lk 23:31: One does not burn green wood. The meaning is that, if an
innocent man is thus punished, what must the guilty (dry wood) expect?
* Lk 24:38: Luke stresses this episode for the benefit of his Greek
readers, for whom the resurrection of the body was both impossible and
absurd; cf. Acts 17:32.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN
* Jn 1:1: John begins by giving his Gospel a theological background. By
speaking at once of “the Word” he implies that his readers are familiar with
the term. To Gentiles it indicated some form of divine revelation or self-
expression. Jews would equate it with the divine Wisdom described in
Proverbs, which already appears as something more than a divine quality
and has some relationship with the visible world. In Sirach and Wisdom the
idea is further developed. In the last-named book, Wisdom appears as a pre-
existing person, taking part in the creation of the world and having a
mission to reveal God to his creatures; cf. Wis 7:22—8:1.
* Jn 1:5, light . . . darkness: One of the familiar themes of the Gospel.
* Jn 1:29: John applies to Jesus the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53:6–7,
perhaps worded more explicitly by the evangelist in later years.
* Jn 2:4, What have you to do with me?: What is that to you or to me?
While this expression always implies a divergence of view, the precise
meaning is to be determined by the context, which here shows that it is not
an unqualified refusal, still less a rebuke.
* Jn 2:12, brethren: See note on Mt 12:46.
* Jn 3:22, baptized: A baptism like that of John. The time for baptism “in
the Spirit” had not yet come.
* Jn 3:24: From the other Gospels we learn that, after John was arrested,
Jesus withdrew from Judea.
* Jn 4:20, this mountain: Gerizim, on which the Samaritans worshiped.
* Jn 5:18, broke the sabbath: i.e., broke the sabbath as interpreted by
them; see note on Mt 12:14.
* Jn 6:51: Jesus is the “living bread” both as Word of God (verses 32ff.)
and as sacrificial victim for the salvation of man.
* Jn 6:52: A natural question to ask. Jesus answers, not by explaining it
away, but by reemphasizing the reality, though not, of course, in the crude
sense implied in their question.
* Jn 6:62: When Jesus ascends into heaven they will know that he spoke
the truth.
* Jn 7:3, brethren: See note on Mt 12:46.
* Jn 7:53—8:11: This passage, though absent from some of the most
ancient manuscripts, is regarded as inspired and canonical by the Church.
The style suggests that it is not by St. John, and that it belongs to the
Synoptic tradition.
* Jn 8:21, die in your sin: Theirs is that sin against the truth which is the
sin against the Spirit; cf. Mt 12:31.
* Jn 8:41: They mean, “We are not idolaters,” and protest their fidelity to
God their Father; see notes on Rev 14:4 and 17:2.
* Jn 8:56, he saw it either in prophetic vision while on earth or by some
special privilege after death.
* Jn 8:58: The present tense indicates Christ’s eternal existence as God.
* Jn 9:3: Jesus explains in advance the purpose of the miracle.
* Jn 10:14, the good shepherd: The name has Messianic significance; cf.
Ezek 34.
* Jn 10:18: Throughout the Gospel, Jesus insists that he is master of his
own life and no one takes it from him; cf. 18:6 (at his arrest); 19:11 (before
Pilate); 19:30 (on the cross).
* Jn 11:6, stayed two days longer: This is explained in verse 15.
* Jn 11:50: Caiaphas agreed that, as Jesus was not (in their opinion) the
Messiah, any popular insurrection now could end only in disaster; so it was
better, he argued, to do away with him. He was unconscious of the deeper
meaning of his words, namely that Jesus must die for the salvation of man.
* Jn 12:1: Here begins the last week of Jesus’ public life. This is
described in great detail, as was the first week in chapter 1.
* Jn 12:32, lifted up: i.e., on the cross; but the words also contain a
reference to his going up into heaven. The two mysteries are inseparable.
* Jn 13:1: John begins here to unfold the mystery of the love of Jesus for
“his own.” Note the solemn introduction to the “hour” of his passion and
death.
* Jn 13:34, new commandment: Jesus gives a new depth to the familiar
commandment of the Old Testament. The standard now is, “as I have loved
you.”
* Jn 14:26, all things: After Jesus has gone to his Father, the Holy Spirit
will complete his revelation to the world.
* Jn 15:18: Jesus contrasts the love his disciples have with the hatred the
world bears them.
* Jn 16:10: Jesus is taken from them because they did not receive him.
* Jn 17:1–26: The priestly prayer of Jesus, before his sacrifice.
* Jn 17:5 declares his pre-existence.
* Jn 18:13: According to Jewish law the high-priesthood was for life. The
Romans had deposed Annas, the legal holder, in A.D. 15, and appointed
another in his place, but many Jews continued to recognize Annas.
* Jn 18:28: They would have contracted a legal impurity by entering the
house of a pagan.
* Jn 18:29: See note on Lk 23:2.
* Jn 18:31: Crucifixion was a Roman, not a Jewish, punishment.
* Jn 19:7: At last, because of Pilate’s reluctance, they produce the real
charge.
* Jn 19:8–9: Pilate is afraid and asks Jesus where he comes from—not
his country, but his mysterious origins, as implied in the charge.
* Jn 19:27, took her to his own home: Joseph must now have been dead.
* Jn 20:17: The death and resurrection of Jesus had put an end to the
ordinary familiar relationships of human life, and the time of lasting
companionship had not yet come.
* Jn 21:1–25: This chapter was added later, either by the evangelist or by
a disciple; cf. 20:3–31 and 21:24.
* Jn 21:7: John remembered a similar miracle before; cf. Lk 5:6.
* Jn 21:15–17: The threefold question addressed to Peter alone
corresponds to the threefold denial. Jesus gives Peter charge over his flock.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
* Acts 1:1, the first book: i.e., St. Luke’s Gospel.
* Acts 1:14, brethren: See note on Mt 12:46.
* Acts 1:22: An apostle must be a witness to Christ’s resurrection.
* Acts 2:14: Peter assumes the leadership in public. In this discourse we
have the earliest form of the apostolic preaching.
* Acts 3:1: In the early days, the first Christians observed the
prescriptions of the Jewish law.
* Acts 4:2: The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.
* Acts 4:32, everything in common: They freely shared what was theirs
individually; cf. Acts 5:4.
* Acts 5:11, Church: i.e., the Christian and Messianic community; a term
borrowed from the Old Testament.
* Acts 5:20, Life: cf. Acts 9:2, “the Way.” These terms recall the words of
Jesus, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” ( Jn 14:6).
* Acts 5:34, Gamaliel: Teacher of St. Paul; cf. Acts 22:3.
* Acts 6:1, Hellenists: Greek-speaking Jews of the Dispersion, who had
their own synagogues in Jerusalem and read the Scriptures in Greek.
* Acts 8:20: Hence the word “simony,” meaning “buying and selling
spiritual powers and privileges.”
* Acts 9:5: Jesus identifies himself with his followers.
* Acts 9:13, saints: i.e., Christians, made holy by baptism.
* Acts 10:16: The vision was to prepare Peter for his reception of
Cornelius the Gentile and his household into the Church; cf. also Acts 15.
* Acts 12:1: The second wave of persecution: cf. Acts 8:1.
* Acts 13:16–41: This first recorded sermon of Paul is similar to that of
Peter in Acts 2:14–36.
* Acts 16:10: This is the first of the passages in Acts in which the story is
told in the first person plural, indicating that Luke, the author, was there.
The manuscript Codex Bezae, however, has a “we” passage in 11:28.
* Acts 16:13: Being a Roman colony, Philippi had no synagogue within
its walls.
* Acts 19:35, the sacred stone or statue of the goddess which, according
to legend, came down from heaven. Possibly a meteorite.
* Acts 20:7: Celebration of the Eucharist on the Lord’s day, i.e., Saturday
evening, according to the Jewish way of reckoning a day from sunset to
sunset.
* Acts 20:34: Paul insisted on working for his living, though recognizing
the apostle’s right to support by the faithful; cf. 1 Cor 9:4–7.
* Acts 21:4, told Paul not to go: This was not a command. The Holy
Spirit enlightened them about what lay before Paul and they naturally
wished to spare him; cf. verse 11.
* Acts 22:20, your witness: Greek, “martyr.” Witnessing by one’s death
(i.e., martyrdom) is the supreme example.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS
* Rom 1:1–7: The opening address and salutation are very much in the
style of contemporary letter-writing, giving the name of the sender and
recipient, and following this with greetings.
* Rom 1:10: Paul did not found the church at Rome.
* Rom 1:13, harvest: Perhaps those who founded the church at Rome had
confined themselves largely to Jews and had not made much headway with
Gentiles.
* Rom 3:27: Above all, it is faith, not works alone, that will justify both
Jew and Gentile, and (as is made clear later) faith in Jesus.
* Rom 5:12: Physical death is a sign of spiritual death; though physical
death remains after justification.
* Rom 5:15: The felix culpa praised in the Exsultet at the Easter Vigil.
* Rom 6:4, buried: Immersed in the water of baptism.
* Rom 6:15: As before, in the case of the law (Rom 2:17–29), so now, in
the case of grace, Paul says it is not a license to sin.
* Rom 7:13–25: Man under the law of Moses and perhaps man under the
natural law too.
* Rom 8:19: Material creation, too, shares man’s destiny, made as it was
for him. Many ancient philosophers thought matter to be evil and that the
spirit should be freed from it.
* Rom 9:19–24: Paul’s words here, taken by themselves, seem to leave
no room for moral responsibility, but they must be taken in conjunction
with other passages; see chapters 1 and 2.
* Rom 10:1: Paul is afraid he has spoken too strongly of their sins, so he
declares his love for Israel.
* Rom 14:1—15:13: Paul is tolerant of the Jewish Christians’ reluctance
to abandon the ritual prescriptions of the law of Moses, while being equally
insistent that these shall not be forced on Gentile Christians.
* Rom 14:14: Conscience is the ultimate guide.
* Rom 15:15–16: Paul again justifies his writing to a church he did not
found.
* Rom 16:16, All the churches of Christ greet you: A remarkable
salutation, not used elsewhere.
THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
* 1 Cor 1:2, saints: A word commonly used for Christians in Paul’s
letters and in Acts.
* 1 Cor 1:12, Cephas: i.e., Peter. It does not follow from this that he had
even been to Corinth, but it does indicate his authority there.
* 1 Cor 2:1–2: Paul’s failure at Athens convinced him that lofty words
and worldly wisdom were less effective than Jesus crucified.
* 1 Cor 3:13, the Day: i.e., the day of the Lord, God’s searching
judgment.
* 1 Cor 3:16, God’s temple: The dignity of the Christians.
* 1 Cor 5:1, father’s wife: Evidently his stepmother.
* 1 Cor 5:5, to Satan: Not only excommunicated, but in some sense given
over to suffering, for his own good.
* 1 Cor 5:9–10, immoral: Literally, “fornicators.”
* 1 Cor 5:11, guilty of immorality: Literally, “a fornicator.”
* 1 Cor 6:1, the unrighteous: i.e., civil courts in which the judges were,
of course, pagan.
* 1 Cor 6:9: the immoral: literally, “fornicators.”
* 1 Cor 6:9: homosexuals: Greek has “effeminate nor sodomites.” The
apostle condemns, not the inherent tendencies of such, but the indulgence of
them.
* 1 Cor 6:12: This saying is possibly an exaggeration of the freedom
from the Mosaic law that Christians enjoyed. The saying has been applied
to sinful practices, as is clear from the following verses.
* 1 Cor 6:13, 18, immorality: i.e., sexual immorality.
* 1 Cor 7:2: Note Paul’s insistence on equality of man and woman in
certain aspects of Christian marriage, and his recognition that the unmarried
state is also a gift from God.
* 1 Cor 8:1–13: Animals sacrificed to pagan gods were often sold as meat
in the market. Could Christians buy such meat? Paul allows it so long as
scandal is avoided.
* 1 Cor 9:3: Paul set great store by the fact that he has earned his living
and waived his right to support by the faithful. He used this as an
authentication of his apostolate.
* 1 Cor 9:5, wife: Greek, a “woman,” a “sister.” This could mean either a
woman who is a Christian or a wife who is a Christian. There were pious
women who ministered to the apostles (Lk 8:3). As many of the apostles
must have been married, they may have been ministered to by their wives,
though it is possible they had left their wives in answer to the Lord’s
command to leave all (Lk 18:28–29).
* 1 Cor 9:5, brethren: See note on Mt 12:46.
* 1 Cor 10:20: Paul appears to forbid partaking in sacrificial meals. In
verse 27 he says they may eat meat offered to idols if it is at an ordinary
meal, unless it would cause scandal to anyone present.
* 1 Cor 11:20: There was apparently a common meal before the
Eucharist at which food and drink were to be shared. Paul condemns the
abuses that had crept in.
* 1 Cor 12:1: The spiritual gifts here referred to were common in the first
age of the Church and helped to establish it on a firm basis.
* 1 Cor 12:31: Love, however, is far superior to these gifts.
* 1 Cor 15:13: Again, the resurrection of the dead is linked with Christ’s
resurrection; cf. Rom 8:11.
* 1 Cor 15:29: Apparently a custom of vicarious baptism for those who
had died without it. Paul mentions it without approving it.
* 1 Cor 16:1: The collection to be made everywhere for the poor
Christians in Jerusalem.
THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
* 2 Cor 1:8, affliction: Possibly the disturbance at Ephesus (Acts 19:23–
41), or perhaps a serious illness.
* 2 Cor 3:18: Cleansed in baptism through the power of the Holy Spirit,
our soul shines with the reflected glory of God.
* 2 Cor 4:7, this treasure: i.e., the apostolate.
* 2 Cor 4:12: i.e., we suffer, if necessary, even unto death, that you may
have (spiritual) life.
* 2 Cor 5:19: Or, “God was reconciling the world to himself through
Christ.”
* 2 Cor 5:21, made him to be sin: i.e., “sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom
8:3).
* 2 Cor 9:1, superfluous: Yet Paul goes on to do so at some length,
exhorting them to be generous.
* 2 Cor 10:1: Paul is referring ironically to what some people are saying
about him; see verse 10.
* 2 Cor 12:7, a thorn: Perhaps some form of sickness or disability, or the
opposition of Israel to his teaching.
* 2 Cor 12:13: Paul ironically asks forgiveness for not being a charge on
them as the other apostles were.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE GALATIANS
* Gal 1:6: After the greeting there is no commendation, as was usual, but
rather strong rebuke.
* Gal 1:10: No doubt Paul was accused of exempting Gentile converts
from the law of Moses in order to curry favor.
* Gal 1:19: Lord’s brother: See the note on brethren at Mt 12:46 above.
* Gal 2:16, works of the law: Paul is contrasting not faith with good
works but faith in Jesus Christ with observance of the law of Moses.
* Gal 3:2, Spirit: He probably refers to the outward manifestations of the
Spirit, such as the gift of tongues.
* Gal 5:11, stumbling block of the cross: So far as the Jews were
concerned, this would consist largely in the exemption of converts from the
obligations of the law of Moses.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS
* Eph 1:1, To the saints who are: The addition “at Ephesus” is doubtful.
The letter may have been a form of encyclical.
* Eph 1:10, to unite: Or, “to sum up.” This is one of the chief themes of
the letter. Men are to be under Christ as head of the Mystical Body, and
even irrational creatures must be in some way under him as the cornerstone
of creation.
* Eph 2:14, dividing wall: A metaphor taken from the wall that divided
the court of the Gentiles from the court of the Israelites in the temple.
* Eph 3:3, the mystery: i.e., that the Gentiles were to be admitted to the
Church on the basis of equality.
* Eph 5:14: Apparently a fragment of an early Christian hymn; cf. 1 Tim
3:16.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS
* Phil 1:14, because of my imprisonment: i.e., because I continue to
preach in their midst, though in prison.
* Phil 1:20, honored in my body: i.e., through my sufferings.
* Phil 2:6, in the form of God: The Greek shows that divine attributes,
and therefore nature, are implied here. It is not the divine nature he set no
store by, but equality of treatment and recognition of his divinity.
* Phil 2:7, emptied himself of this external recognition, which was his
right.
* Phil 3:12, made me his own: On the road to Damascus.
* Phil 3:19: These Judaizers made holiness a question of distinction of
foods and set great store by circumcision.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS
* Col 1:15, first-born: Born of the Father before all ages. The reference
here is to the divine person of the Word; see verse 16.
* Col 1:18: His human nature.
* Col 1:24, what is lacking: Christ’s sufferings were, of course, sufficient
for our redemption, but all of us may add ours to his, in order that the fruits
of his redemption be applied to the souls of men.
* Col 3:18—4:5: The whole passage corresponds closely to Eph 5:22—
6:9.
* Col 4:10: Mark, the evangelist, and, probably, the John Mark of Acts
12:12, 25.
* Col 4:14: Luke, the evangelist.
THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
* 1 Thess 1:1: Paul joins with himself two who had evangelized
Thessalonica with him.
* 1 Thess 2:18, I, Paul: He distinguishes himself from Silvanus and
Timothy.
* 1 Thess 4:3, sanctification: With special reference to the practice of
purity, specially difficult to those newly converted from paganism.
* 1 Thess 4:3, immorality: i.e., sexual immorality.
* 1 Thess 4:11: The Thessalonians thought that the second Coming of
Christ was at hand and tended to neglect their daily duties. He corrects this
misconception.
* 1 Thess 4:13: Paul tells them that those who died before Christ’s
second Coming are no worse off than those who will still be alive at his
coming.
* 1 Thess 4:17: i.e., we who are alive shall go out to meet him and
accompany him back on his return to this earth.
THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
* 2 Thess 2:2: Paul warns against over-eagerness to expect the second
Coming, and specifies various signs to be looked for first.
* 2 Thess 2:3, the man of lawlessness: i.e., Antichrist.
* 2 Thess 2:7: Evil will operate secretly till the final unmasking.
THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY
* 1 Tim 1:2: Timothy, son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, was
already a Christian when Paul met him (Acts 16:1). A close association
ensued.
* 1 Tim 1:4, myths and endless genealogies: A reference to the Jewish
legends and spurious pedigrees added by false Judaizers to the Biblical
narratives; cf. the Book of Jubilees.
* 1 Tim 1:20, delivered to Satan: A form of excommunication; see note
on 1 Cor 5:5.
* 1 Tim 2:6, ransom for all: This is why Paul wants prayers for all (verse
1).
* 1 Tim 3:1, bishop: At this time an office probably not distinct from that
of priest.
* 1 Tim 3:11, women: i.e., deaconesses.
* 1 Tim 4:3, forbid marriage: As some Gnostics did.
* 1 Tim 4:3, abstinence from foods: As practiced by Judaizers.
* 1 Tim 5:3, real widows: i.e., with no one to help and support them.
* 1 Tim 5:12: Paul had no objection to widows marrying again; cf. 1 Cor
7:8–9. But the widows here had clearly made some sort of vow or promise
to serve the Church in singleness. Paul recommended that younger widows
should marry again (verse 14).
THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY
* 2 Tim 1:15, Asia: The Roman province of that name, now in western
Turkey.
* 2 Tim 2:18: They explained the resurrection by saying it was the rising
to newness of life in baptism, thus ignoring a bodily resurrection, a doctrine
the Greeks found very hard to accept; cf. Acts 17:32.
* 2 Tim 3:16: Paul refers to the Old Testament Scriptures.
* 2 Tim 4:6, on the point of being sacrificed: Literally, “poured out in
sacrifice” as a drink-offering or libation.
* 2 Tim 4:21, Linus: According to tradition, the successor of Peter in the
see of Rome.
THE LETTER OF PAUL TO TITUS
* Tit 1:5, elders: Each Christian community was ruled by a body of
elders.
* Tit 2:13, God and Savior: Both terms appear to refer to Jesus Christ.
* Tit 3:5–7: A brief and clear statement of the doctrine of justification.
THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS
* Heb 1:1–4: A contrast between the progressive and piecemeal
revelation of the old dispensation and the complete revelation of the new
given by a single representative—no mere prophet but the Son of God
himself.
* Heb 2:2, angels: The covenant of Sinai was thought to have been given
through the angels.
* Heb 2:10, suffering: The divinely appointed means of progress toward
God; cf. verse 18.
* Heb 3:11: Those who murmured against God in the desert were
excluded from the promised land (the “rest”). Christians should beware lest,
by offending God, they be excluded from heaven, the true rest, of which the
promised land was a type.
* Heb 5:1–5: If Jesus was to be mediator, he had to have a human nature
like ours, and, moreover, he could not appoint himself, but had to be
appointed by God.
* Heb 6:4, impossible: The apostasy referred to in verse 6 is clearly
thought of as so deliberate as to preclude any real possibility of repentance;
or there may be a reference here to the impossibility of being baptized a
second time.
* Heb 7:3, without father: i.e., the father is not mentioned in Scripture.
* Heb 7:3, neither beginning of days nor end of life: So too here, they are
not mentioned in Scripture either. Thus his priesthood can be taken to
foreshadow or symbolize the Christian priesthood. “You are a priest for
ever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110:4; cf. Heb 7:17).
* Heb 8:11: This verse means merely that knowledge of God will be
commonly shared. It does not exclude the existence of a ministry of
teaching in the Messianic times.
* Heb 10:1ff.: The sacrifices of the old law, being imperfect, were
repeated and did at least keep alive a sense of sin. Contrast with Christ’s
sacrifice (verse 14).
* Heb 11:6: Here is stated the minimum necessary for salvation.
* Heb 12:1ff.: After explaining in the preceding chapters how we are
redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ, the author now exhorts his readers
to run the race with perseverance.
* Heb 13:1ff.: Moral exhortation.
* Heb 13:9: Again the warning against false doctrine, especially the
Judaizers’ teachings; cf. Phil 3:19; 1 Tim 1:4; 4:3.
* Heb 13:13: i.e., “Let us leave the observance of Judaism behind us.”
THE LETTER OF JAMES
* Jas 1:1, twelve tribes: i.e., Jewish Christians outside Palestine.
* Jas 1:22: This is the main theme of the letter.
* Jas 2:1–7: These are hard words, but no harder than those of Jesus.
* Jas 2:10: In keeping the law, we must keep the whole law. We cannot
pick and choose.
* Jas 2:14: Good works are necessary besides faith.
* Jas 5:3: The “treasure” they have laid up is described in the following
verses.
* Jas 5:13–15: This passage is the scriptural basis for the sacrament of
anointing the sick.
THE FIRST LETTER OF PETER
* 1 Pet 1:1: See note on Jas 1:1. Baptism is the main theme of this letter
which, in fact, may have been a baptismal address.
* 1 Pet 1:11, Spirit of Christ: Christ, as the eternally existing Word, is
envisaged as inspiring the prophets of old.
* 1 Pet 3:1–6: Peter’s teaching on the behavior and status of women
corresponds to that of Paul, though without Paul’s forthrightness.
* 1 Pet 4:1, ceased from sin: Peter means that a continual acceptance of
suffering is incompatible with a proneness to sin.
* 1 Pet 5:13, Babylon: Rome was as full of iniquity as ancient Babylon;
cf. Rev 17:9.
THE SECOND LETTER OF PETER
* 2 Pet 1:4, partakers of the divine nature: A strong expression to
describe the transformation of human nature by divine grace.
* 2 Pet 1:16–18: A reference to the transfiguration.
* 2 Pet 2:3: Much of the material of this chapter appears to be from the
Letter of Jude.
* 2 Pet 3:16, this seems to refer to the theme of the end of the world and
the second Coming of Christ, about which Paul had written in his letters to
the Thessalonians.
THE FIRST LETTER OF JOHN
* 1 Jn 1:1–7: Note the likeness with John’s Gospel 1:1–18.
* 1 Jn 1:3, fellowship: A Johannine theme.
* 1 Jn 1:5, light . . . darkness: Another familiar theme in John’s Gospel.
* 1 Jn 2:3: Cf. the words of Jesus, “If you love me, you will keep my
commandments” (Jn 14:15).
* 1 Jn 2:18, the last hour: John exhorts his readers to hold fast, as though
the end were at hand.
* 1 Jn 3:6, sins: i.e., remains in sin, or has a habit of sin.
* 1 Jn 4:1, test the spirits: i.e., examine those who claim to have special
gifts from the Holy Spirit; cf. 1 Cor 14:32.
* 1 Jn 5:8: This reads as follows in the Vulgate: “ 7There are three who
give testimony in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and
these three are one. 8And there are three that give testimony on earth: the
spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three are one.” The “Three
Heavenly Witnesses,” as the first sentence is called, is first found in the
Latin (fourth century) and does not appear in any Greek manuscript until
the fifteenth century. It is probably a marginal gloss that found its way into
the text.
THE SECOND LETTER OF JOHN
* 2 Jn 1: The elder: Perhaps the head of the group or “college” of elders
that presided over each Christian community. John was head not only of the
Ephesus community but of all the communities in the province of Asia.
* 2 Jn 1: the elect lady: Probably not an individual lady but a particular
church or community in Asia.
* 2 Jn 13: children: i.e., the Christians of Ephesus.
THE THIRD LETTER OF JOHN
* 3 Jn 12: Demetrius: Evidently a leading Christian, recommended to
Gaius.
THE LETTER OF JUDE
* Jude 6: It is not clear to what Jude refers. Perhaps Gen 6:2 or the
apocryphal Enoch 6–15.
* Jude 9: Apparently a reference to another apocryphal work, the
Assumption of Moses.
THE REVELATION TO JOHN
* Rev 1:4–8: Describes the glorious coming and reign of the Messiah.
* Rev 1:13, Son of man refers to Dan 7:13. The Messiah is described in
symbolic terms.
* Rev 2:10, ten days: Not literally. It means the persecution will be short.
* Rev 2:20–21, immorality here seems to mean idolatry rather than
sexual excess.
* Rev 2:24, deep things of Satan: The doctrines of the Nicolaitans. They
called them the “deep things of God.”
* Rev 2:28, morning star: Probably Christ himself.
* Rev 3:12, new name: cf. Is 62:2. Perhaps it was “the Word,” or perhaps
it is not to be revealed till the last day.
* Rev 4:3: John describes God in symbolic terms.
* Rev 4:4, elders: They perform a priestly and royal task, since they
praise God and share in the government of the world.
* Rev 4:6, four living creatures: cf. Ezek 1:4–25: the four angels who
preside over the government of the world. But in Christian tradition these
symbols are used for the four evangelists.
* Rev 4:8, Holy, holy, holy: Quoted in the Sanctus at Mass.
* Rev 5:1, a scroll: This contained God’s designs, kept secret till now;
being written on both sides, nothing could be added.
* Rev 5:6: The seven horns and seven eyes symbolize Christ’s full power
and knowledge.
* Rev 6:1: Begins the account of the destruction of the Roman Empire
(chapters 6–9).
* Rev 6:5, balance: Symbol of famine. The balance was to measure
rations.
* Rev 7:4, a hundred and forty-four thousand: A symbolic number, i.e.,
twelve (the sacred number) squared and multiplied by 1,000 to denote a
multitude. It is the Church, the spiritual Israel, that is meant.
* Rev 7:14, the great tribulation: The Neronian persecution?
* Rev 8:5: Coals from the altar of burnt offering were brought to the altar
of incense.
* Rev 9:1, star: A fallen angel.
* Rev 9:14, Euphrates: The region of the Parthians.
* Rev 9:21, immorality: See note on 2:20–21.
* Rev 10:7, mystery of God: i.e., the establishment of the kingdom of
God following on the destruction of Israel’s enemies.
* Rev 10:9, bitter . . . sweet: The scroll related both the sufferings and the
victories of Christ’s Church.
* Rev 11:1–19: The Jerusalem here described stands for the Church,
which is to be persecuted by the Romans.
* Rev 11:2: The three and a half years’ persecution of the Jews by
Antiochus Epiphanes, 168–165 b.c., had become the standard time of a
persecution. Three and a half years equals 42 months equals 1,260 days
(verse 3).
* Rev 11:3, two witnesses: As they have yet to die, possibly they are
Elijah and Enoch.
* Rev 11:8, the great city: i.e., Rome.
* Rev 12:1–6: The child brought forth is the Messiah; the dragon is the
devil; the woman who gave birth to the Messiah is Israel, and then becomes
the Christian Church, which continually gives birth to the faithful.
* Rev 12:14, a time, and times, and half a time: This is the three and a
half years of 11:2.
* Rev 12:17: Mary, the mother of the Messiah, must also be included in
the meaning.
* Rev 13:1, a beast: This symbolizes the material forces of evil, arrayed
against the Church.
* Rev 13:11, another beast: i.e., the false prophets.
* Rev 13:18, six hundred and sixty-six: The letters of Nero’s name plus
the title of Caesar, given their numerical meaning in Hebrew and added
together, make 666.
* Rev 14:4: Although tradition tends to take this literally, the context and
Old Testament metaphor suggest that it means they have kept free from
idolatry.
* Rev 14:8, Babylon: i.e., Rome.
* Rev 15:3–4: The song of Moses in Ex 15:1–18 celebrated victory over
Pharaoh. This is seen as foreshadowing the triumph of the Lamb.
* Rev 16:14, the great day: On which all the Gentile armies shall be
gathered to give battle.
* Rev 16:16, Armageddon: i.e., Megiddo, where Josiah was defeated by
the king of Egypt, cf. 2 Kings 23:29.
* Rev 17:1, great harlot: i.e., Rome.
* Rev 17:2, fornication: i.e., idolatry.
* Rev 18:11–20: The description abruptly assumes the language of
Ezekiel’s prophecy of the destruction of Tyre, another city notorious for its
sins (Ezek 27:1—28:19).
* Rev 19:7, marriage of the Lamb: i.e., final establishment of the
kingdom of God. The spouse is the Church.
* Rev 20:3: The destruction of the dragon must coincide in time with that
of the beast (19:20), so that the first resurrection with the reign of the
martyrs refers to the revival and expansion of the Church after the years of
persecution.
* Rev 21:1: Creation will be renewed one day, freed from corruption and
illumined by God’s glory.
* Rev 21:8, second death: i.e., eternal damnation.
EXEGETICAL NOTES
THE BOOK OF GENESIS
a Or When God began to create. Back to text.
b Or wind. Back to text.
c Or flood. Back to text.
d Heb ishshah. Back to text.
e Heb ish. Back to text.
f The name in Hebrew resembles the word for living. Back to text.
g Heb qanah, get. Back to text.
h Sam Gk Syr Compare Vg: Heb lacks Let us go out to the field. Back to
text.
i Gk Syr Vg: Heb Therefore. Back to text.
j That is Wandering. Back to text.
k Or window. Back to text.
l Gk: Heb repeats every beast of the earth. Back to text.
m Or Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem. Back to text.
n Compare verses 20, 31. Heb lacks These are the sons of Japheth. Back
to text.
o That is Division. Back to text.
p Compare Heb balal, confuse. Back to text.
q Or in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Back to text.
r Or Terebinth. Back to text.
s Or Terebinths. Back to text.
t That is God hears. Back to text.
u Cn: Heb have I even here seen after him who sees me? Back to text.
v That is the well of one who sees and lives. Back to text.
w Heb El Shaddai. Back to text.
x That is exalted father. Back to text.
y Here taken to mean father of a multitude. Back to text.
z That is he laughs. Back to text.
a Or Terebinths. Back to text.
b Heb seahs. Back to text.
c Or wonderful. Back to text.
d Or in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Back to text.
e Heb known. Back to text.
f Gk Syr Vg: Heb he. Back to text.
g That is Little. Back to text.
h Gk Vg: Heb lacks with her son Isaac. Back to text.
i Gk: Heb she lifted up her voice. Back to text.
j That is Well of seven or Well of the oath. Back to text.
k Or see. Back to text.
l Or he will be seen. Back to text.
n Syr Tg: Heb from coming to. Back to text.
o Heb adds of Sarah his mother. Back to text.
p Heb fell. Back to text.
q Syr: Heb obscure. Back to text.
r That is He takes by the heel or He supplants. Back to text.
s That is Red. Back to text.
t Heb today. Back to text.
u That is Contention. Back to text.
v That is Enmity. Back to text.
w That is Broad places or Room. Back to text.
x Cn: Heb of all. Back to text.
y Or of. Back to text.
z Heb El Shaddai. Back to text.
a Or beside him. Back to text.
b Or be blessed. Back to text.
c That is The house of God. Back to text.
d That is See, a son. Back to text.
e Heb shama. Back to text.
f Heb lawah. Back to text.
g Heb hodah. Back to text.
h That is He judged. Back to text.
i Heb niphtal. Back to text.
j That is Fortune. Back to text.
k That is Blessed. Back to text.
l Heb sakar. Back to text.
m Heb zabal. Back to text.
n That is He adds. Back to text.
o In Aramaic The heap of witness. Back to text.
p In Hebrew The heap of witness. Back to text.
q Compare Sam: Heb lacks the pillar. Back to text.
r That is Watchpost. Back to text.
s Ch 32:1 in Heb. Back to text.
t Here taken to mean Two armies. Back to text.
u That is He who strives with God or God strives. Back to text.
v That is The face of God. Back to text.
w That is Booths. Back to text.
x Heb a hundred qesitah. Back to text.
y That is God, the God of Israel. Back to text.
z That is God of Bethel. Back to text.
a That is Oak of weeping. Back to text.
b Heb El Shaddai. Back to text.
c That is Son of my sorrow. Back to text.
d That is Son of the right hand or Son of the South. Back to text.
e Sam Gk Syr: Heb daughter. Back to text.
f Gk Syr: Heb daughter. Back to text.
g Gk: Heb He. Back to text.
h Or cult prostitute. Back to text.
i That is A breach. Back to text.
j Gk: Heb them. Back to text.
k Abrek, probably an Egyptian word similar in sound to the Hebrew word
to text.
r Compare Gk Vg: Heb you are commanded. Back to text.
s Sam Syr Compare Gk Vg: Heb to show the way. Back to text.
t Sam Gk Compare Vg: Heb he removed them to the cities. Back to text.
u Heb El Shaddai. Back to text.
v Heb shekem, shoulder. Back to text.
w Gk Syr Tg: Heb he. Back to text.
x Or glory. Back to text.
y Syr Compare Tg: Heb until Shiloh comes or until he comes to Shiloh.
Back to text.
z Heb gedud, a raiding troop. Back to text.
a Or who gives beautiful words. Back to text.
b Heb the arms of his hands. Back to text.
c Compare Gk: Heb of my progenitors to. Back to text.
d That is meadow (or mourning) of Egypt. Back to text.
OceanofPDF.com
k Ch 8:1 in Heb. Back to text.
l Or which he had brought upon Pharaoh. Back to text.
m Gk Vg: Heb set redemption. Back to text.
n Heb before your face. Back to text.
o Heb between the two evenings. Back to text.
p Gk: Heb and it lit up the night. Back to text.
q Or binding. Sam Gk Syr: Heb removing. Back to text.
r Heb shook off. Back to text.
s Gk Syr: Heb to all the host. Back to text.
t Or its chariot. Back to text.
u That is Bitterness. Back to text.
v Heb he. Back to text.
w Or “It is manna.” Heb man hu. Back to text.
x That is Proof. Back to text.
y That is Contention. Back to text.
z Cn: Heb obscure. Back to text.
a Heb ger. Back to text.
b Heb Eli, my God, ezer, help. Back to text.
c Sam Gk Syr: Heb I. Back to text.
d Transposing the last clause of v. 10 to v. 11. Back to text.
e Syr Tg Vg: Heb took. Back to text.
f Or besides. Back to text.
g Another reading is so that he has not designated her. Back to text.
h Heb he shall. Back to text.
i Ch 21:37 in Heb. Back to text.
j Restoring the second half of verse 3 and the whole of verse 4 to their
Back to text.
d Or God. Back to text.
e Or bore. Back to text.
f Heb the lightning of my sword. Back to text.
g Gk Vg: Heb his land his people. Back to text.
h Gk Syr Vg: Heb Hoshea. Back to text.
i Gk Syr Vg: Heb them. Back to text.
j The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Back to text.
k Gk: Heb peoples. Back to text.
x Heb your. Back to text.
l Cn: Heb with his hands he contended. Back to text.
m Gk: Heb lacks Give to Levi. Back to text.
n Two Heb Mss and Tg: Heb with the dew. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
a That is the hill of the foreskins. Back to text.
b From Heb galal to roll. Back to text.
c That is Trouble. Back to text.
d Cn: Heb appointed time. Back to text.
x Heb they. Back to text.
e Gk: Heb the boundary of Og. Back to text.
f Gk: Heb Gilgal. Back to text.
g Cn: Heb With it. Back to text.
h Gk Syr Vg: Heb Lidebir. Back to text.
i That is The city of Arba. Back to text.
j Heb obscure. Back to text.
k Cn See 15:9. Heb westward. Back to text.
l Gk: Heb to the shoulder over against the Arabah. Back to text.
m Gk Syr Vg: Heb the Jebusite. Back to text.
n Heb Gibeath. Back to text.
o Gk: Heb Kiriath. Back to text.
p Cn Compare Gk: Heb Mehebel. Back to text.
q Heb qesitah. Back to text.
THE BOOK OF JUDGES
a Vg Old Latin Compare Gk: Heb sides. Back to text.
b That is Weepers. Back to text.
c The meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown. Back to text.
d Or You who offered yourselves willingly among the people, bless. Back
to text.
e The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Back to text.
f Gk: Heb me. Back to text.
x Cn: Heb From Ephraim their root. Back to text.
g Gk: Heb in Amalek. Back to text.
h Gk Compare Tg: Heb exclaimed. Back to text.
i Cn: Heb and depart from Mount Gilead. Back to text.
j Cn: Heb the people took provisions in their hands. Back to text.
k Another reading is Zeredah. Back to text.
l Gk: Heb and he said. Back to text.
m Cn See 9:41. Heb Tormah. Back to text.
n Cn: Heb besieging. Back to text.
o Vg and some Mss of Gk: Heb companies. Back to text.
p Cn: Heb go down. Back to text.
q Gk: Heb in the cities of Gilead. Back to text.
r Gk Vg: Heb and working. Back to text.
s Heb wonders, while Manoah and his wife looked on. Back to text.
t Gk Syr: Heb seventh. Back to text.
u That is The hill of the jawbone. Back to text.
v That is The spring of him who called. Back to text.
w Compare Gk: Heb lacks and make it tight . . . into the web. Back to
text.
w2 Heb living, and the Levite went. Back to text.
x Cn Compare 18:10. The Hebrew text is uncertain. Back to text.
y That is Camp of Dan. Back to text.
z Another reading is Manasseh. Back to text.
a Gk Old Latin: Heb played the harlot against. Back to text.
b Gk: Heb she brought him. Back to text.
c Gk Compare 19:29. Heb to the house of the LORD. Back to text.
d Gk Vg: Heb in the plain. Back to text.
e Gk: Heb surrounding. Back to text.
f Gk: Heb (at their) resting place. Back to text.
Back to text.
x Or the hill of God. Back to text.
z Or the hill. Back to text.
a Gk: Heb lacks finally . . . man by man. Back to text.
b Gk: Heb Is there yet a man to come here? Back to text.
c Gk: Heb lacks Testify against me. Back to text.
d Gk: Heb lacks is witness. Back to text.
e Gk: Heb lacks and the Egyptians oppressed them. Back to text.
f Gk: Heb lacks Jabin king of. Back to text.
g Gk Syr: Heb Bedan. Back to text.
h Gk: Heb fathers. Back to text.
i Gk Syr Tg Vg: Heb because after. Back to text.
j The number is lacking in Heb. Back to text.
k Two is not the entire number. Something has dropped out. Back to text.
l Cn: Heb Hebrews crossed the Jordan. Back to text.
m Gk: Heb plowshare. Back to text.
n The Heb of this verse is obscure. Back to text.
o Heb between the passes. Back to text.
p Gk: Heb Do all that is in your mind. Turn. Back to text.
q Gk: Heb lacks so is mine. Back to text.
r Heb yoke. Back to text.
s Gk: Heb they went and there. Back to text.
t Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb round about, they also, to be with. Back to text.
u Heb land. Back to text.
v Gk: Heb this day. Back to text.
w Vg Compare Gk: Heb Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel. Back to
text.
x Gk Syr: Heb among men. Back to text.
y Gk: Heb Gai. Back to text.
z Or triangles, or three-stringed instruments. Back to text.
a Heb by two. Back to text.
b Gk: Heb Michal, Saul’s daughter. Back to text.
x Gk Old Latin: Heb escaped that night. 11And Saul. Back to text.
c Heb teraphim. Back to text.
d The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Back to text.
f Gk: Heb lacks from. Back to text.
g Gk: Heb swore again. Back to text.
h Heb a covenant of the LORD. Back to text.
i Heb lacks be witness. Back to text.
j Heb uncertain. Back to text.
k Gk: Heb earth, and Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David.
Back to text.
l Gk: Heb go down quickly. Back to text.
m Gk: Heb the stone Ezel. Back to text.
n Cn See Gk: Heb stood up. Back to text.
o Gk: Heb from beside the south. Back to text.
p Or exceeded. Back to text.
q This sentence is 21:1 in Heb. Back to text.
r Ch 21:2 in Heb. Back to text.
s Syr Vg: Heb come out. Back to text.
t Gk Tg: Heb and has turned aside to. Back to text.
u Or saw that. Back to text.
v Gk: Heb and dwelt. Back to text.
w Ch 24:1 in Heb. Back to text.
x Gk Syr Tg: Heb you. Back to text.
y Gk Compare Syr: Heb the enemies of David. Back to text.
z That is fool. Back to text.
a Gk: Heb a flea (as in 24:14). Back to text.
b Gk Vg: Heb lacks whom. Back to text.
c Gk: Heb lacks and all. Back to text.
d Cn: Heb they drove before those cattle. Back to text.
e Gk Compare 1 Chron 10:9: Heb to the house of their idols. Back to text.
wheat; and they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his
brother escaped. Back to text.
g Heb paraz. Back to text.
h That is Lord of breaking through. Back to text.
i Or and his brother. Back to text.
j Compare Gk: Heb the new cart, and brought it out of the house of
Abinadab which was on the hill. Back to text.
k Gk 1 Chron 13:8: Heb fir-trees. Back to text.
l 1 Chron 13:10: Heb uncertain. Back to text.
m That is The breaking forth upon Uzzah. Back to text.
n Vg: Heb uncertain. Back to text.
o Gk: Heb my. Back to text.
p 1 Chron 17:6: Heb tribes. Back to text.
q Gk Syr Vg 1 Chron 17:13: Heb shall not depart. Back to text.
r Cn: Heb this is the law for man. Back to text.
s Gk: Heb one. Back to text.
t Heb you. Back to text.
u Gk 1 Chron 17:21: Heb for your land. Back to text.
v Heb before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt,
text.
x Syr Tg Vg 20:23; 1 Chron 18:17: Heb lacks was over. Back to text.
y Gk: Heb my. Back to text.
z Heb river. Back to text.
a Heb the enemies of the LORD. Back to text.
b That is beloved of the LORD. Back to text.
c Or Milcom See Zeph 1:5. Back to text.
d Cn: Heb pass through. Back to text.
e Cn Compare Gk Vg: Heb No, for this great wrong in sending me away
is (worse) than the other which you did to me. Back to text.
f Cn: Heb clad in robes. Back to text.
g Cn Compare Gk: Heb the road behind him. Back to text.
h Gk: Heb David. Back to text.
i Cn: Heb and he devises. Back to text.
j Gk Syr: Heb forty. Back to text.
k Or sent. Back to text.
l Gk Syr Vg: Heb to. Back to text.
m Gk: Heb lacks may the LORD show. Back to text.
n Gk: Heb Are you a seer or Do you see? Back to text.
o Cn: Heb lacks and Abiathar. Back to text.
p Gk Vg: Heb iniquity. Back to text.
q Gk: Heb lacks at the Jordan. Back to text.
r Heb word. Back to text.
s Gk: Heb like the return of the whole (is) the man whom you seek. Back
to text.
t Or when he falls upon them. Back to text.
u The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Back to text.
v 1 Chron 2:17: Heb Israelite. Back to text.
w Heb lentils and parched grain. Back to text.
x Gk Vg Symmachus: Heb for now there are ten thousand such as we.
Back to text.
y Gk Syr Tg: Heb was put. Back to text.
z Another reading is at the risk of my life. Back to text.
b Heb the king’s servant, your servant. Back to text.
c Ch 19:1 in Heb. Back to text.
d Gk: Heb to the king, to his house. Back to text.
e Cn: Heb the ford crossed. Back to text.
f Heb to. Back to text.
g Gk Syr Vg: Heb said, I will saddle a donkey for myself. Back to text.
h Tg: Heb snatch away our eyes. Back to text.
i Cn Compare Gk: Heb after him Joab’s men. Back to text.
j This clause is transposed from the end of the verse. Back to text.
k With 20:15: Heb and Beth-maacah. Back to text.
l Heb Berites. Back to text.
m Heb the Gibeonites and said to them. Back to text.
n Cn Compare Gk and 21:9: Heb at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the
text.
g Another reading is the son of Ish-hai. Back to text.
h Gk: sons of Ariel. Heb lacks sons of. Back to text.
i Another reading is Hezrai. Back to text.
j 1 Chron 21:2 Gk: Heb to Joab the commander of the army. Back to text.
k Gk: Heb encamped in Aroer. Back to text.
l Gk: Heb to the land of Tahtim-hodshi. Back to text.
m Cn Compare Gk: Heb they came to Dan-jaan and. Back to text.
n Or hold over. Back to text.
o 1 Chron 21:12 Gk: Heb seven. Back to text.
Back to text.
m Gk: Heb lacks Jehu said. Back to text.
n Gk Syr Tg: Heb they. Back to text.
o Gk Compare verse 25: Heb they. Back to text.
p Cn: Heb city. Back to text.
q With 2 Chron 22:11: Heb lacks and she put. Back to text.
r Gk Syr Vg Compare 2 Chron 22:11: Heb they. Back to text.
s Heb the LORD to the king. Back to text.
t Heb the house to the king. Back to text.
u Ch 12:1 in Heb. Back to text.
v Gk Syr Tg Vg: Heb he walked. Back to text.
w Gk Compare 9:27: Heb before the people. Back to text.
x Compare Gk: Heb Tiphsah. Back to text.
y Heb adds Argob and Arieh, which probably belong to the list of places
text.
f Syr Vg: Heb them. Back to text.
g Syr See Is 38:8 and Tg: Heb lacks the sun. Back to text.
h The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Back to text.
i Heb pieces from there. Back to text.
j Gk: Heb he burned the high place. Back to text.
k Gk Compare Jer 39:4; 52:7: Heb lacks the king and fled. Back to text.
l With Jer 40:7: Heb lacks in the open country. Back to text.
text.
j Heb lacks and bore. Back to text.
k Vg Compare Gk: Heb and Jashubi-lahem. Back to text.
l Or matters. Back to text.
m Gk Vg: Heb and Epher. Back to text.
n Ch 5:27 in Heb. Back to text.
o Ch 6:1 in Heb. Back to text.
p Gk Syr Compare verse 33 and 1 Sam 8:2: Heb lacks Joel. Back to text.
q Heb and Abijah. Back to text.
r Syr Compare Vg: Heb and to the sons. Back to text.
s Heb and Naaman. Back to text.
t Or he carried them into exile. Back to text.
u Compare 9:35: Heb lacks Jeiel. Back to text.
v Compare 8:35: Heb lacks and Ahaz. Back to text.
w Heb they. Back to text.
x Compare 2 Sam 23:8: Heb thirty or captains. Back to text.
y Compare 2 Sam 23:12: Heb they . . . their. Back to text.
z Syr: Heb three. Back to text.
a Compare 2 Sam 23:19: Heb more renowned among the two. Back to
text.
b Syr: Heb the son of a valiant man. Back to text.
c Gk: sons of Ariel. Heb lacks sons of. Back to text.
d Compare 2 Sam 23:25: Heb the Harorite. Back to text.
e Compare Gk and 2 Sam 23:32: Heb the sons of Hashem. Back to text.
f Heb verse 5. Back to text.
g Heb verse 6. Back to text.
h Or as officers of his troops. Back to text.
i Gk: Heb lacks David. Back to text.
j Or and his brother. Back to text.
k That is The breaking forth upon Uzzah. Back to text.
l Heb paraz. Back to text.
m That is Lord of breaking through. Back to text.
n The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. Back to text.
o Compare Gk Syr Vg: Heb uncertain. Back to text.
p Heb their. Back to text.
q Cn: Heb uncertain. Back to text.
r Gk Vg: Heb one. Back to text.
s Heb hand. Back to text.
t Gk Vg 2 Sam 8:6 Compare Syr: Heb lacks garrisons. Back to text.
u Or Milcom See 1 Kings 11:5. Back to text.
v Compare 2 Sam 12:31: Heb he sawed. Back to text.
w Compare 2 Sam 12:31: Heb saws. Back to text.
x Vg Compare Gk Syr: Heb to the Gershonite. Back to text.
y See 23:19: Heb lacks Hebron. Back to text.
z See 23:19: Heb lacks the chief. Back to text.
a One Ms: Gk: Heb lacks Shime-i. Back to text.
b Gk: Heb Levites. Back to text.
c The meaning of the word parbar is unknown. Back to text.
d The Hebrew text of verse 21 is confused. Back to text.
e Heb Shelomith. Back to text.
f Gk: Heb Ahohite and his division and Mikloth the chief officer. Back to
text.
g Gk Vg: Heb was his division. Back to text.
h Cn: Heb upon me. Back to text.
i Gk Vg: Heb hope. Back to text.